Corporate Secretary Magazine: The Role of an Ombudsman in Supporting a Company's Compliance Efforts

The online version of the periodical for corporate secretaries, general counsel, and governance professionals recently interviewed Jon McBride on the benefits of an Ombuds program. McBride told Aarti Maharaj, Deputy Editor at Corporate Secretary Magazine, why Ombuds are an important complement to formal corporate reporting mechanisms. 

You have one cohort of directors: "I'm terrified of what I don't know." And you have another cohort of employees that know things and don't know who to tell. How do you marry up those two interests? The organizational ombudsman is a terrific solution to that. The board members don't need to know the source of issue; they do need to trust their intermediary. That the intermediary will sort the wheat from the chaff and will only bring issues to them that will command their attention. 

Jon McBride is a corporate governance consultant that has written previously about the role of the Ombuds. (Corporate Secretary Magazine.)

Related posts: National Association of Corporate Directors Newsletter Touts Ombuds as Essential for Effective Board Governance; Corporate Secretary Magazine: Time for an Ombudsman?; More Materials from Silicon Valley Program on Corporate Ombuds.

Algonquin College Appoints an Ombuds

George E. Cole was appointed in September to be the next Ombudsman for Algonquin.  According to the recently updated website for his office, Cole has worked for many years in higher education as an administrator and faculty member.

Cole is affiliated with the International Institute of Restorative Practices, and holds membership in the Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute of Canada, Association of Colleges and University Ombudspersons, International Ombudsman Association, and the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services. Algonquin has also posted a video of Cole introducing himself in October. (Algonquin Ombuds Bio; Ombuds Info Session.)

Related posts: Ombuds Office at Algonquin College Will Move to New Building in 2012; Job Posting.

UMass Dartmouth Ombuds Celebrates Conflict Resolution Day With Special Guests

On October 20, 2011, the Office of the Ombudsperson at UMass Dartmouth sponsored its first National Conflict Resolution Day event with a keynote address, "Difficult Times, Difficult Conversations...An Ombuds Perspective" by Toni Robinson, Ombudsperson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Melissa Brodrick, the Harvard Medical School Ombuds, presented a workshop for campus leaders on "Managing Conflict in the Workplace," a video of which is available online.

In addition, the UMass Dartmouth Ombuds Office disseminated pledge cards for the university community to pledge their support for resolving conflicts peacefully and pledge to help create a more tolerant and civil community. William King is the Ombudsperson. (UMass Dartmouth Events.)

Related post: UMass Dartmouth Ombuds to Join Former Senator at Program on Civility.

SVNACD Interview with Chuck Howard: The Corporate Ombudsman: A Strategy To Detect and Stop Corporate Wrongdoing"

The Silicon Valley Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors has posted a conversation between Dan Siciliano, Associate Dean, Stanford Law School, and Chuck Howard, author of “The Organizational Ombudsman: Origins, Roles and Operations — A Legal Guide.” Howard explains why Ombuds are an important supplement to formal corporate structures, especially whisleblower programs. (SVNACD Video Podcast.)

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

New Ombuds at University of Central Florida Posts Welcome on YouTube

Shreya Trivedi, who became the UCF Ombuds Officer in May 2011, has created a video introducing her office. Trivedi served as the Ombuds Assistant 2001 to 2006 and then moved to the UCF International Services Center as a Recruiter and later as Immigration Advisor and Assistant Director of Admissions and Registration.

Trivedi came to UCF from Kenya in 2001 as an international student and thrived at UCF. As an undergraduate, she was President of the International Student Association and a member of the President’s Leadership Council. Trivedi graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Advertising and Public Relations and is working on a master’s in Non-Profit Management at UCF. In the UCF Ombuds Office, she works with Daniel Thompson, Ombuds Assistant. (YouTube; UCF Ombuds Office.)

Related posts: University of Central Florida Ombuds Offers Video Welcome [2010]; University of Central Florida Ombuds Announces Retirement; Job Posting.

IOA Website Gets Major Upgrade

The International Ombudsman Association rebooted its online portal this week and the result is a richer and more dynamic offering for members, aspiring Ombuds and the general public. The new webpage features a video montage of Organizational Ombuds offering greetings in several language including French, Spanish, Hindi Bengali and American Sign Language. For the first time, the IOA Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice are published in French and Spanish.

Information about the association includes board and committee membership; mission, vision and values statements; and history. Professional materials include the Journal of IOA, past newsletters and a video overview of Organizational Ombuds. The website also includes updated news and links to other resources. (IOA Home.)

