There is one place on campus where record-keeping, the predominant activity in many UCLA offices bulging with files and paper-crammed folders, is not a problem.

At the Ombuds Office, located in the Strathmore Building, there is no paper trail following any of the 700 to 900 disputes a year that its staff of two full-time and two part-time workers handles with sensitivity and strict confidentiality.

For more than 30 years, the office has helped to facilitate communication when conflict arises for students, staff and faculty and provided an opportunity for informal dispute resolution. Ombuds representatives conduct unofficial investigations into complaints to identify key issues and mediate a solution that serves the needs of both parties.

"There is no typical day here," said Nancy Barbee, interim director for the Ombuds Office. "We handle a wide variety of cases, ranging from student grade disputes, staff complaints about an abusive boss to faculty members referencing the exact wording of a certain policy." Complaints run the gamut, from frustrations with university bureaucracy to allegations of sexual harassment or racial discrimination.

The office functions on four guiding principles: confidentiality, independence, neutrality and informality.

"We do not take sides in a dispute," Barbee said. "We are here to help all parties involved in a dispute come to a civil resolution that everyone can agree on."

The program originated in 1809 in Sweden, where the first Ombudsman was appointed to investigate government injustices. In Swedish, the term ombuds literally means "representative for the people."

"We serve as an impartial mirror to reflect what works well, see areas that need improvement and inform the campus about what they need to do to fix a problem," said Barbee.