Southern California Ombuds Group

JPL Ombuds Will Retire

2011-05-13T10:39:00.001-07:00

Full post.

University of California Riverside Appoints Ombuds

2011-05-13T10:38:00.003-07:00

Full post.

Cal Caucus Sets Date for 2011 Meeting

2011-05-13T10:38:00.001-07:00

Full post.

Southern California Ombuds to Gather at LAX for Spring 2011 Meeting

2011-04-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

According to a flyer posted at the IOA conference last week, Theresa Prator will host the Southern California Ombuds Caucus on May 5 at the LA World Airports Flight Path Museum. Details are forthcoming.

Former UCI and Caltech Ombuds, Jan Schonauer Announces Retirement

2011-03-08T11:28:00.001-08:00

Full post.

Job Posting: California State University San Marcos

2011-02-16T19:58:00.000-08:00

Full post.

USC Athletic Director Considering Ombuds for Student-Athletes

2011-02-16T19:57:00.001-08:00

Full post.

Interviews with Leading Ombuds Give Perspective on Future of Profession

2011-02-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

The experts included: Margo Wesley, UC Berkeley; Geoffrey Wallace, UC Santa Barbara; Jan Schonauer, UC Irvine; and Helen Hasenfeld, California Institute of Technology. Full post.

Berkeley Ombuds Elected to IOA Board

2011-02-16T19:54:00.002-08:00

Full post.

Job Posting: California Pharmacists Association

2011-02-16T19:54:00.000-08:00

Full post.

University of California Riverside Names Interim Ombuds

2011-01-31T14:50:00.003-08:00

Full post.

Former ICANN Ombuds to Speak at Inaugural .nxt Conference in San Francisco

2011-01-31T14:50:00.001-08:00

Full post.

UC Santa Barbara Ombuds Reports Above-Average Caseload Despite Budget Cuts

2011-01-18T12:31:00.001-08:00

Full post.

California Pharmacists Association Creates Statewide Ombuds Program

2011-01-18T08:20:00.001-08:00

Full post.

Berkeley Staff Ombuds Upgrades Website

2011-01-18T08:19:00.003-08:00

Full post.

After Three Decades, UC Irvine Ombuds Office Earns First Charter

2011-01-18T08:19:00.001-08:00

Full post.

ICANN Ombuds Will Step Down

2011-01-18T08:18:00.001-08:00

Full post.

University of California San Francisco is Hiring Its First Ombuds

2010-10-25T07:18:00.001-07:00

Full post.

Update: Cal Caucus 2010

2010-09-17T11:29:00.001-07:00

The California Caucus of College & University Ombuds has updated information for its 37th meeting on November 7-10, 2010. Full post.

Job Posting: University of California Berkeley

2010-09-14T08:28:00.001-07:00

Full post.

Revitalized California Caucus Opens Registration for Fall 2010 Meeting

2010-09-14T08:27:00.001-07:00

Full post.

Job Posting: University of California Berkeley

2010-08-24T09:40:00.002-07:00

Full post.

Four Californians Join Ranks of Certified Ombuds

2010-08-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

Less than a year after it was implemented, the certification program for Organizational Ombuds has certified 45 individuals. The latest additions include the following Califonia Ombuds:

George Michael Kilpatrick, Bridgepoint Education, San Diego
David Rasch, Stanford University, Palo Alto
Indumati Sen, University of California, Riverside
David Talbot, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Los Angeles

Full post.

Job Posting: Bridgeport Education

2010-08-03T14:32:00.001-07:00

Full post.

Job Posting: UCSB Santa Barbara

2010-07-14T09:52:00.001-07:00

Full post.

California Caucus Returns After Year Hiatus

2010-07-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

After missing its first year in nearly four decades, the California Caucus of Colleges and University Ombuds returns to Asilomar in Pacific Grove, California, November 7-12, 2010. The conference has been a fixture for West Coast Ombuds since 1973, but did not occur in 2009 due to declining attendance. Organizers and stakeholders have spent the past year strategizing about return of the event, which is uniquely different than other Ombuds conferences.

This year, workshops, presentations, case studies, and panels of Ombuds will focus on the theme of “The Ecology of Ombudsing – Building Sustainable Value." Confirmed workshop presenters include Lisa Neale and Mary Chavez Rudolph (University of Colorado, Denver), Martine Conway (University of Victoria) and Kerry Egdorf (Marquette University). Volunteers and case studies are being solicited. Click flyer for details.

UC Santa Cruz Ombuds Intervenes in Student Protest

2010-05-25T10:01:00.001-07:00

Full post.

San Jose State's Ombuds Reports Strong Demand

2010-05-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

Full post.

Google Map Shows California Ombuds Offices

2010-04-28T20:15:00.001-07:00

Full post.

