Every day, it seems, is somebody or something’s day. Wednesday, October 12, 2002, for example, is recognized simultaneously as World Arthritis Day, National Vermont Day, National Savings Day, National Gumbo Day, National Farmer’s Day, and National Freethought day—a real boon for the Vermont farmer who speaks their mind, has a taste for Cajun cuisine, suffers from joint pain, and is putting something away for the future.
It's not likely that all of your interests will collide with such serendipity, whether it is celebrating , raising awareness about , or just , we have a lot of official days to observe. In fact, it would seem more unusual for a consumable, hobby, ailment, or group not to have an official day than to have one.
Which is why none of us should be shocked to learn that the profession of ombuds has its own day, (conveniently called “”), which falls on the second Thursday of October. This is a relatively new phenomenon—the first Ombuds Day was officially celebrated in 2017. And yet, in the five years since then, it has become an institution.
This year’s theme, Resilience, Respect, Resolve, highlights the seemingly global challenges of the past few years, while referencing the role that ombuds can play in helping those who visit their offices find their resilience and confirm their resolve. It should go without saying that respect for visitors is a major underpinning of the ombuds profession.
As I shared in this space two weeks ago, we have a whole slate of activities for the week of October 10 through 14 planned. I won’t rehash them here, but if you are interested please take a look at the schedule (and, perhaps, read the post, which has registration links).
This week, I am not as interested in promoting individual events as I am in taking a moment to reflect on why we celebrate Ombuds Day in the first place.
Probably the most obvious (and the official reason) is to raise awareness of what ombuds do. Since many organizations don’t have ombuds, it is understandable that their jobs might be a little obscure to folks. In addition, with different types of ombuds (classical, advocate, legislative, media, and organizational, just to name a few) serving in markedly different roles, few people (outside of ombuds themselves and those who have used their offices) have a strong pre-existing notion of what an ombuds does.
By picking one day on which to highlight the ombuds profession, Ombuds Day helps to educate people about what exactly ombuds do.
(If you are a regular reader you probably know this, but it doesn’t hurt to reiterate that my role at UNLV is that of an organizational ombuds. I help people resolve conflicts informally, am held to strict confidentiality, and do not accept notice for or conduct investigations on behalf of the university. If you’d like to read more about my role, you can visit the Ombuds website.)
Less obvious but equally important, Ombuds Day activities can reach out to people who otherwise might not have any interactions with the office, making it easier for them to contact the office when they need to use its services. Being able to put faces to the names likely removes some barriers for folks who need help. As you might know, I’m not shy about speaking and presenting information about the office, as well as conflict resolution in general, on campus. Whether it is a department meeting or an affinity group get-together, if you would like to hear from the Ombuds, I’m there. Ombuds Day is one chance to remind people all over campus about how accessible the office is.
Lastly, Ombuds Day has value for ombuds themselves. As with any job, we don’t often take the time to think seriously about what we do and why we do it. Ombuds Day, as our day in the sun, is a reminder of the important role that we can play for people facing adversity. The day gives ombuds everywhere the opportunity to look at their work through new eyes. Explaining the ombuds profession to those who know nothing about it forces us to consider it more deeply ourselves. This could have several results: one ombuds might rethink how they perform part of their job, while another might be re-energized by the reminder of why they got into their position.
So Ombuds Day isn’t just about giving ombuds a platform equal to the one shared by purveyors of . It is about sharing what we do, encouraging people to engage with us, and remembering why we do it.
All this talk of engagement reminds me…UNLV’s Ombuds Office is here for you. Whether you are a student, faculty member, or other UNLV employee, the Ombuds Office has many resources available to help you through any stage of a conflict. If you are having an issue and are uncertain where to go, it is an excellent zero-barrier first stop. If you would like to talk privately and confidentially about any work- or campus-related concern, please make an appointment with the Ombuds. Our door is open.
David G. Schwartz
UNLV Ombuds