Job Posting: Northeastern Illinois University

The public state university in North Park, Chicago is hiring its first Employee Ombuds. The full-time position will report directly to the University President and will serve approximately 2,500 staff, administrators, and faculty. The job posting moves the campus closer to establishing an Ombuds program that has been under discussion for at least five years. 

According to a report from a task force, the need for an NEIU Ombuds has been endorsed by the Faculty Senate, Civil Service Council, and A&P Council. 

Applicants must have an advanced degree, Ombuds or mediation training, and substantial work experience, including department or unit management. Experience with the structure of public institutions of higher education and work as an Ombuds or mediator is preferred.  No salary indicated; applications due by March 23, 2012.  (Higher Ed Jobs; NEIU Faculty Senate Minutes 9/11/07, Ombuds Working Group Report.)

Harvard Negotiation Law Review 2012 Symposium to Feature Ombuds

On Saturday, February 25, the Harvard Negotiation Law Review will offer a free symposium entitled, “Does ADR Work? Evaluating the Effectiveness of Alternative Dispute Resolution.” The first panel session, “Co-optation of ADR: Has it Become ‘Cheap Justice’?” will include Howard Gadlin, Ombuds at the National Institutes of Health. 

The event is open to the public, but registration is recommended. (HNLR Symposium 2012 via ADR Prof Blog.)

Related posts: Ombuds Offer Insights on Dispute Systems Design.

Coalition of Federal Ombuds Meeting Minutes Highlights New Office

CoFO has published the minutes of its January 2012 meeting, which included a presentation by Sheryl Brown-Norman at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. According to the summary, Brown-Norman is establishing an Organizational Ombudsman office which facilitates effective coordination among the intelligence community agencies.

During the initial pilot project period, Brown-Norman has undertaken an outreach campaign using agency announcements, staff meetings, public presentations, and other methods to explain the unique role of an Ombuds.

Other matters covered in the monthly CoFO meeting included an update on officer elections, USOA's search for a Federal Chapter chair, and discussions on practice issues. Minutes from other monthly meetings are also online. (CoFO Meeting Minutes.)

Related posts: CoFO Continues Work on Thorny Issues Facing Government Ombuds; CoFO Elects Officers; COFO Collaborating With Federal Agencies Creating New Ombuds Programs; ATF Seeks Bids for Ombuds Service;  Coalition of Federal Ombuds Will Hold Open Meeting [2010]; Coalition of Federal Ombudsmen Sets Tenth Annual Conference.

Minneapolis Schools May Create Ombuds Program

A story on the long-running contract negotiations between the Minneapolis Public Schools and the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers notes that both sides have agreed to the creation of an Ombuds program. The Twin Cities Daily Planet said, "The district has agreed to MFT’s request to have an ombudsperson to deal with problem solving, and supports MFT’s Problem Solving Protocol." No other details on the Ombuds proposal have been made available. (Daily Planet.)

University of North Dakota to Reconsider Ombuds

The public university in Grand Forks is looking again at the possibility of a campus Ombuds program. The Standing Committee on Faculty Rights will meet today to resume consideration of an Ombuds. In 2009, a task force on diversity and bias-related incidents, recommended the university hire an Ombuds to report directly to the president. (UND Newsletter; Task Force Report.)

Related post: North Dakota State U. Considering Ombuds.

Alumni Candidate for Penn State Board Suggests Ombuds

Prompted by the recent controversy involving its football program and allegations of child abuse, thirty alumni have applied to run for three open positions on the Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees. One of these alumni, Richard Marshall, wants the university to create an Ombuds for employees and others. Marshall is head of transformation services for AllianceBerstein, which hired its first Ombuds in 2004. Penn State currently has an Ombuds network for faculty issues headed by University Ombudsperson Deborah F. Atwater. (Philadelphia Inquirer.) 

Related posts: Penn State Faculty Elects Next Ombuds; IOA Past President Jan Schonauer Announces Retirement; Huffington Post Blogger Calls for NCAA Ombuds

Chuck Howard Article for Constitution Daily

The leading attorney for Organizational Ombuds has written an article for the National Constitution Center’s blog. As he has in other pieces, Howard explains the incentives that discourage people from reporting workplace misconduct. He concludes that more Ombuds would fill the governmental need for corporate governance reform while safeguarding the interests of individuals.

