University of California, Irvine. Office of Innovation in Student Life.

The Office of Innovation in Student Life at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) was formed in 1967 when Jack F. Little was hired as Assistant to the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs for Co-Curricular Learning.

The position of Ombudsman was created within the Office of Innovation and Student Life, and Little served in this role as student advocate and counselor at large. The name of the office was changed in 1973 to Office of the Ombudsman.

Organizational History

The Office of Innovation in Student Life began in May 1967 when Dr. Jack Little was hired as Assistant to the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs for Co-Curricular Learning. The position of Ombudsman was created within the Office of Innovation in Student Life, and Little served in this role as student advocate and counsellor at large on the campus, and to work to resolve grievances. The name of the office was changed in 1973 to Office of the Ombudsman.

The cases handled by the ombudsman and the Office of Innovation in Student Life ranged from personal problems such as with the selective service to academic and administrative problems. Little was given a free hand, but at first, no office, so he met with students in their territory-generally the snack bar. He was eventually assigned an office, and a part-time student work force. The position of ombudsman was a new one in schools, cities and organizations at this time and Little, with support of ombudsmen at San Diego State, hosted the first meeting of what became an ongoing association of practicing campus ombudsmen in California. At the University of California, Irvine, Little encouraged students to be apprentice ombudsmen. Volunteer ombudsmen were trained and served with token pay. In 1970, a formal course for ombudsmen was sponsored in the Program in Social Ecology.

Chronology