Brief Overview Description:
This course will present a comprehensive look at ways to integrate mediation and conflict management processes into the campus community, including uses for managing student behavior and supporting judicial systems. The course does not presuppose prior mediation knowledge or training.

Course Description:
Imagine that you could increase students sense of campus engagement, assist them with better managing their differences with others, help them strengthen some interpersonal relationships, and reduce the judicial affairs load. This course provides you with the opportunity to explore the ways that mediation and other conflict resolution processes can be used to respond productively to student interpersonal and behavior problems, while also helping campus community members develop stronger conflict management skills. You will learn about the range of conflict resolution options for an academic environment and gain a fuller understanding of how such processes can integrate with other campus and judicial affairs processes. We will also explore how to set up a campus conflict resolution system, how to determine the range of processes that are right for your campus, and how to locate or train quality mediators.

Course Outline:
The first weeks module will explore the nature of conflict, the alternative dispute resolution continuum, definitions and benefits of mediation, why mediation is a helpful tool in an academic environment, and an overview of the design considerations for a campus mediation/conflict management program.

The second weeks module will provide an in-depth view of integrating mediation and conflict management services on campus, including the steps to build and implement a program, connections with existing judicial affairs processes, selecting and training mediators, selecting physical and organizational location, educating the campus and building a referral network.

In the final week, the course will provide opportunity for participants to synthesize the material into an analysis of their own campus systems and cultures, resulting in a preliminary conflict management design.

Learning Outcomes:
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Define mediation and describe the range of conflict management options available to college educators.
• Explain ways that conflict management processes can integrate with other campus community-building and judicial affairs processes.
• Select a qualified mediator or mediation trainer.
• Recognize important design considerations for a campus mediation program.
• Assess what conflict management options are the right fit with their own campus cultures and systems.

Participant Expectations:
Participants should plan to spend up to 5 hours per week in this course. This will include time to read materials, complete online exercises, and participate in asynchronous online discussions. The asynchronous discussion board (allowing participants to log on at whatever time and from whatever location is convenient) will be an important tool for enhancing participant learning.

Instructor Bio:
Tammy Lenski, Ed.D., is a mediator and educator with 16 years of experience in higher education and student affairs administration. She is principal of Lenski & Associates, a New Hampshire-based mediation firm that focuses on higher education, workplace and community conflict management services. Dr. Lenski also directs and teaches in the Mediation/Conflict Management Program at Woodbury College in Montpelier, Vermont. She holds a B.A. from Middlebury College, an M.Ed. and Ed.D. from The University of Vermont, and a Certificate in Mediation from Woodbury College. A member of the Association for Conflict Resolution, the New Hampshire Mediators Association, the Vermont Mediators Association, and the New York State Dispute Resolution Association, she has worked in 4-year, 2-year, public and private, women's and coeducational institutions. Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Trinity College of Vermont from 1992-1998, Dr. Lenski has published, presented and facilitated nationally on a variety of higher education issues and has served with several Northeast regional higher education associations, including the New England Resource Center for Higher Education.