Chuck Howard on YouTube

The author of "The Organizational Ombudsman: Origins, Roles and Operations--A Legal Guide" has made multiple appearances to promote his book and the Ombuds profession generally. Nonetheless, most people who might want to hear him speak would have to travel a long way and/or pay an event fee. Fortunately, the Quinnipiac University School of Law has posted his latest presentation in its entirety--1 hour and 35 minutes.

Related posts: ABA Publishes First Book About Organizational Ombuds; Chuck Howard to Speak at Quinnipiac Law School.

Video Interview With Ombuds at University of Texas at San Antonio

Carol Gonzalez, the Student Ombudsperson at UTSA, is the subject of an interview posted by the school's office of student affairs. In the two-minute piece, Gonzalez explains her role and offers some advice for other university employees who interact with students. Gonzalez established the UTSA Ombuds Office in September 2005 and she currently assists more than 300 students a year. (USTA Student Affairs Spotlight; Paisano Online.)

Recent Conflicts Highlight Role of Kidsports Ombuds

The CBS affiliate in Eugene, OR recently featured the new partnership between Competition Not Conflict, a University of Oregon Law School Graduate program, and local youth sports organization Kidsports to provide conflict resolution for participants, parents, coaches, fans and referees. The local news on KVAL 13 referenced recent misbehavior by coaches during youth to explain the need for the new program. Kidsports Ombuds Carly Bynelson provided a short soundbite about teaching coaches to deescalate conflict. (Youtube.)

Related post: University of Oregon to Provide Ombuds for Local Youth Sports Program.

Mediate.com Posts Full Interview With Howard Gadlin

In 1999, Mediate.com filmed an interview with Howard Gadlin, Ombudsman and Director of the Center for Cooperative Resolution at the National Institutes of Health, as part of the series, "The Mediators: Views from the Eye of the Storm." Previously, short portions of the interview were published. Now, the one-hour video is available. (Mediate.com.)

Prior posts: Howard Gadlin on the Future of Mediation; More Thoughts From Howard Gadlin on Mediation; The Difference Between an Ombuds and a Mediator; Interviews with Leading Ombuds Give Perspective on Future of Profession.

University of Oregon to Provide Ombuds for Local Youth Sports Program

Competition not Conflict, a University of Oregon Law School Graduate program, will partner with a Eugene youth sports organization Kidsports to provide an Ombuds program for participants, parents, coaches, fans and referees. The Ombuds for Kidsports is Carly Brynelson, who is completing a Master’s Degree in conflict and dispute resolution at U of O. In addition to conflict resolution services, Brynelson will also be identifying areas of potential skills trainings for participants.

Brynelson earned her undergraduate degree in Spanish from U of O and previously, she has served as a process consultant with CNC. The Kidsports Ombuds program will be the focus of her masters thesis. (Kidsports Ombuds; Bev's Kidsports Blog; Competition Not Conflict.)

Related posts: Psychologist Urges Ombuds as Buffer for Student Athletes; Michigan State to Appoint Ombuds for Student Athletes.

Update 1/10/11: Now, with video!  (Kidsports Ombuds.)

Video Interview With Cornell Ombuds

Cornell has posted a lengthy interview with Linda Falkson, who has served as Assistant Ombudsman for 2½ years. The 19 minute video covers a wide range of topics including Falkson's career path and personal interests, the ethical tenets of her practice, the history of Cornell's Ombuds Office, and the types of cases she handled.

Falkson explains the aspects of informality and neutrality, but stresses confidentiality as the major tenet of her work. She says, "We ought not exist unless we honor confidentiality." Prior to joining the Cornell Ombuds Office, Falkson was a local prosecutor and then worked for a decade in the office of student judicial affairs. (CornellCast.)

Related: Job Posting.

Video Introduces University of Cincinnati Ombuds Office

A one-minute music video recently posted on YouTube shows UC Ombuds, Lillian Santa Maria and Jean Griffin, and their offices. There is no dialog, but the video includes superimposed words that define the Ombuds practice and services.

A recent UC press release, detailed the four decade history of the Ombuds Office. (YouTube, UC News.)

Related post: University of Cincinnati Ombuds Office Marks Four Decades of Service.

The Difference Between an Ombuds and a Mediator

In the latest excerpt from an video interview, Howard Gadlin, the Ombudsman at the National Institutes of Health, discusses the difference between the roles of a mediator and an Ombuds.

