JHU Ombuds Office expands services to master's and medical students

The Johns Hopkins Ombuds Office, which provides impartial, confidential counsel and mediation to those facing a conflict at the university, will extend its services to full-time master's students and medical students starting this fall. The office, launched in 2021, currently serves doctoral and postdoctoral students.

"This is an important step forward in ensuring that our support structures are responsive to the evolving needs of those engaged in our graduate education programs," Executive Vice Provost Stephen Gange says. "By expanding ombuds services to our MD program and full-time master's programs, it provides even more members of our community with confidential, low-barrier avenues for surfacing concerns early, navigating challenges, and connecting with appropriate resources."

Image caption: Annalisa Peterson

The title "Ombud" derives from the Swedish word "Ombudsman," meaning a government employee who mediates disputes. Annalisa Peterson, an attorney and mediator by training with more than 20 years of practical experience in the field of dispute resolution, joined JHU as the university's first ombuds in early 2021. Between October 2023 and September 2024, Peterson assisted with nearly 200 individual ombuds cases. Roughly half of those cases required multiple meetings, with 10% requiring six or more.

According to Peterson, the Ombuds Office is not meant to replace the university's formal conflict resolution channels. Instead, it allows affiliates to discuss their situation confidentially with a neutral, independent party before deciding how to proceed. Affiliates can even contact the office anonymously to receive support.

"Having an Ombuds Office provides a safe space for people to surface issues and engage in some strategic thinking," Peterson says. "People can come and have a conversation about something of concern at the university without having to worry that it's going to go any further than that."

Potential topics for discussion or mediation include interpersonal conflicts between peers or coworkers, authorship disputes between researchers, or confusion about university policies. But Peterson's work encompasses much more than that.

"If it's something that is impacting somebody's experience at the university, it's fair game," she says. "That's part of what I like about ombudsing. It's very flexible. It is specific to the needs of a given person in a given situation."

More information about the Ombuds initiative, including how to schedule a consultation with Peterson, can be found on the Johns Hopkins Ombuds website.