Job Posting: College of William & Mary

The public university in Williamsburg, VA is hiring its next Ombudsperson. Mark Patterson has held the position for about a year and half and will be moving to CSU Channel Islands this summer. The full-time position serves all campus employees and reports to the Provost's office.

Insights on Gaslighting

William & Mary Ombuds, Mark Patterson, has published an article for the online magazine Medium: "Overcoming Gaslighting in a Higher Education Setting." Through a fictional case, Patterson examines how gaslighting leads victims to question their perceptions of reality and some remedies.

Ombuds as Part of a Social Justice Framework for Associations

A recent article published by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education highlights the role of Ombuds as part of a social justice framework being adopted by more professional academic associations. Authors Kimberly A. Mealy and Kathy L. Powers say that there are three justice mechanisms being offered to association members finally deal with various forms of harassment and other violations of professional ethics: 1. An Organizational Ombuds for annual meetings; 2. An online reporting platform; and 3. Campaigns to set a positive tone and climate for conferences.

University of South Florida Ombuds Takes New Tactic in Explainer Video

Jennifer Schneider, who has been the USF Student Ombuds since 2015, is neither seen nor heard in a new video posted to YouTube. Instead, a series of quick reaction shots reveals that many students do not knowing what an Ombuds is (perhaps a nod to Jerry Nuesell's video for Wake Tech a couple years ago).

ENOHE Releases Full Agenda for 2019 Conference in Spain

The European Network of Ombudsmen in Higher Education has posted the agenda for its fifteenth annual conference, "Defending and Protecting Rights within Higher Education: Stocktaking, Looking Ahead," hosted by the University of León June 26-28, 2019. 

Job Posting: Oregon Health & Science University

The academic medical center in Portland is hiring a Ombudsman, a role that was established by Merle Graybill in 2015 as a part-time position. The job now is full-time. Reporting to the provost, the OHSU Ombuds works with employees, students, and trainees.  

Job Posting: City of Seattle

Seattle's new Office of the Employee Ombud is hiring an Assistant Ombud and a Case Manager. They will report to Amarah Y. Khaan, who was named as Director in April 2019. The Assistant Ombuds will serve as the lead facilitator and operations manager, ensuring the operational efficiency of the office. In conjunction with the Ombud, this person will establish standard Ombud practices, case management, reporting, and data analysis, as well as curriculum development for employee skill building and support. The Case Manager will manage the office’s workflow from intake to closure. Working closely with the Ombud and Assistant Ombud, this person will be responsible for meeting with employees, assessing their needs, and working with them toward a satisfactory resolution.

Job Posting: University of California, Santa Barbara

The fifth largest University of California campus is hiring an Associate Ombuds. The full-time position provides impartial, informal, independent and confidential conflict resolution services to the campus community; constituencies may include staff, faculty, and students. 

Job Posting: Prince William County Schools

The Virginia school district seeks its first Ombudsman.  The full-time, 250-day position reports to the school board and superintendent. The new Ombuds will create an IOA-compliant program "to facilitate positive relationships between PWCS and the school community-at-large, whose main function is to provide assistance in navigating existing PWCS complaint resolution procedures and assisting in informal resolution of concerns involving PWCS."

World Food Programme Ombuds is an Adventurous Spirit

The Professional Women's Association of Rome recently profiled Gabrielle Kluck, the Ombudsman and Mediator for the World Food Programme. From her childhood in the Netherlands, Kluck "was keen on improving the lives and living conditions of those around her." After earning a psychology degree and working in the private sector, she embraced a radical change when she accepted an HR position in the International Atomic Energy Agency. That lead to an international career with humanitarian agencies.

Northeastern University Appoints First Graduate Ombuds

In April, the private university in Boston named Kimberly C. Wong as its first Graduate Ombudsperson, a full-time position working with graduate and PhD students. She has over a decade of experience working with culturally diverse students in higher education, most recently as staff clinician and training coordinator at George Washington University’s Colonial Health Center. This newly created, full-time position supports our graduate and Ph.D. students. Diane Levin continues as Northeastern's part-time Ombuds for faculty and staff. 

