The Office of Student Affairs at the Eastern Campus and Global Issues Resource Center are collaborating to pilot a mediation program to address lower level student/student conflicts that may arise on campus.
To refer a conflict to mediation please fill out the form here.
Interested in being a mediator? Please contact mediation@tri-c.edu. Applications for Fall 2013 will be posted soon
Mediation is a process through which a trained third party helps facilitate a problem solving process during which the participants, not the third party, come to a mutually agreed upon solution. While mediation is utilized at colleges and universities across the United States for disputes between faculty/students, faculty/faculty, and faculty/administration, for the pilot, we will begin by addressing student/student disputes.
Cuyahoga Community College’s Eastern Campus’ Global Issues Resource Center and the Office of Student Affairs is exploring the development of a peer mediation program for Spring 2013. For an overview of the project, view a full powerpoint.
What is Mediation?
A popular and effective alternative to the more traditional methods used to resolve conflict, mediation allows both parties to discuss and resolve their problems with an objective third party. This confidential, impartial forum often helps people in conflict preserve important relationships, come to a resolution which frequently meets the needs of both parties, and models a problem solving process which can be used by the parties in the future.
Why develop a mediation program at Tri-C for Students and Staff?
Colleges and universities are regularly faced with conflicts that directly affect their quality of life and effectiveness.
- Conflicts can bring in their wake a generalized sense of fear and disruption, bitterness, feelings of injustice or betrayal, reduced communication, and expense.
- Mediation can support the educational goals of the organization while still addressing social issues on campus and in the environment.
- Disputants often learn important lessons from conflicts that are handled appropriately.
- Mediation can help maintain good relationships among individuals and groups on campus and between the institution and the local community.
- Students appreciate services that can address both off-campus as well as on-campus life, and they appreciate tangible support in resolving disputes.
- Smaller problems can be addressed without having to go through the bureaucratic process.
- Mediation can help prevent escalation and prolongation of conflict that disrupt students’ social and academic life
- Mediation provides students with an alternative way to deal with issues or disputes.
Mediator’s Role
A mediator’s role is to assist people with the conflict resolution process by helping to identify the issues affecting them, to facilitate a discussion between the parties, and to help them determine their own solution. A mediator helps to empower participants to represent their own interests and to be able to acknowledge the perspectives and needs of those with whom they may be in conflict.
Mediators should have excellent communication skills (verbal and non-verbal). Mediators need to remain impartial and keep all information confidential.
Questions?
For more information on mediation and how it is used on college campuses, visit the Campus Alternative Dispute Resolution Web site, www.campus-adr.org.
For additional information about the pilot program under development, please contact Tyler Olson, Program Coordinator, Global Issues Resource Center at mediation@tri-c.edu.
For more information on the benefits of campus dispute resolution for administrators, faculty, staff, and students, please click here.