IOA Training Returns to Southern California, June 2010

2010-04-28T20:14:00.001-07:00

Full post.

ICANN Will Host Spring 2010 Ombuds Meeting

2010-04-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

Frank Fowlie, the ICANN Ombuds, will host the next caucus of Southern California Ombuds on May 19, 2010, in Marina Del Rey. The theme for the event is “Navigating Challenging Times -- Professional Strategies for Staying Afloat in the Tumultuous Economic Environment Affecting Our Organizations And Our Visitors.” The meeting will last from 8:30 am. to 2:30 pm and includes coffee, lunch and a guest speaker. RSVP to Fowlie by May 17.

Binghamton University Hires Californian as New Ombuds

2010-04-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

Full post.

UCLA Ombuds Office Marks 40 Years of Service

2010-04-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

Full post.

Civil Rights Group Endorses New Ombuds Office at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

2010-04-02T09:08:00.001-07:00

Full post.

John F. Kennedy University Opens Ombuds Office

2010-04-02T09:07:00.001-07:00

Full post.

CO-OP Board Announces First Class of Certified Ombuds

2010-03-17T15:51:00.000-07:00

The first class of certified Ombuds includes:

Carol L. Breslin, Chevron Corporation
Joan Elaine Engel, Career Concepts, Inc.
David Richardson, Kaiser Permanente

Full post.

Scholarship Will Honor Late Lawrence Berkeley National Lab Ombuds

2010-03-17T15:46:00.002-07:00

Full post.

Job Posting: Bridgepoint Education (San Diego)

2010-03-17T15:46:00.000-07:00

Full post.

Federal Court (USDC ED Cal) Holds That Complaint to FBI Ombuds Does Not Satisfy Prisoner's Exhaustion Requirement

2010-03-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

Full post.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Hires an Ombuds

2010-02-01T11:49:00.000-08:00

Full post.

The Ombuds Decade in Review

2010-01-05T10:40:00.000-08:00

1. UCOA and TOA Merge

2. Canadian Ombuds Flourish

3. The Lawyers Weigh In

4. Federal Ombuds Get Organized

5. Leading Organizations Create Programs

6. Landmark Offices Close -- On the downside, several institutions shut down their Ombuds offices as the recession deepened in 2008 and 2009. Most notably, the California Institute of Technology closed the office that gave rise to one of the most significant court decisions for the profession.

8. Concept Expands Beyond the US

9. California Caucus Struggles -- The California Caucus of College and University Ombudsmen, the oldest organization of Ombuds and first publisher of a dedicated journal, has seen declining attendance at its annual meeting. As the decade closed, CCCUO was seeking its niche in a changed landscape.

10. A European Association Emerges

Full post.

Southern California Ombuds Group Will Meet November 19

2009-11-04T05:30:00.000-08:00

Theresa Prator, Ombuds for Los Angeles World Airports, will host the next Southern California Ombuds Caucus on Thursday, November 19, 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Participants will discuss where we are as a profession and have the chance to connect with colleagues. Click image for full agenda. Please RSVP to Theresa by Monday, November 16. Additional details will be posted here as they become available.

Humboldt State Ombuds Encourages Students to Call Their Legislators

2009-09-25T09:49:00.002-07:00

Full post.

Cal State San Bernardino Ombuds Reports Jump in Visitors

2009-09-25T09:49:00.001-07:00

Full post.

Two Former Ombuds Emerge as Contenders for LAPD Chief Post

2009-09-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

Full post.

Update: California Restores Funding for Long-Term Care Ombuds

2009-09-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

Full post.

Stanley V. Anderson: Author and Researcher

2009-09-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

Full post.

Ombuds Training in Malibu

2009-04-27T08:58:00.001-07:00

Full post.

Los Angeles Appoints Interim Ombuds

2009-04-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors appointed Stephanie Maxberry as acting head of Department of Ombudsman. Maxberry, a 25-year county employee who has been with the department since its creation in 1993, takes over from John Fernandes, who was appointed to a senior post with the county CEO's office last month. The LA County Department of Ombudsman was created to serve as an impartial forum for people who have complaints about other county departments. (Contra Costa Times.)

Cal Caucus Planners Seek Input

2009-03-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

Full post.

Caltech to Close Historic Ombuds Office

2009-03-19T10:54:00.002-07:00

Full post.

Externs to Survey ICANN Ombuds Users

2009-03-19T10:54:00.001-07:00

Full post.

UC Berkely Ombuds Issues Biennial Report

2009-03-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

Full post.

New Humboldt State Ombuds Debut Website

2009-03-04T15:58:00.001-08:00

Full post.

Berkeley Faculty Ombuds Passes

2008-12-17T11:36:00.000-08:00

Full post.

