The Ombudsman for Public Education in Washington DC is accepting applications for its first cohort of fellows.  The Ombudsman Fellows will "work directly with families, learn about the education system in DC, learn about conflict resolution, develop creative problem solving skills, and develop expertise on issues including special education, student discipline, truancy, and bullying prevention."  The part-time, year-long…

For the past month, eight out of ten full-time faculty members at the General Theological Seminary in New York City have refused to teach, alleging a pattern of harassment and bullying behavior by the school's dean, Kurt Dunkle. The GTS trustees subsequently deemed the striking faculty ("The GTS 8") to have resigned on September 29. Negotiations between the two sides reached an impasse last week when…

The International Ombudsman Association will offer several training opportunities for and about Organizational Ombuds the week of October 20-24, 2014. The programs include introductory, intermediate and advanced topics.…

To celebrate the annual Conflict Resolution Day, the GSU Office of the Ombudsperson has opened a contest for stories and poems about peacemaking.  Entries in any medium will be accepted and may be selected for publication in an eZine.  Kelley Alexander, the Student/Staff Ombudsperson, Valerie I.…

IOA conference planners are accepting presentation proposals, and speaker and topic suggestions for the tenth annual meeting.  The conference is set for April 19-22, 2015 at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel. IOA's attendees are diverse -- they come from various sectors and countries and have varying levels of experience. Individuals representing universities, companies, not for profit agencies or sole practitioners…

IOA sponsors an annual writing competition designed to invite fresh academic insight on the role of the Organizational Ombuds, foster cross-pollination with other professional and academic communities, and endorse talent in the next generation of Organizational Ombuds.



Submission can…

The Ombuds Committee of the Dispute Resolution Section of the American Bar Association is now officially up and running again. One of its goals is to inform and educate lawyers and the public about Ombuds programs, functions and the benefits they provide to organizations and society. …

Registration is now open for the…

Every year, I select the most important stories about the Organizational Ombuds profession. Here's…

The professional association for Organizational Ombuds has contemplated hiring an executive director for years. The plan now appears close to fruition as IOA's…

After a five year hiatus, the California Caucus of College and University Ombuds has begun publishing its journal again.  The latest issue includes new articles about…

The current issue of the publication from the NY State Bar Dispute Resolution Section includes three a…

Yesterday, the national daily business news program from American Public Media highlighted the work of Organizational Ombuds. Here's the lede:

When whistleblowers go to the media or lawyers, the results can be disastrous for an organization. Think of Edward Snowden and the N.S.A. And even smaller employee concerns, like discrimination…