Job Posting: Columbia University

Columbia is accepting applications for an Associate University Ombuds Officer. The position works with the University Ombuds Officer and provides confidential complaint handling and neutral, informal conflict resolution to all Columbia University students, faculty, and employees.

Job Posting: Transportation Security Administration

The TSA is hiring an Ombudsman Customer Representative for its office in Arlington, VA. The position will report directly to the TSA Ombuds or designee and will assess the primary interests of parties in a workplace disputes and develop options for resolution based on those interests. The position is open only to US citizens or nationals, and requires up to 25% travel.

Team Canada Ombudsperson to Speak at Brock University

Rachel Corbett, the Ombuds for Canadian athletes at the Commonwealth Games in India, will give a talk at Brock University on November 23 at 5:00 pm. Corbett will describe her experiences at the games working with the Canadian delegation of 400.

University Of Michigan Names Ombuds for Students

Tom Lehker, who has served as Michigan's Interim Ombudsman since the retirement of Robert B. Holmes earlier this year, has been appointed as the next Ombuds for the 41,000-student campus.

Externship: Financial Industry Regulatory Authority

FINRA is offering unpaid externships for graduate students in its Washington, DC office. The externs will work with FINRA Ombuds staff in the Spring 2011 semester for 15-20 hours per week.

Friday is Deadline for Second Annual IOA Writing Competition

Entries for the student writing contest sponsored by the International Ombudsman Association are due Friday, November 19, 2010. The competition is open to graduate students in ADR or law programs and papers must be on the topic of how Ombuds can avoid being deemed as agents for notice for their organization.

Chuck Howard Will Speak at Princeton

The author of The Organizational Ombudsman: Origins, Roles and Operations-A Legal Guide will present a talk titled "Bridging the Gap ... Creating a Fair and Impartial Culture" on November 23, 2010. The event is sponsored by the Princeton University Ombuds, DA Graham, and will focus on how people in large organizations and the organizations themselves report misconduct and resolve conflict.

Coastal Carolina University Ombuds Issues Report

Charmaine Tomczyk, CCU's first Faculty Ombuds, reports that campus demand for her services has continued through the end of her second year in the position. She said that, "The range of workplace concerns and questions has expanded as Coastal Carolina continues to transform into a larger institution with more employees, more opportunities and more challenges."

Journal of IOA Seeks Corporate Ombuds for Editorial Board

David Miller, the Editor of the Journal of the International Ombudsman Association, is recruiting IOA members from the corporate sector for the editorial board.

William Mason: JHU Laboratory Ombuds

William T. Mason III, the Laboratory Ombudsman at the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, passed away November 1, 2010. A memorial service will be held on Friday at 11 a.m. at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Highland, MD. Mason helped patent a high altitude reconnaissance vehicle in 2006. (Washington Post; USPTO.)

Ombuds Summarize Workplace Bullying Concerns

In the September issue of the Labor and Employment Relations Association newsletter, Lydia Cummings and Mary Rowe write about what they have heard -- directly and from other Organizational Ombuds -- about bullying at work. Cummings and Rowe report on words used to describe people perceived as bullies; behaviors of (alleged) bullies; what (alleged) targets feel; and experiences reported by (alleged) targets.

Video Introduces University of Cincinnati Ombuds Office

A one-minute music video recently posted on YouTube shows UC Ombuds, Lillian Santa Maria and Jean Griffin, and their offices. There is no dialog, but the video includes superimposed words that define the Ombuds practice and services.

Coalition of Federal Ombuds Will Hold Open Meeting

CoFO is inviting any federal ombuds or anyone interested in the work of a federal ombuds to an all-day conference on November 9, 2010. The meeting will be hosted by the Ombuds at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Washington, DC and will feature leading Ombuds and experts from the federal sector.

CERN Ombuds Begins Series of Articles for Employees

Vincent Vuillemi, the recently appointed Ombuds at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, has started writing a series of articles to better explain his role at the Swiss research laboratory. Vuillemi says that he, "will publish practical examples of situations of potential misunderstanding that could have been resolved by the Ombuds if he had been contacted earlier."

University of Cincinnati Ombuds Office Marks Four Decades of Service

On November 17, 2010, the UC Ombuds Office will celebrate its fortieth anniversary with a reception. According to the invitation to the campus, "For 40 years the UC Ombuds have worked to create dialogue, informal and often elegant resolutions to conflicts, and help build a sense of community."