Ombuds Blog Marks Decade of Service

This week marks the tenth anniversary of my the first post on this blog.  It was born out of my desire for more public information about the profession.  At the time, UCOA and TOA were still in the midst of their merger and their most valuable information was available only to full members, especially job postings.

Andrews University Opens Ombuds Office

The flagship university of the Seventh-day Adventist church located in Berrien Springs, Michigan has appointed two Ombudsperson: Elynda Bedney and David Sedlacek. Together, they will serve about 6,000 faculty, staff, and students. According to a new website, "The office was established as part of the University’s Christian commitment to foster a courteous and considerate climate conducive to productivity and wellbeing for the University community." 

Video Introduces ICANN's New Ombuds

Herb Waye became the Ombudsman for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers in July 2016.  An interview with him from ICANN's latest conference was just just posted to YouTube.  He says that the office should be more than just a place where people can complain, but a resource that can intervene at an early stage when there is conflict that impedes progress or undermines relationships within the ICANN ecosystem.  

Fanshawe College Appoints Interim Ombuds

Jennifer Gillespie has been named the Acting Ombuds for the college in Ontario.  She takes over from Rose Valle, who also served as the Acting Ombuds for the past three years. The Office of the Ombuds operates independently of the usual administrative authorities and is funded jointly by the Fanshawe Student Union (FSU) and Fanshawe College. 

Advice for Ombuds Job Seekers

HigherEdJobs, the jobs and career site for academia, has published an informational article about the Ombuds profession.  The piece includes quotes from Bruce J. MacAllister, an IOA Board member and Ombuds with the International Foundation for Online Responsibility; Leah P. Hollis, an Assistant Professor at Morgan State University and author of a recent article in the Journal of IOA; and this blogger, Tom Kosakowski, an Ombuds at UCLA.

Dalhousie University Appoints Ombuds to Reopen Office

The public university in Halifax has named Diane Hawco as its next Ombudsperson.  The position is jointly funded by the University and Dalhousie Student Union and will also serve students at the affiliated University of Kings College.  

IOA Webinar: The Ombuds' Annual Report

The International Ombudsman Association will offer a webinar titled, "Leveraging Your Annual Report to Validate Your Office and Create Sustainability!" on Thursday, December 8, at 11:00 - 12:30 p.m. Central Time.  Karey Barnes, the former Student Ombudsperson and now Director of the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities at South Texas College will explain how to maximize the impact of an Ombuds report.  

Video Introduces Ombuds for the Medical College of Wisconsin

A video posted by the private medical and graduate school in Milwaukee introduces its two Ombuds: Michelle Shasha and Natalie Fleury. The short video gives a good overview of the Ombuds program and it's interesting to hear and see how the ethical tenets are introduced.

Profile of UTC's Ombuds in China

The latest issue of the United Technologies Corp employee newsletter features Lily Xu, one of three Ombudsmen for the American multinational.  The article traces Xu's career from 2009 at subsidiary Pratt & Whitney through a leadership training program and into the Ombuds Office in 2014.

Smith College Reopens Ombuds Office

Michael Stephens has been appointed the Ombudsman for faculty and staff at the private women's liberal arts college in Northampton, MA. He will restore a program that was shuttered in 2009. For the past year, Stephens has been the Ombuds for nearby Amherst College, also a part-time position. 

Job Posting: Government of Victoria

The Australian State is hiring a Workplace Facilitator in Melbourne for its Department of Health and Human Services. The full-time position is essentially that of an Organizational Ombuds -- just the second in the country-- and practices to IOA standards. 

Job Posting: Cal State San Bernandino

CSUSB -- one of 23 general campuses of the California State University system -- is hiring an Ombuds Officer.  The full-time position works with faculty, staff, students, and community members and reports to the President's Office.  The search will fill a position held by Milton Clark for nearly two years.  Clark recently announced his retirement.

Wesleyan Faculty Seek Ombuds for Title IX Issues

An editorial signed by 34 faculty members asks Wesleyan University to create an Ombuds program to help handle student accusations of sexual misconduct.  The issue at the private liberal arts college has come to the fore after it was revealed that a current staff had been fired by a prior employer for inappropriate behavior.

Job Posting: Kaiser Permanente Northern California

KP Northern California is hiring a full-time Health Care Ombuds/Mediator for its medical facilities in San Francisco.  The Kaiser HCOM, "functions as a trained alternative dispute professional offering patients, family members, staff & providers a conflict management program to resolve patient/provider healthcare disputes early thereby improving patient safety & reducing the costs of health care dispute resolution."

UC Santa Barbara Hires Experienced Ombuds

Michael Steinberg has recently been appointed as Associate Ombuds at the University of California- Santa Barbara. For the past 17 months, he was the Associate Ombuds at Columbia University. UCSB is still looking to hire its Assistant Ombuds/Office Manager.