Know Your Skeptic: Community College Administrator Can't Picture an Effective Ombuds

Matt Reed writes a blog for Inside Higher Education: "Confessions of a Community College Dean." His latest post poses a question to people who have seen an Ombuds work well. "How do well-functioning ones work? How do they avoid the fates of becoming either the Angel of Death or the Human Circular File?  I’m honestly struggling to picture it."

European Union of the Deaf Youth to Create Ombuds Program

EUDY, the European organization of national associations of deaf young people in Europe, has taken steps to create its first Ombuds program. According to Liisa Halonen, the Secretary General, EUDY's General Assembly agreed to establish an independent committee to act as a mediator for issues involving Full Members and internal bodies, including EUDY's board. The Ombuds committee will also forward complaints to the board.

Update: New Details Emerge About Ombuds TV Show

Several media outlets are reporting fresh details about the in-production comedy about a university Ombuds co-created and co-written by Whitney Cummings and Lee Daniels. The project now has a name, "Good People," and Lisa Kudrow has signed on to star and be a co-executive producer. There are also more details about the project from the Hollywood Reporter:

California State University Channel Islands Names First Ombuds

The growing public university in Ventura County has selected Mark Patterson as its first Ombuds Officer, starting July 15, 2019. Patterson has been the University Ombuds at the College of William & Mary in Virginia since January 2018. Here is the announcement from CSUCI President Erika D. Beck:

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Adds Third Ombuds to Team

The nonprofit university consortium in Boulder, Colorado had appointed a third Ombuds, Nan Rosenbloom, to the Ombuds Office. She joins Jeff Weber and Cindy Bruyere. All three have other staff duties and volunteer as Ombuds. who also have other staff duties. Rosenbloom has worked at UCAR's Climate and Global Dynamics Laboratory since the mid-90s and is currently an associate scientist with the Climate Change Research Section. 

Podcast Interview with Ombuds at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Office of Academic Development and Enrichment at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai offers a podcast for junior faculty about how to succeed in academic medicine. A recent installment of "Success @ Sinai" features Deborah Marin (Director, Ombuds Office), George Huntley (Ombuds for Graduate Students and Post Docs), and Joel Forman (Ombuds for Residents and Fellows).

Virginia Tech Names First University Ombuds

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University has announced that Reese Ramos will be its first Director of the University Ombuds Office. Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said, “I am confident Reese’s vision and energy will support our commitment to a culture of respect for all members of the university community as he leads the development of our new ombuds office.”

Ramos is a past president of IOA and served as the Ombuds for Sandia National Laboratories from 2002 to late 2018. He will build an IOA-compliant program that serves faculty, staff, and students. In addition to his 17 years at Sandia, Ramos worked as an Ombuds at UCLA, Earthjustice in San Francisco, and National Park Services. He graduated from Pepperdine University and earned his law degree from the University of the Pacific. (VT News.)

Related posts: Sandia National Labs Shutters Ombuds Program; Guest Post: The Thread that Unites Us All – A Celebration of Ombuds Day; Job Posting.

ABA Webinar: How the Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program Assesses Ombuds Programs

On June 5, 2019, the American Bar Association will offer a webinar on "Reducing Barriers and Raising Effectiveness: Assessing ADR Programs." Rachel Viscomi, Director of the Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program at Harvard Law School, and Nicholas Diehl, Ombudsperson for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will share how collaboration with HNMCP resulted in innovative approaches to organizational ombudsman work, especially considering cultural contexts. Diehl will offer his personal insights as a client of HNMCP.

Internship Opportunity: UNICEF, New York

The United Nations Office of the Ombudsman and Mediation Services is seeking an intern for UNICEF (and including UNDP, UNFPA, UNOPS, and UN Women) in New York City.  The full-time, internship will last 12weeks and offers the opportunity to support the office's mediation training, outreach, and advocacy. The position starts before the end of November.