About
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The word “ombuds” or “ombudsman” is Swedish in origin.  According to one scholar, it refers to a "person who has an ear to the people."  The UCSB Office of the Ombuds was established on campus in the 1970’s as an alternative channel for communication and dispute resolution.  When the Office briefly closed in 2003, Executive Vice Chancellor Gene Lucas commissioned a task force to review the functions of the Office.  With the full support of the Executive Vice Chancellor and the task force, the Office officially re-opened in January of 2005.  Currently, we have four staff members: the Campus Ombuds, the Associate Ombuds, the Intake Coordinator, and a part-time Faculty Ombuds. 

Ombuds in many different kinds of organizations provide information, options, and impartial review for anyone within an organization, and they offer feedback and recommendations for system change to senior management.  Here at the UCSB Office of the Ombuds, we have the authority to contact senior officers of the University, to gather information in the course of looking into a problem, to mediate or negotiate settlements to disputes, to bring concerns to the attention of those in authority, and to attempt to expedite administrative processes. Also, although we do not have the power to change University rules or policies, we can make recommendations for change to those with the authority to implement them.

Often our recommendations are based on perceived trends. While we do not keep records of specific complaints or problems, we do keep track of general statistical patterns and bring concerns to the attention to those with the authority to make institutional improvements. These data may signal emerging issues, indicate new trends, highlight vulnerable groups of students or employees, or suggest areas of improvement. Our data collection never includes details that could identify individuals' confidential information.

Click here to read the 2004 Task Force Report about the Office of the Ombuds