He says that Ombuds use mediation as one of many tools. In addition, Ombuds do not simply resolve discrete conflicts, but also assist an organization to identify the policies and regulations that are causing internal conflict. (Mediate.com.)

Related posts: Howard Gadlin on the Future of Mediation; More Thoughts From Howard Gadlin on Mediation.

Pennsylvania State Faculty Ombuds Issues Annual Report

The faculty Ombuds program at PSU, which comprises dozens of college and campus Ombuds and a University Ombudsperson, has issued its annual report for the 2009-10 academic year. The Ombuds program handled 44 in the last year, compared to 46 in 2007-08 and 43 in 2006-07.

David (Duff) P. Gold, the Immediate Past University Ombudsperson, reported that 73% of the cases in 2009-10 were resolved by the Ombuds program and only 18% were referred to referred to the Senate Committee on Faculty Rights and Responsibilities. He also noted a marked increase in the number of matters referred directly to the University Ombuds due to either a temporary absence of a unit Ombuds and faculty reluctance to go through the normal channels for fear of reprisals within their units. Deborah F. Atwater succeeded Gold as University Ombuds on July 1, 2010, and will serve a four-year term. Last week, the PSU conducted its annual Ombuds training program and used video-conferencing for the third consecutive year. (PSU Ombuds Reports.)

Related posts: Peter Deines: Pennsylvania State University Ombuds; Penn State Faculty Elects Next Ombuds.

Austin Schools Ombuds Welcomes Families

Beverly Reeves, the Ombuds for the Austin Independent School District, participated in the district's annual Back-to-School Bash and Safety Fair. She was interviewed by a local TV station and highlighted ASID's focus on student safety. 

“It’s really important so we get everyone in one place. So that parents and children can come and find out exactly what’s available at AISD,” she told a reporter. The complete story is available online. (News 8 Austin.)

Related posts: Texas School Officials Debate Need for Ombuds; Ombuds of Texas Fall (2008) Meeting.

New CERN Ombuds Debuts Website

A website for the Ombuds at the European Organization for Nuclear Research went online yesterday and provides more information about the program that was introduced last month. The page reveals that the Ombuds--Vincent Vuillemin--serves full time for a three year term. The website also references the International Ombudsman Association Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.

The new site posts the CERN Ombuds Mandate, which is effectively the charter for the office. Materials also include Vuillemin's first presentation about the office and a video of the public meeting when he was introduced to the CERN staff. (CERN Ombuds.)

Prior post: CERN Appoints an Ombuds.

University of Central Florida Ombuds Offers Video Welcome

UCF's Ombuds Officer, Vicky Brown, has produced a short video introducing her service to students, faculty and staff, alumni and parents. Brown succintly describes the features of an Organizational Ombuds program in English and Spanish. (YouTube.)

Related post: University of Central Florida Ombuds Updates Webpage; New Gallaudet Website Features Video Welcome; Coke Adds Life to Ombuds Website.

Updated 6/28/10: New link to captioned video.

More Thoughts From Howard Gadlin on Mediation

Mediate.com has posted more of an interview with Howard Gadlin, the Ombudsman and Director of the Center for Cooperative Resolution at the National Institutes of Health National Institutes of Health.  (Mediate.com.)

In the latest installment, Gadlin describes how the field has changed from people going into mediation from diverse academic backgrounds while covering overlapping problems, to becoming more institutionalized, lacking possibilities for, or connections to, new social movements.

The same trend is occurring in the Ombuds field. Although initially populated by individuals from a variety of backgrounds, younger job seekers are much more likely to have training in conflict resolution and ombudsing in particular. This "standardization" of the practice is also reflected in the recent addition of a certification program.

Related posts: Howard Gadlin on the Future of Mediation; Pepperdine Law School Revives Ombuds Course; Columbia Adds Ombuds Course; University of the Rockies Hopes to Train Future Ombuds; CO-OP Board Announces First Class of Certified Ombuds.

Howard Gadlin on the Future of Mediation

Mediate.com has posted short interview with the Ombudsman and Director of the Center for Cooperative Resolution at the National Institutes of Health. Gadlin offers his perspective on the future of the mediation field and says that it will become another reasonably established profession, with protective guilds, credentialing standards and regulations.

He says it is not clear whether mediation will become a first-rate academic discipline despite the financial success of current credentialing programs. (Mediate.com.) 

The clip is under two minutes; surely there is more to the interview.

Related posts: NIH Ombuds Addresses the Complexities of Race-Related Conflict; University of the Rockies Hopes to Train Future Ombuds; CO-OP Board Announces First Class of Certified Ombuds