The University of Wisconsin Ombuds Office and Provost Charles Isbell are conducting a search for two new Ombud positions, as announced on Feb. 5.
The Ombuds Office was created to provide a resource for all UW employees seeking assistance with work-related issues, according to a press release from UW.
UW employees can contact the Ombuds office as a safe and confidential resource in the instance of a difficult situation in the workplace. In these situations, Ombuds talk with employees and discuss their options, current UW Ombud Jane Dymond said. Dymond is a former UW employee who rejoined the university as an Ombud.
“We are always looking for people who have long, broad and differing experience within the university,” Dymond said.
The Ombuds office is made up of retired faculty and staff, allowing for the Ombuds to be very familiar with the processes of the UW system as well as having many connections.
In the 2023-2024 year, the Ombuds office talked to 389 employees to help them with workplace problems according to the 2023-2024 Ombuds annual report.
“We are not advocates, we are not allowed to be advocates, we are observers,” Dymond said.
The position of an Ombud is part time, lasting three years. Every six months a new Ombud is trained and replaces one heading out of their term. There are seven total Ombuds in the office according to Dymond.
The hiring process for new Ombuds will be conducted by the Ombuds office along with staff members of the provost. The screening and interviewing of Ombuds is all done by current Ombuds.
The new Ombuds will begin their roles on June 1 and Dec. 1 of 2025.
“What we try to do is work with employees so that their work experience at UW-Madison is everything that it should be, where they are treated with dignity and respect, where they feel that they are making a real contribution to UW-Madison, that they know what their options are for the best possible workplace and that what we really encourage people to do is that if people are having trouble, they contact us early rather than later,” Dymond said.
