Friday Poll: Do You Publish an Annual Report?

Some, but not all Ombuds publish annual reports. Do you? If so, what gets included?

Edinboro University Settles Lawsuit Against Ombuds and Other Administrators

The public liberal arts university in Pennsylvania has settled a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former student. In his federal lawsuit, Cameron Aulner, a 2009 graduate of Edinboro had alleged that William Chandler, a Communication and Media Studies professor had made suggestive comments in class and asked him on a date in 2008. Aulner alleged in his lawsuit that the university failed to take action despite his complaints to the Ombuds and other administrators. Edinboro reportedly paid $495,000 in the settlement.

ENOHE Newsletter Previews Conference

The latest newsletter from the European Network for Ombudsmen in Higher Education highlights the conference next week in Vienna. The ENOHE annual conference is being co-hosted by the Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons and focuses on the objectives shared by various types of Ombuds working in higher education.

Job Posting: University of Louisville

The University of Louisville is hiring its first, permanent Ombuds. The 80%-time appointment assists faculty and staff (including graduate and research teaching assistants) with non-academic issues and concerns.

British and Irish Ombuds to Meet This Week in Wales

The annual meeting of the British and Irish Ombudsman Association will be held at the National Museum of Wales on May 13 and 14, 2010. The Dinner will be held in the evening, and the following morning the Annual Meeting will address the business of BIOA. Workshops and presentations will explore the topic of ‘learning from complainants.’ (BIOA Newsletter.)

University of Arkansas Posts Annual Report for Ombuds Office

Sue Theiss, Director of the UArk Ombuds Office, reports that her office assisted in the resolution of 83 new cases in the 2008-09 academic year through early, informal, and non-adversarial resolution practices involving at least 163 individuals. While the number of new cases dropped slightly from last year, the primary constituents served increased 28% due to more group facilitations and more long term, complex cases involving several parties.

Royal Roads University has an Ombuds Placeholder

Apparently, Ombuds offices are so commonplace at Canadian universities, that Royal Roads feels the need to have an Ombuds webpage even though the university does not have offer the service.

Ombuds for Tyco Electronics Serves Internal and External Stakeholders

The global electronics supplier, which separated from Tyco International in 2007, has unveiled a website for its Ombudsman Office.  According to the webpage which went live this week, the office handles "concerns from external constituencies - investors, suppliers and customers - as well as Tyco Electronics employees."  The Ombuds program is confidential, neutral and independent, reporting directly to the Audit Committee of the Tyco Electronics' Board of Directors. The Ombuds Office offers telephone numbers in the U.S., France, Belgium and China. (Tyco Electronics Ombuds.)

Interview With Colorado State University Ombuds

An article in the CSU campus newsletter profiles Lanai Greenhalgh, LCWS, the Director of the Office of the Ombuds and Employee Assistance Program for the public university in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Greenhalgh is a member of IOA and provides confidential, neutral, informal and independent services to nearly 4,400 employees.

University of Victoria Ombuds Posts 2009 Annual Report

Martine Conway, Ombuds for the University of Victoria in British Columbia, reports that her office handled 412 matters last year. Conway said that while the overall number of contacts with the office was similar to previous years, she saw an increase in situations requiring extensive guidance or intervention because they presented multiple challenges (for example: chronic illness, personal or financial difficulties and cultural differences exacerbating communication or procedural breakdowns).

Navy Reserve Ombuds Hold First National Conference

Nearly 200 Ombuds participated in the first National Navy Reserve Ombudsman Conference last weekend. The two-day conference Orlando, Florida was designed to provide in-depth, Reserve-specific training and appreciation to the dedicated Navy volunteers.

Eighth Annual Midwest Meeting of University & College Ombuds

Tim Griffin and Northern Illinois University will host the 8th Annual Summer Meeting for University and College Ombudspersons on July 12. The meeting is preceded by an all-day workshop for new academic Ombuds on July 11.

Australian and New Zealand Ombuds Convene in Wellington

The Australian and New Zealand Ombudsman Association will hold its biennial conference in the Kiwi capital on May 6 and 7. The conference theme, "It's the 'Putting Right' That Counts," reflects the focus on the changing landscape for consumer dispute resolution in New Zealand.

San Jose State's Ombuds Reports Strong Demand

Demerris Brooks, who was hired as the Ombudsperson for California's San Jose State University in August 2008, reports that she has already handled more than 300 student cases in current academic year. Most of these have been resolved informally.

Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics Sets Program on Organizational Ombuds

The nonprofit membership association for organizational ethics and compliance officers, will offer a program on June 3, 2010: "Extending the Reach of Your Compliance Program: How an Organizational Ombudsman Can Be A valuable Supplement to Compliance."

Columbia Offers Ombuds Course Again

For a second year in a row, Columbia University's School of Continuing Education will offer "Fundamentals of Ombuds Practice" as one of the courses for a Master of Science in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution.

Job Posting: Food and Drug Administration

The Department Of Health And Human Services agency is hiring a Conflict Prevention and Resolution Specialist for its headquarters in Rockville, MD. Although the position is not titled as an Ombuds, job duties are very similar and include:

BP Ombuds Could Draw Scrutiny in Gulf Oil Spill Investigation

Truthout, the nonprofit progressive news site, is reporting that a former British Petroleum contractor claims the oil conglomerate ignored complaints he made to the company's Ombuds office. The whistleblower claims that BP broke federal laws and violated its own internal procedures by failing to maintain crucial safety and engineering documents related to deepwater production projects in the Gulf of Mexico.

East Carolina University, Please Don't Call it an Ombuds Office

The public university in Greenville, North Carolina has had an "Office of Ombudsman" since at least 2005.  However, it is indistinguishable from the Dean of Students Office in most respects.  For example the ECU Ombuds authorizes exceptions to the student alcohol policy and provides excuses for student absences due to university activities. 

Texas Ombuds Will Meet May 12

The Ombuds of Texas will hold its next meeting in Austin at the LCRA Dalchau Service Center. Elisa Hendricks, Ombudsman and Cindy Fortress, Program Specialist, Office of the Ombudsman, Texas Health and Human Services Commission will introduce themselves and provide an overview of their program.