Recent American history has demonstrated the need for more careful oversight of corporate conduct and the importance of the whistleblower as an agent of sound business practice. But as Congress’s efforts demonstrate, legislative attempts to fix our corporate governance problems—by offering bounties, sanctioning anonymous reporters and encouraging reports of misconduct directly from employee to the SEC—are not likely to be successful and could prove to create more problems than they solve. A better answer would seem to lie in corporations aggressively addressing their own internal procedures in a way that safeguards constructive reporting and, through that, mitigates the need for governmental intervention.

(Constitution Daily.)

Related posts: The Ombuds Year in Review: 2011 (4. Chuck Howard Takes His Show on the Road).

UK Student Services Organization Skeptical About University Ombuds

AMOSSHE says that it is not convinced UK universities can introduce campus Ombuds programs, "that genuinely inspires user confidence that they are independent of the institution." Moreover, given the complaint systems that is already in place in England and Wales, AMOSSHE is not persuaded that adding an Ombuds component would be beneficial to institutions or complainants.

The view of the UK student services organization are laid out in its response to the UK Office of the Independent Adjudicator's inquiry into conflict resolution systems. The OIA "Pathway 3 Consultation" seeks input from across the higher education sector and includes consideration of campus Ombuds programs. So far, AMOSSHE is the only stakeholder that has published its response and included comments on Ombuds. Despite its concerns about campus Ombuds, AMOSSHE also said that a regional Ombuds service deserved further discussion. (AMOSSHE Pathway 3 Consultation Response.)

Related post: UK Office of the Independent Adjudicator Gathering Input on Campus Ombuds.

The Ombuds Year in Review: 2011 (Part I)

Overall, the past year has been a positive one for Organizational Ombuds profession. Several of the top stories of this year echo those of 2010. The list will be posted in three installments: today, December 20 and December 22.

10. In Memoriam -- Several notable Ombuds passed away in 2011, including: Walter R. Lynn (Cornell University); Florence Boroson (SUNY Stony Brook Ombudsman); John Wanjala (Portland State University); Robert John Ackermann (University of Massachusetts Amherst); Lee Preston (University of Maryland). Their contributions to the field and to their organizations were invaluable, and they will be missed.

9.  Post on New UCF Ombuds Draws Record Views -- A post on October 17 described a YouTube video by Shreya Trivedi, who was appointed the University of Central Florida Ombuds earlier in the year. Although the video has been viewed just a few hundred times, the Ombuds Blog post has been viewed more than 5,200 times. Go figure.

8. IOA Expands Outreach Efforts -- The association accomplished several things this year including: the creation of Regional Advisory Committees for international members; approval of a trademark for certification; a major upgrade for its website; creation of international scholarships to its annual conference; its first webinar series (on bullying); and the translation of its Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice into Spanish and French.

7. NY Ombuds for Developmentally Disabled Breaches Confidentiality -- Ombuds and others were appalled to learn that New York State's Ombudsman for the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities had been revealing the names of whisleblowers routinely.  The ethical breach undermined confidence in Ombuds of all types.

Related post: The Ombuds Decade in Review (2010); The Ombuds Year in Review: 2010.

Job Posting: University of California Merced

The newest UC campus (established in 2005), is hiring its first Ombuds. The position will serve as the director of the office, which will be a resource for students, faculty, staff and other university stakeholders. The campus currently has 5,000 students and is expected to grow to 25,000.

Applicants must have a bachelors degree (an advanced degree is preferred), at least five years of related experience, including three years in higher education, or an equivalent combination of experience and education. No salary or closing date indicated. (UC Merced Jobs.)

When the position is filled, only the only UC campus without an Ombuds office will be UC Davis.

Related posts: UC Riverside Enacts Ombuds Charter; Berkeley Ombuds Office Marks Quarter Century; UCLA Ombuds Office Marks 40 Years of Service; Google Map Shows California Ombuds Offices; After Three Decades, UC Irvine Ombuds Office Earns First Charter; University of California San Francisco Appoints First Ombuds; Budget Cuts Prompt Reduction in Ombuds Service at UC Santa Cruz.

