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The OSU Faculty Council has unanimously supported the creation of an Ombuds program for faculty. Previously, OSU had an Ombuds office for the general campus from 1970 1996.
A handout describes the position:The Ombudsman would serve both as an advisor to faculty to assist them in determining the viability of the complaints and issues they may have, to direct them to appropriate offices, committees, and university rules and policies, and, when appropriate, to mediate informal early-stage complaints. He/she would not have authority to make a recommendation that is binding on either party in a complaint. Recourse to the Ombudsman would be voluntary and not a prerequisite for consideration of the dispute by CAFR, the Faculty Hearing Committee (Hearing), the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA), or the Office of Human Resources (HR). Unlike the previous position of Ombudsman at OSU, this individual would engage only in complaints involving faculty (defined by rules as regular tenure-track, regular clinical, regular research, auxiliary, and emeritus). The Ombudsman would not deal with complaints lodged by any student or staff member of either the classified civil service or A & P category. This person would function as an impartial arbiter rather than as an advocate for faculty involved in complaints.
The plan creates a confidential, neutral and informal resource, but does not reference any other Organizational Ombuds programs or standards. The only troubling aspect of the proposal is that the OSU Human Resources Department is expected to train the new Ombuds. (OSU Faculty Council Meeting Minutes 12/11/08; Ombudsman Handout.)
Related post: Oral History of OSU's Founding Ombuds.
On April 28, Joseph P. Borg, the Ombuds for the North American Securities Administrators Association, will host an open meeting at the Annual Public Policy Conference in Washington, DC. Borg was appointed to the position in December 2008, and is also Director of the Alabama Securities Commission. The NASAA Ombuds program serves as a neutral forum for the securities industry representatives and works to open channels of communication and to foster relationships with securities industry representatives. Ombuds programs are becoming a fixture in the financial services industry, and NASAA's Ombuds will surely have many issues to discuss. (NASAA Annual Public Policy Conf. Info.; NASAA Ombuds Page.)Related posts: SEC Affirms Role of NASD Ombuds; NASDAQ and Banking Lobby Endorse Ombuds for Accounting Oversight; FDIC Ombuds Issues Biannual Report; Mortgage Crisis Draws in Ombuds; Office of Thrift Supervision Ombuds Hiring Scores of Special Assistants; Canadian Banking Ombuds Releases Year-End Review; S&P Launches Ombuds Office; Details Still Scarce.
ACCUO and FCO have posted an updated agenda for the joint Ombuds conference in April 2009. IOA has posted a program summary too, but the revised agenda reflects last minute changes and significantly more detail about sessions and presenters.
Newly added sessions include: - Externs in the Ombuds Office: Why They Should be Welcomed and How They Should be Managed with Tom Kosakowski and Indu Sen;
- Issues Concerning IOA Standards of Practice with Legal Implications co-sponsored by IOA committees on Professional Ethics, Standards & Best Practices, and Legal & Legislative Affairs;
- Compassion Fatigue, Vicarious Trauma and the Ombudsman with Ian Darling;
- Whistleblowers: Thank You and Good-bye with Gareth Jones and Barbara Finlay;
- An Introduction to Results Based Management for Ombudsman Offices with Luc Martin, Lisette Thibault, and Serge Jetté;
- Conversations with the IOA Board;
- The Ombudsman and New Institutional Governance, Towards a Development of Participative Practices and Mediation with Louise Lalonde and Catherine Régis; and
- IOA’s “Certification Planning” Discussion with Marsha L. Wagner, Carolyn Noorbakhsh, and Jennifer Wolf.
Don't plan your conference without considering these sessions. (ACCUO Conference Program; FCO Conference Abstracts; IOA Agenda-at-a-Glance.)
Related posts: 2009 Conference Agenda Announced; 2009 Pre-Conference Courses Announced.
The private university in Waterloo, Ontario, has named Jennifer Laurie as its new Ombuds, effective February 17. Until recently, Laurie served as a Special Constable for Community Safety and Security with WLU. The prior Ombuds was John Metcalfe. (Cord Weekly; WLU Press Release.)
Update 3/4/09: A follow-up article provides more details and comments from Laurie. (Cord Weekly.)
UBC Vancouver is accepting applications for an Ombuds Officer to work with students. Applicants should have a university degree in a relevant discipline plus minimum two years related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. The full-time position pays $42,950 to $51,561 annually. Applications are due February 27, so don't delay. (UBC HR.)Related post: University of British Columbia Names First Ombuds for Students.
Consider this update on the status of efforts to create a certification program:Almost everywhere virtually anyone can practice as a Ombuds – just as, sadly, anyone can call themselves a banker. There is typically no initial educational requirement, no license to practice, no vetting of skills or continuing professional development and little real practice regulation. How, then, are users able properly to determine competency?
The Ombuds profession is, in relative terms, a small market. Competition is intense. How do the players in the market effectively address the common issue of getting the field recognized as a true profession?
The certification program is designed to enable. It is not a “peak” or superior body. Its role is simply to enable workable, transparent and high competency standards to be developed, to aid best practice sharing and to promote the understanding and use of Ombuds services.
This was written not about the Ombuds certification proposal, but for an international mediator certification scheme. Irena Vanenkova, Operations Director of the International Mediation Institute, explains that certification brings significant benefits to individuals and the profession. The comparisons are compelling and worth considering. (Mediate.com.)Related posts: International Mediation Institute Reveals Certification Plans; Seizing the Opportunity of Professionalization.
At its next regular board of directors meeting, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers will consider “approving an Ombudsman Framework.” (ICANN Meetings.) One industry watcher, an otherwise apparently rational travel writer, suspects a conspiracy involving the “(illegal) ‘incumbent’ ” and urges nominations for the position of ICANN Ombuds. (ICANN Watch.)Update 2/27/09: Frank Fowlie, the ICANN Ombuds, explains that the organization is the simply ratifying operational policy and procedures for his office. (ICANN Ombuds Blog.)Related posts: ICANN Ombuds Launches Blog; ICANN Ombuds Responds to Criticism; ICANN Ombuds Earns Doctorate.
The OSU Faculty Council has unanimously supported the creation of an Ombuds program for faculty. Previously, OSU had an Ombuds office for the general campus from 1970 1996.
