[ Golden Gater Online - February 4, 1997 ]
Levi Sumagaysay
Staff writer
In a few weeks, SF State and its staff, faculty, administration and students may be taking a step closer to working out their differences through a neutral third party.
Associated Students' leaders are drafting a proposal for what AS President Lee Sprague calls a "functioning clearinghouse," or an ombudsman office where members of the campus community -- students, staff, faculty and administrators -- can go to file a grievance or complaint, or at least find out what the process is.
"I see all the complaints. It's so easy to feel overwhelmed by bureaucracy (at SF State). Everything's so cumbersome," Sprague said.
Sprague said that many students have come to him and told him that they had been unfairly treated by Student Affairs. Student Affairs is headed by the Dean of Students who is also the student grievance coordinator, and staffed by the coordinator for student discipline and the safe place coordinator. According to Sprague, some students have complained of an unfriendly staff at the Student Affairs office.
Evelyn Hooker, assistant to Dean of Students Penny Saffold, said that "all you have to do to" file a complaint or grievance is to make an appointment with Saffold. "That's the process," she said.
Regarding the AS proposal for an ombudsman, Hooker said, "That's fine. It's in their right to do that."
David Ellis, a mathematics professor, also brought up the concept of an ombudsman during a Human Relations Advisory Council meeting last semester. The Human Relations office handles matters involving employees of the university, and some grievances that could involve discrimination.
When he mentioned the need for an ombudsman, Ellis said he was thinking of a certain student that had a problem with a professor. He also used the word clearinghouse to describe what he thinks would be a good first step for a student who doesn't know quite where to go if he or she has a problem. Besides, he said, students may not even be sure which office handles what problem.
"I don't think many agencies are totally neutral as they could be," Ellis added. He said an ombudsman might be "reasonable assurance of a neutral party."
Sprague and other AS leaders went to Sacramento during the winter break to lobby for an ombudsman to ensure that the proper channels and processes are being used and followed by the university in dealing with problems of students, staff, faculty and administration.
Among those they met with were Assemblyman Jack Scott, D-Pasadena, and aides of Assemblyman Ted Lempert, D-Palo Alto, Sen. Tom Hayden, D-L.A., and Sen. Richard Polanco, D-L.A. All of these legislators have current or previous ties to the Higher Education Committee, with Lempert serving as the committee's chairperson. Scott is a former president of both Cypress College and Pasadena City College.
AS Secretary Pablo Duvanced said the idea for an ombudsman was warmly received, and that they were encouraged to submit their proposal to legislative counsel.
"We made a lot of contacts, but we still have to work the details out," Duvanced said. Sam Levi, policy analyst, and Chris Peterson, program coordinator, made the trip along with Sprague and Duvanced.
Sprague said that since SF State has the largest student population out of the 23 CSUs, "it is our duty to set the standard for fairness."
What Sprague is intent on accomplishing is establishing a position that would not be solely accountable to the university or its president, Robert Corrigan.
"If (the position) is under the president's budget, then it's not fair," Sprague said.
Sprague expressed his hopes that other CSUs will support his stance for an independent ombudsman. Litigation against the universities, he said, may be greatly reduced if such a position is created. However, he said some of the campuses seem content with their present systems for solving problems or grievances.
Several colleges in the state have an ombudsman listed under administration or student services on their web pages. Schools close to SF State include University of California at Berkeley and California State University, Hayward. San Diego State University and the Universities of California at Irvine, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles also have ombudsmen. Several community colleges in the Bay Area have ombudsmen as well. City College of San Francisco has what it calls the Office of Shared Governance, which performs functions similar to that of an ombudsman.
Sprague points to two incidents which occurred last semester that he says may have benefited from the presence of a neutral third party: a sexual harassment suit filed against the university by a former secretary and graduate student at the end of the semester, and the firing of a resident assistant in the university dorms.
Sprague stresses the creation of an ombudsman's office should not be perceived by the administration as a threat. In fact, their proposal may include an office composed of students, faculty, staff and administration members.
"It's not the students against the administration," he said. The idea, Sprague said, is for the ombudsman to address problems that fall under no distinct category or clear jurisdiction. "(An ombudsman) would resolve issues that fall between the cracks."
[ Golden Gater - February 4, 1997 ]