Jeffrey Dvorkin Says Ombuds Must Adapt

Jeffrey Dvorkin, the Executive Director of the Organization of News Ombudsmen, says that the Occupy Wall Street movement presents a unique opportunity for Ombuds. Dvorkin observes that Ombuds of all types help create cultures of trust, candor and accountability. In particular, he acknowledges that, "value of corporate ombudsmen is evident: ombudsmen can act as an early warning system when financial and media organizations lose their sense of obligation to shareholders and/or the public." Nonetheless, he says, more needs to be done.

Ombudsmen will need to be more pro-active, and more willing to identify the failings and weaknesses of media, banks, universities and governments. This may be a more vigorous and activist form of ombudsmanship than we have seen in the past. But the past, it is said, is another country. We are in a much different place these days and ombudsmen need to acknowledge that.

His full post deserves a read by all Ombudsmen. (Now the Details.)


Related posts: More Thoughts on the Decline of News Ombuds; Organization of News Ombudsmen Director Argues for 'Cyberombudsmen'; Organization of News Ombudsmen Director Looks to the Future; Book Will Serve as Reference for News Ombuds.

Texas Tech Ombuds Uses Facebook to Reach Campus

The Ombuds Office at the Texas Tech University launched a Facebook page at the end of October 2011. The page provides information about the office and periodic reminders of important campus dates. A recent update stressed that the Facebook page is strictly informational and that the office strives to uphold IOA's Standards of Practice. (TTU Ombuds Facebook.)

Drew Canham, serves as the TTU Ombuds, and Becky Killgore is the Assistant Ombuds.

Related posts: Facebook Group Parodies Ombuds; Higher Ed Ombuds Are Embracing Social Media; More Ombuds Offices Create Facebook Pages.

Yale President Rejects Proposal for Ombuds Office

Yale University President Richard Levin has rejected a campus climate committee's recommendation to create a university-wide Organizational Ombuds program. In a report issued September 15, 2011, an Advisory Committee on Campus Climate endorsed the creation of an Ombuds as one of several steps to address sexual harassment, violence and other misconduct. Although Levin agreed to implement several recommendations, he said that Yale would not create an Ombuds. (Yale Daily News; Report of the Advisory Committee on Campus Climate; Response from the President to the Advisory Committee on Campus Climate.)

Merle Waxman has served as the Ombudsperson for the Yale School of Medicine since the late 1980's. There is no indication that the decision by President Levin will impact her role. (Yale SOM Ombuds.)

Related post: Interviews with Leading Ombuds Give Perspective on Future of Profession.

Huffington Post Blogger Calls for NCAA Ombuds

Eric Schmeltzer, a political and communications consultant, argues that the ational Collegiate Athletic Association should establish an independent investigative body to to monitor all of its member schools. The editorial was prompted by the recent allegations that a Penn State Football coach sexually assaulted minors, but also references other college sports scandals. Schmeltzer envisions a Ombuds program with investigatory powers similar to the Ontario Ombudsman:

With one lump-sum payment from the NCAA to set up the body, and mandatory payments from member schools to keep it running, this Office of the NCAA Ombudsman would be responsible for investigating any and all claims brought to it, and guaranteeing the absolute, complete anonymity of its sources. The Ombudsman him or herself would be hired by an executive search firm -- not by the NCAA -- and once established, would make his or her own hiring and firing decisions. The office should be given enough money to hire a decent number of regional investigators (possibly one in each state), who would act as a point of first contact for anyone within his or her region. This investigator would have authority over any college or university's athletics program within his or her jurisdiction, and full access to anything he or she needs to verify or dispel charges brought to the office's attention. If member schools don't like that, then they can leave the NCAA, and take the major PR hit of not wanting to be kept honest.

At the end of any investigation, the Office of the Ombudsman would release a full report on findings, with recommendations for punishment. This report and its recommendations would be made public at the time it is turned over to the NCAA and the school investigated. This would put pressure on the NCAA and the school to accept the recommendations for punishment, or try to explain why it thinks a school's program deserves more of a slap on the wrist.

Ken Pendleton, writing on the Competition Not Conflict blog, agrees. (Huffington Post; CNC Blog.)

Related posts: University of Oregon to Provide Ombuds for Local Youth Sports Program; USC Athletic Director Considering Ombuds for Student-Athletes.

Medical University of South Carolina to Create Ombuds Program

The small private medical school in Charleston is seeking candidates for the position of Ombuds for faculty and post-doctoral fellows. The new, 25% appointment will serve a two-year trial period. MUSC is considering current or retired faculty members and the new Ombuds will start on January 1, 2012. (MUSC News; Senate Minutes.)

