About the Ombuds

The Stanford University Ombuds Office was officially established in 1970, and was one of the first offices of its kind among academic institutions in America. From its inception, the office was designed to be a neutral, confidential, informal channel for resolving conflicts within the university.

David Rasch, PhD, has been the University Ombuds at Stanford since 2004. He is a psychologist and prior to serving as Ombuds he was Director of the Stanford Help Center, a counseling service for faculty and staff, where he worked since 1985. Dr. Rasch has consulted, written and lectured on a variety of issues related to organizational and interpersonal dynamics within academic institutions. He is a member of the International Ombudsman Association and has also been a lecturer on writing productivity in Stanford's Continuing Studies Program.