Job Posting: Department of the Interior

The DOI Office of Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution in Washington, DC is seeking a candidate to become the Department’s Senior Coordinator for integrated system for managing conflict and resolving disputes in the workplace known as CORE PLUS.

IOA Posts Agenda for 2011 Conference

 The International Ombudsman Association has posted the tentative agenda for its sixth annual conference in Portland, OR on April 4-6.

Number of Certified Ombuds Reaches 53

At the close of 2010, ten more Ombuds have earned the designation, "Certified Organizational Ombudsman Practitioners."

Chuck Howard: BP Never Had the Ombuds Office It Should Have

An article in the latest issue of Ethikos (a magazine that examines ethical and compliance issues in business) examines BP's decision to close its Office of the Ombudsman. In a year in which BP became one of the most pilloried companies in the world, the magazine wondered: "Could the timing be any worse?"

New Google Tool Shows Dominance of ‘Ombudsman’ Over Variants

Frequency of ‘Ombudsman,’ ‘Ombudsperson,’ and ‘Ombuds’ in books scanned by Google.

Google's latest tool, the Ngram Viewer, offers a way to explore data from every book that Google has scanned. The Ngram Viewer plots the frequency of user-specified terms over any time period from 1800 to the present. The results for ‘Ombudsman,’ ‘Ombudsperson,’ and ‘Ombuds’ show that the original version of the term is used most frequently and increasingly so. (Other variants, such as ‘Ombud,’ ‘Ombudswoman,’ and ‘Ombuddy’ barely register in the data.) These results seem to contradict other researchers who have concluded that ‘Ombudsman’ is falling out of favor. (Google Ngram Viewer.)

Related posts: Linguist Finds "Ombuds" Usage Shifting Slowly; Former ESPN Ombuds Explains Why She Was Not an “Ombudswoman”; Statute Changes BC "Ombudsman" Into "Ombudsperson".

USDA Announces New Ombuds Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will implement several measures to ensure the humane treatment and slaughter of cattle processed at facilities inspected by the Food Safety and Inspection Service. These measures will include an Ombuds for FSIS employees.

Washtenaw Community College Opens Ombuds Office

The community college located in Ann Arbor, Michigan has created an Office of the Ombudsman for current and prospective students. According to minutes from the WCC Board of Trustees, the registrar, Larry Aeilts was reassigned to the position effective July 1, 2010.

Job Posting: University of California Riverside

The 20,000-student public research univesity is hiring an Ombudsperson to fill the position recently vacated by Indu Sen.  The full-time job works with students, faculty, staff, administrators and other members of the campus community.

Job Posting: University of Connecticut

The public university in Storrs is hiring a part-time University Ombuds. The balance of the work (classified as an Administrative Services Specialist II) includes managing office functions for the Director of Transportation, Logistics and Parking, including coordination of parking appeals.

Office of Personnel Management Seeks Comments on Proposed Ombuds Data Collection

The OPM Executive Secretariat is accepting comments from the general public and other federal agencies on a new information collection request for the OPM Ombudsman. The OPM Ombuds program is a resource for OPM customers and employees. The office currently requires visitors to complete a Privacy Release that enables the Ombuds to obtain relevant information and materials. In addition, the OPM Ombuds uses two optional forms: a Third Party Authorization; and a web-based Request for Assistance. 

Job Posting: University of Texas

UT is accepting applications for its first Staff Ombudsperson. The position will provide confidential, independent, informal and impartial assistance to campus staff following IOA Standards of Practice.

The Ombuds Year in Review: 2010

In the past year, IOA held its fifth annual conference, an attorney wrote the first guide for Ombuds, U.S. legislation created new federal Ombuds programs, FCO began its own training program, a campus suicide drew attention to the role of Ombuds in bullying cases, Cal Caucus resumed its annual meeting, nearly two dozen new offices opened, other Ombuds were newsworthy, certification became a reality, and several notable Ombuds passed away.

University of Texas to Open Search for First Staff Ombuds

UT President William Powers Jr. says that a search committee will begin the hiring process later this month for the University's first Staff Ombuds. An Ombuds for staff has been under consideration by Powers for nearly a year after the Staff Council set it as a top priority.

Despite Recent Success, Future Uncertain for UC Riverside Ombuds Office

As Indu Sen steps down as Director of the UCR Office of the Ombudsman after nearly three years, the prospects for the 32-year old program are unknown.

International Association for Conflict Management Seeks Submissions for Conference in Turkey

IACM is inviting papers as well as proposals for symposia and workshops for its 24th Annual Conference to be held July 3-6, 2011 in Istanbul. The event will take place at the Ceylan InterCentinental in the Taksim area and local arrangments are beein arranged by Sabanci, Koc, and Bilkent Universities.

International Baccalaureate Appoints New Ombuds

The international educational organization has named Indu Sen, the current Ombuds for the University of California, Riverside as the new IB Ombudsman effective January 1, 2011. Anthony Flatley, former head of an IB World School in Quebec, Canada and former member of the IB Board of Governors, founded the office in August 2007 and will step down at the end of the year.

Leading Whistleblower Lawyer Says Dodd-Frank Act Creates Incentive for Ombuds Programs

Jason Zuckerman, an attorney who represents whistleblowers, says that the financial reforms provide a strong incentive for employers to encourage voluntary internal disclosures of securities law violations.

Job Posting: U.S. Coast Guard

The Coast Guard is hiring an Ombudsman Program Manager in the Individual and Family Support Programs Division, Office of Work-Life, Health, Safety and Work-Life Directorate in Washington, DC. The position manages the Coast Guard-wide Ombudsman Program and develops policy, procedures and standards necessary to implement the nation-wide volunteer program.

Illinois Institute of Technology Appoints Ombuds

Vickie Tolbert has been named the Campus Ombudsperson for the 7,700-student private university in Chicago. Tolbert has worked at IIT for 15 years, initially at the office of Student Health and Counseling Services and more recently as the Administration and Operations Manager in the Dean of Students Office.

FINRA Directors Defend Ombuds Program

Three members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's board of governors said that small firms should not fear reprisals for complaints to the Ombudsman. In an email to member firms earlier this week, the three governors who represent small firms said they have heard that Finra members "are reluctant to speak with Finra supervisors when an issue arises during an exam, for fear of reprisal." The Finra governors said that the Ombuds, Cindy Foster, assured them that a firm "will never suffer a reprisal from staff for raising an issue with the ombudsman."