Relocation of Ombuds at University of Western Ontario Raises Concerns

Administrators at UWO are displacing the Office of the Ombudsperson to make room for another program and moving the office to another, smaller space nearby. Jennifer Meister, the Ombudsperson, told the OWO Gazette that the move could compromise her ability to accommodate visitors. “The [new] offices end up being nine feet by nine feet. Once you get furniture in there, it’s difficult to meet with a group of students, or with a student and a parent or with anyone in a wheelchair in that small a space,” Meister explained.

Lee Preston: Former University of Maryland Ombuds

The former Ombudsman for Faculty and Staff at the University of Maryland, Lee E. Preston passed away on November 22, 2011. Preston served as the Ombuds from 2004 until 2010 after he retired from his faculty position in 1998. Preston had academic distinguished career after earning a PhD in economics from Harvard: he was the author or co-author of about 200 publications on management. A memorial service is planned for December 4 in College Park. (Smith School News.)

University of Texas Faculty Ombuds Caseload Eases

Mary Steinhardt, the Faculty Ombudsperson at UT Austin, says that she assisted 48 faculty members in 2010-11, down from 58 in the prior year. In addition, she began serving visitors holding postdoctoral fellowship appointments and assisted two in this category.

University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee Opens Ombuds Office

The newest campus in the USF system has established an Office of the Student Ombudsman. Judith Sedgeman serves as the first Ombuds for a student body of 4,500. According to its website, the USF Sarasota-Manatee Ombuds "is accountable to the Regional Chancellor and serves as an alternate resource for students complementing existing channels of information and support."

Iowa State University Ombuds Posts Report for 2011

Elaine Newell, Ombuds Officer for ISU, says that the caseload for her office declined slightly one year after the campus struggled with layoffs and reorganizations. The total number of cases in the 2011 fiscal year declined 23% to 79. Professional and Scientific employees again were the most frequent visitors to the Ombuds Office this year, but also there was an increase in the number of faculty visitors.

IOA Offers Ombuds Training in Santiago

The International Ombudsman Association will offer its signature training for Organizational Ombuds in conjunction with the United Nations in Santiago, Chile on January 15-18, 2012.  The offerings will include the 2½-day Ombuds 101 and a specialized course.

FINRA Offers Spring 2012 Externship

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is offering an unpaid externship in its Rockville, MD office. The extern will work with FINRA Ombuds staff in the spring 2012 semester for 15-20 hours per week.

ICANN Ombuds Explains a Non-confidential Mediation

Chris LaHatte, the Ombudsman for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, blogs about a recent mediation that was not confidential. He acknowledges that, while most mediations are confidential, the parties in this particular case wanted the mediation recorded so it would be available for review.

University of KwaZulu-Natal Opens First Ombuds Office

The top-tier South African university has created an Organizational Ombuds office and appointed former SA Chief Justice Pius Nkonzo Langa as the first Ombud. According to its terms of reference, the UKZN Ombuds Office serves more than 40,000 students, staff and academic staff. UKNZ is home to the African Ombudsman and Mediators Association, which is primiarily composed of Classical Ombuds, but the Ombuds Office explicitly practices to IOA standards for Organizational Ombuds.

Association of Ombudsmen and Mediators of La Francophonie Elects New Leader

Senegalese Ombudsman, Serigne Diop, has been elected to lead the association for meditors and Ombuds in French-speaking countries. The announcement was made at the AOMF conference in Luxembourg on Wednesday. Diop is a professor of Constitutional law and a former Senegalese minister and he was elected unanimously. (Afrique en Ligne.)

Connecticut Law Tribune: Ombuds Offer Option for Whistleblowers

The latest article by Chuck Howard appears in the Connecticut Law Tribune.  Howard explains that Organizational Ombuds offer significant benefits for potential whistleblowers.

Job Posting: Coca-Cola Refreshments

The American multinational beverage corporation is hiring a full-time Ombudsman. The position provides a wide range of professional support to the office, including working with associates to develop options for resolving problems, identifying organizational systemic issues that are causing conflict, and participating in mediation sessions in California and Canada.

Goethe University Creates Ombuds for Doctoral Issues

The Graduate Academy of the leading German university has appointed Henner Büsching as its first Ombudperson for doctoral students and supervisors. The position "acts as a confidential advisor and mediator to whom doctoral students and their supervisors can turn to in case of conflicts surrounding their doctoral projects."

Northern Illinois University Ombuds Posts Annual Report

Tim D. Griffin, University Ombudsman at NIU, reports that his office provided advice and assistance to 1,025 individuals during the year ended May 15, 2011. Griffin said that, "The number of people contacting the Office of the Ombudsman over the past year for assistance regarding matters related to class instruction was considerably higher than the prior year." The majority of visitors were students (71%), but the office was also consulted by faculty (10%), staff (10%), and family members (6%).

Algoma University Reappoints Ombuds

Cheryl Henshaw has been reappointed the Ombudsperson for Algoma University. Henshaw opened the Ombuds Office for the undergraduate university in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario last summer. She previously served as the Ombuds for the University of Windsor. (Algoma Staff.)