UC Riverside Ombuds Profiled

2008-12-17T11:34:00.000-08:00

Full post.

San Diego State Ombuds Office Marks 40 Years With New Appointment

2008-12-01T12:46:00.001-08:00

Full post.

Berkeley Recommends Ombuds After Campus Israeli-Palestinian Incident

2008-12-01T12:45:00.001-08:00

Full post.

Westmont College Considering Ombuds to Assist Students After Wildfires

2008-12-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

Full post.

Ombuds Assessment Course

2008-11-04T11:07:00.001-08:00

Full post.

UC Riverside Enacts Ombuds Charter

2008-11-04T11:06:00.000-08:00

Full post.

California Decimates Long Term Care Ombuds Program

2008-11-04T11:05:00.000-08:00

Full post.

Kaiser Ombuds was Victim of Metrolink Crash

2008-09-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

Full post.

San Jose State Fills Ombuds Position

2008-08-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

Full post.

Asilomar Conference Reminder

2008-08-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

Full post.

Berkeley Ombuds for Students Retires

2008-07-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

Full post.

Details of 35th Annual Cal Caucus

2008-07-16T13:53:00.001-07:00

Full post.

Explained: UC Santa Barbara Ombuds

2008-07-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

Full post.

UC Riverside Launches Externship Program

2008-07-09T07:44:00.000-07:00

Full post.

Cal Poly Pomona Appoints Ombuds

2008-06-27T20:27:00.002-07:00

Full post.

Job Posting: San Jose State U

2008-06-27T20:27:00.001-07:00

Full post.

Profile of UC Riverside Ombuds Gets Some Facts Right, Some Wrong

2008-06-27T20:26:00.001-07:00

Full post.

Journal of the CCCUO Calls for Papers

2008-06-27T20:24:00.000-07:00

Full Post.

UC Santa Barbara Whistleblower Policy Now Protects Ombuds

2008-06-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

Full post.

Pomona College Hiring Ombuds

2008-06-17T07:43:00.001-07:00

Full post.

Occidental College Ombuds Stepping Down

2008-06-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

Full post.

Pepperdine Opens Ombuds Office

2008-06-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

Full post.

Santa Monica Schools Considering Ombuds for Special Education Disputes

2008-05-19T15:28:00.001-07:00

Full post.

Details of May 16 Caucus

2008-04-25T14:15:00.001-07:00

Full post.

UC San Francisco Postones Ombuds Office

2008-03-20T10:34:00.001-07:00

Full post.

Chevron, UCLA and UC Irvine Ombuds Elected to IOA Board

2008-03-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

Full post.

Cal Poly Pomona's Interim Ombuds to Retire

2008-02-23T07:09:00.000-08:00

Full post.

Santa Monica College Will Host May 2008 Caucus

2008-02-14T08:45:00.000-08:00

The next meeting of the Southern California Ombuds Group will be hosted by Tina Feiger and Lucy Kluckhohn at the Bundy Campus of Santa Monica College on Friday, May 16. Details, including time, topics and cost, are being finalized and will be posted soon.

Stanford Appoints Med Center Ombuds

2008-02-14T08:41:00.002-08:00

Full post.

California Appellate Court Details Intervention by UCI Ombuds

2008-02-14T08:41:00.001-08:00

Full post.

Job Posting: San Diego State University

2008-02-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

Full post.

Palo Alto to Consider Ombuds for City Employees

2008-01-23T10:10:00.000-08:00

The Palo Alto City Auditor has urged the municipality to create a formal ethics policy for its public employees and implement an employee hot line to respond to misconduct. In her response to the audit, Assistant City Manager Emily Harrison said staff has a "number of reservations" about creating a complaint hot line and may consider hiring an ombudsman. (Palo Alto Daily News; Palo Alto Audit Report.)

California Ombuds Nominated for IOA Board

2008-01-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

Five of the eleven ombuds nominated for the International Ombudsman Association Board of Directors are from California:

Tom Kosakowski (UCLA and Claremont Graduate University)
Theresa Prator (Los Angeles World Airports)
Mauricio "Reese" Ramos (Sandia National Laboratory, Berkeley)
Jennifer Wolf (UC Irvine)
Gary Yamashita (Chevron, San Ramon)

More information on all of the candidates is available on the Ombuds Blog.

IOA Training in Las Vegas

2007-11-29T12:43:00.001-08:00

The International Ombudsman Association will offer training sessions for new and experienced ombuds at the The Imperial Palace Hotel in Las Vegas, March 3-7, 2008. This will be the closest training opportunity in the foreseeable future. "Ombudsman 101" will be offered March 3-5 and is designed for new ombuds or those seeking information about the organizational ombuds role. ("Ombudsman 101 Plus" will not be offered.) On March 6 and 7, there will be specialized courses in "Conflict Management Across Cultures" and "Coaching Strategies for Ombudsmen." (IOA Training Info.)

