Job Posting: Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic Health System, one of the largest private medical centers in the world, is seeking applications for an ombudsman. The ombuds office serves patients and family members with concerns about medical services at Cleveland Clinic Foundation Main Campus, Family Health Centers, and affiliates. No salalry or closing date indicated. (HealthCareSource.)

Job Posting: Federal Student Aid

The FSA Ombuds is accepting applications for a program specialist in Washington, DC. The incumbent is responsible for managing customer complaint cases by receiving, reviewing and attempting to resolve complaints from student loan borrowers. The position pays $46,041-72,421 and applications are due by October 15. (USAJobs.)

cnn heroes

I don't know how to do this but I disagree with those of you who are voting me up in the cnn poll.

Of the four people there only one is dealing with extinction. Dead is dead, anything else is negotiable. Vote for the gorillas. 25 grand and fame that id probably just piss away anyway is not worth a specie.

I don't know if it will help, but I'd feel like crap if I won and the gorillas went extinct.

On the other hand there is nothing saying we can't get anything out of this. You could ask cnn to put all the other heroes videos into an open/at least not so closed codec so that everyone could see them. Being the guy who got a major media outlet to guit supporting a monopoly would be a more than adequate consolation prize.

Call for IOA Conference Presentations

The third annual International Ombudsman Association conference will take place in Boston April 13-16, 2008. The theme, "Making a Difference—The Ombudsman Impact," is intended to help attendees increase awareness, knowledge and skills in order to become more effective catalysts for change within their organizations. The Conference Planning Committee is now accepting presentation proposals and suggestions for presentations through October 12. (2008 Conf. Info.)

Meeting of Southern California Ombuds

The Fall caucus of Southern California ombuds will be hosted by the Los Angeles World Airports Ombuds Office on Tuesday, October 30. The theme of the meeting is "Protecting the Ombudsman Confidentiality Privilege." Find out how your methods of communication, marketing and office procedures can make or break a challenge to your confidentiality. Lunch will feature presentations by special guests from legal departments. (So Cal Ombuds Blog.)

New Ombuds at UCLA

The UCLA Office of Ombuds Services has announced the appointment of Tom Kosakowski as Associate Ombudsperson for the campus and Ombudsperson for the Center for Health Sciences. Previously, Tom established the ombuds office at Claremont Graduate University and was the interim director for the ombuds office at Riverside.

Iona's New "Ombuds Office" Isn't

Last week, I was excited to learn that Iona College had opened an ombuds office. The private college in New York is well known: it has been named one of America's "Best Colleges" by US News & World Report, and it's men's basketball team went to the 2006 NCAA Tournament. Since it is rare for a small school to invest in an ombuds office, I wanted to spread the news. Then, I read the college's website, which offers this definition:

OMBUDSPERSON: Ombudsperson means the employee designated to coordinate Iona College’s effort to comply with the Iona College Harassment and Discrimination Policy, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the 1980 implementing regulation, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and any memorandum, directives, guidelines, or subsequent federal or New York state legislation regarding harassment and discrimination that may be issued or enacted. (Iona College Office of the Ombudsperson.)

There is absolutely no assurance that the office is independent, impartial or confidential -- the essential characteristics of an ombuds. (See ABA Standards, p. 2.) Moreover, Iona's human resources director serves as the "ombudsperson." Clearly, this is an ombuds office in name only. It does not comply with either the IOA Standards or the USOA Standards. Instead, it seems to be little more than a compliance office.

Simply by existing, Iona's "ombuds office" devalues the good reputation that IOA and USOA and their members have created and seek to enhance. Iona's alumni will carry a profound misunderstanding of the ombuds profession into the world. Casual Internet users will be confused if they compare Iona's definition with other ombuds offices. In a worst case scenario, if Iona's office is involved in litigation, legal protections for the profession could be eviscerated.

IOA should reach out to Iona to encourage compliance with the professional standards or to urge that the college discontinue the use of the term ombuds. (Since I am not a member of USOA, I cannot presume to opine on its response.) The profession can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to this sort of misrepresentation. The consequences could be disastrous.