University of British Columbia Ombuds Faces Funding Shortfall

Since it was established in 2009, the UBC Ombuds Office has been funded jointly by the university, the Graduate Student Society and the student society, AMS. Despite a verbal agreement to provide funding for the current academic year and as it has for the past three years, AMS is facing a budget deficit and says it cannot make any contributions for the 2011-12 year. The AMS president is in negotiations with the university to ensure the the UBC Ombuds Office continues to operate as an independent resource. One possible solution may come through an AMS funding referendum next January.

The UBC Ombuds Office was established by Shirley Nakata, Ombudsperson for Students, and now includes Joy Coben, Ombuds Officer. (Ubyssey.)

Related posts: University of British Columbia Names First Ombuds for Students; Ombuds at University of British Columbia Publishes First Annual Report; University of British Columbia Ombuds Posts Second Annual Report.

Update: More Materials from Silicon Valley Program on Corporate Ombuds

The Corporate Governance site at CorpGov.net has posted a summary of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors meeting on October 20, 2011 that featured Pat Gnazzo, Chuck Howard, and Jon McBride.

CorpGov.net publisher James McRitchie tweeted his observation that none of the 100 companies represented in the audience had an Ombuds program. In addition, the Rock Center for Corporate Governance has posted a video of Gnazzo, Howard and McBride speaking at Stanford University later the same day. (CorpGov.net; @corpgovnet; Rock Center.)

Prior post:  Silicon Valley Execs to Learn About Corporate Ombuds.

UK Office of the Independent Adjudicator Gathering Input on Campus Ombuds

The independent body that handles student complaints against universities in England and Wales, has opened an inquiry into conflict resolution systems. The "Pathway 3 Consultation" seeks input from across the higher education sector and includes consideration of campus Ombuds programs.

Rob Behrens, OIA Independent Adjudicator and Chief Executive explained the motivation for the consultation. “Complaints by students about universities are rising fast and make the pursuit of more effective strategies to promote the early resolution of complaints and better all-round case handling important short and medium-term objectives.” he said. “We are therefore consulting the sector on appropriate strategies to address these challenges.”

The issues to be addressed in the OIA survey include:

• The creation of campus ombudsmen, and associated support networks;
• The development of mediation on campus;
• The creation of a good practice framework for complaints and appeals processes including the incorporation of effective time-frames for handling,
• The development of an OIA ‘kite-mark’ accreditation;
• The introduction of a revised funding mechanism for the OIA Scheme which contains a case-fee element.

The OIA acknowledges that there is wide variation of Ombuds practice on campuses, but concludes that informality, independence, and the use of mediation and other ADR techniques are critical features. OIA will be conducting a series of round-table around the UK this fall and will conclude its inquiry on December 16, 2011. (OIAHE Pathway 3 Consultation.)

Related posts: Latest ENOHE Newsletter Traces Evolution of Campus Ombuds; As Complaints Soar, British Student Ombuds Considers More Transparency; UK's Office of the Independent Adjudicator Reports Record Complaints Against Universities.

Ombuds Program Set to Launch in New Mexico

Bruce MacAllister says that he has been working with "a large professional organization in Albuquerque to help them design a new Ombudsman program that will serve as a resource to help both members of the public and members of the professional organization find information and support and resolve conflicts and issues of concern."

According to MacAllister, the unnamed organization is interviewing applicants and will launch its new Ombuds program within the month. MacAllister was the Laboratory Ombuds Program Director at Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1996 to 2006. He is now with the consulting firm Business Excellence Solutions. (BizExTeam Blog.)

American University in Cairo Ready to Appoint First Ombuds

A search committee at AUC says that it is nearing the end of its work and will make a selection  next month.  The 10-member committee, which includes the president and other senior administrators, staff and faculty members, and a student representative, has been reviewing applications and internal nominations for AUC's first Ombuds.

According to a news release from AUC, the committee asked final candidates to submit a written statement explaining their vision for the Ombuds office. The committee has now narrowed down the list to five finalists, including both internal and external candidates, who will be brought in for an interview. (AUC News.)

Related posts: American University in Cairo Plans Ombuds Office; American University in Cairo Poised to Create Ombuds Program.