Fires Shutter Ombuds Offices

2007-10-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

The fires raging across Southern California have closed ombuds offices at several institutions: UC San Diego, San Diego State University, and California State University San Bernardino, and San Diego Unified School District. Most campuses are expected to be closed through the end of the week. (Chronicle of Higher Ed.; LA Times.)

Collectively, these offices employ ten ombuds and staff. Certainly many were evacuated from their homes, and our thoughts and hopes go out to them.

New Interim Ombuds at UC Riverside

2007-10-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

The University of California, Riverside has appointed Indu Sen as Interim Campus Ombuds. Sen graduated from UCR in 1997 and then earned a JD from the University of San Diego Law School in 2001. Sen is a LLM candidate at Pepperdine University School of Law's Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. Most recently, she worked in the ombuds office at UC Irvine.

New Ombuds at UCSB

2007-10-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

The Ombuds Office at the University of California, Santa Barbara has hired Kirsi Aulin as an Associate Ombuds. Aulin earned a B.A. in French Literature from Bryn Mawr College and an M.S. in Counseling Psychology from California State University at Northridge. She is also a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Most recently, Aulin worked with UCSB students at Student Health Service. (Thanks, Priscilla.)

Related Job Posting: UC Santa Barbara.

Santa Rosa JC to Create Ombuds in Response to Grand Jury Report

2007-10-10T10:46:00.000-07:00

In August, Santa Rosa Junior College's Board of Trustees agreed to "consider the grand jury report recommendation on the employment of an ombudsman." (Board Agenda, see p. 7, Agenda Item 9.) This week, the college began accepting applications for a position to support a new department, which includes an office of "Ombudsperson Services." (Santa Rosa Jobs.) Efforts to locate other information regarding the grand jury report or how the new office will be structured have been unavailing.

New Ombuds at UC Santa Barbara

2007-10-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

Job Posting: UC Irvine

2007-10-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

The University of California, Irvine, is accepting applications for an associate ombudsman. The position will be part of the large UCI office providing ombuds and mediation services to the entire campus community in compliance with IOA standards. A master's degree or bachelor's with relevant experience is desired. Salary range: $58,262-76,729; no closing date. (UCI Jobs, Req No.: 2007-1285.)

Fall Caucus: Protecting the Ombudsman Confidentiality Privilege

2007-10-01T15:10:00.002-07:00

The Fall caucus will be hosted by the Los Angeles World Airports Ombuds Office on Tuesday, October 30. Find out how your methods of communication, marketing and office procedures can make or break a challenge to your confidentiality. Lunch will feature presentations by special guests from legal departments. For more information and reservations, please contact Theresa or John at (310) 646-7621. (Thanks, John.)

New Ombuds at UCLA

2007-10-01T15:08:00.001-07:00

The UCLA Office of Ombuds Services has announced the appointment of Tom Kosakowski as Associate Ombudsperson for the campus and Ombudsperson for the Center for Health Sciences. Previously, Tom established the ombuds office at Claremont Graduate University and was the interim director for the ombuds office at Riverside.

ICANN Ombuds Hosts Externs

2007-09-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

Frank Fowlie, the ombuds for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is working with seven graduate students from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University. The externs will learn about the ombuds and other ICANN dispute resolution mechanisms, and assist with ICANN's Los Angeles Meeting, October 29 through November 2. (ICANN Ombudsman Blog, ICANN Los Angeles 2007.)

Pasadena Schools Considering Ombuds

2007-09-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

Edwin Diaz, superintendent of the troubled school district in Pasadena says he will institute a number of measures to win back public trust, including the possibility of hiring of an ombudsperson to handle dispute resolutions and improve communication. (Pasadena Weekly.)

UPDATE: Fall 2007 Caucus

2007-09-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

This message from Tina Feiger updates the status of the next meeting.

Dear Southern California Ombuds Group,

Well, John Abruscata, and Teresa Prator from LAX Ombuds office, and I and Lucy Kluckhohn Jones from the Santa Monica College Ombuds Office, had a small arm wrestle (in the best of Ombuds' traditions) and, as you may have already gathered, the LAX folks won this round to have the fall meeting! Their meeting last year was terrific and besides they provided the best Halloween candy (hint hint, not to put any pressure on them). Lucy and I would very much like to coordinate and host the Spring meeting. We'll discuss further plans at the Fall meeting. We may even contact you about dates before that meeting.

Looking forward to seeing all of you again. Hope you have had a good summer.

Best,
Tina Feiger Ed.D.
Santa Monica College Ombuds Office