The California Caucus of College and University Ombuds published its second online, interactive journal.
Articles include:
The leading cancer research and treatment center in Houston is hiring an Ombudsperson. The position will join an office that serves all members of the MD Anderson workforce, including faculty, trainees and fellows of the institution.
The university in Edmonton, AB has appointed Cathryn Heslep to be its first Ombudsperson for its 14,800 students. Heslep is set to retire from her current position as VP for Student Services after a 25-year career at MacEwan University. No other details about the new Ombuds office have been made public.
The
latest SCI Talk podcast, SCI Founder Joshua Gordon and Dr. Ken Pendleton discuss
the value and need for an improved intercollegiate Ombuds model. SCI is
a major proponent of having a dedicated ombudsman available to student
athletes and the outlet it provides to avoid major issues or conflict in
NCAA college athletics. (SCI Talk.)
The latest issue of the Journal of the International Ombudsman Association is delves into the empirical techniques applied to the Ombuds profession. The issue is the last for Editor David Miller, who has lead the Journal for five years.
The IOA International Committee announces the availability of financial support to sponsor members or prospective members living outside of the United States and Canada to attend the upcoming IOA 10th Annual Conference taking place April 19-22, 2015 in Atlanta, GA. Recipients may also be entitled to take the basic IOA course: “Foundations of Organizational Ombudsman Practice,” offered prior to the conference.
The Forum of Canadian Ombudsman and the Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons are inviting proposals you to beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia for the joint FCO/ACCUO biennial
Conference from May 10-13 2015. The conference will mark the 50th anniversary of the first Ombuds office
in Canada, at Simon Fraser University.
Last week, the University of Oregon decided that there was no legal requirement that the Ombuds Office be identified as a “responsible person or authority” under Title IX, or as a “campus security authority” under the Clery Act.
Following days of campus protests over diversity and sexual assault issues at Syracuse, student activists passed a resolution calling for immediate and longer term changes. Among the demands, the resolution also asks Syracuse Chancellor Kent Syverud to hold an open forum where he can receive community feedback and to create an Ombuds position to protect student rights and interests.
In testimony before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, Acting Director of the Secret Service James Clancy outlined changes to prevent future security breaches at the White House. According to the Washington Post, Clancy has directed the Secret Service Ombudsman to create a method for employees to anonymously report problems and concerns to an executive review board that will ensure they can flag problems confidentially and also get a timely review of their complaint. (Washington Post.)
ACCUO’s "Ombuds Toolkit" is an information package intended for Ombuds and for stakeholders wanting to create an Ombuds Office in a Canadian postsecondary institution
events. However, the Toolkit is an important resource for Ombuds more broadly.
Last night, the California Caucus of College and University Ombuds presented its annual awards. Lisa Neale received the Service Excellence Award for her significant leadership contributions to CCCUO, including shepherding the Journal from print to online. Valerie White was given the Pete Small Award for her many years of leadership within
Cal Caucus and support of other Ombuds offices that helped advanced the Ombuds field.
Frank Esposito was appointed to serve as the Ombudsman for the public university in New Jersey in December 2013. An article in the campus newsletter explains that Kean has had Ombuds off and on since the early
1980’s. Esposito states, “my job is to try to solve problems not solved by the
normal route.”
The
Texas state agency responsible for law enforcement and vehicle
regulation is hiring a director-level Ombudsman. Based in
Austin, the supervisory position
performs advanced mediation work for the Office of the Ombudsman,
working
with individuals and groups in the agency to explore and assist in
determining options to help resolved conflicts and bringing systemic
concerns to the attention of executive management.
UM's Ombudsman for Students, Tom Lehker says that a charter for his office was approved in October 2014. The new charter clarifies and codifies his roles and responsibilities, reflecting a shared understanding of how the Ombuds Office functions within the large, public university. The charter also articulates the principles of the Ombuds role and their consistency with IOA standards. (UM Ombuds Blog.)
