Conflict Resolution and Management on Campus San Francisco State University November 2003

Background San Francisco State University as an education institution is a community of learning, advancement of knowledge, training of workforce, and promotion of social change.

Background (cont.) It is a microcosm of society with students, faculty and staff. The mission of the SFSU is to provide a nurturing and safe environment for learning and development.

Purpose Conflicts are inevitable when values, needs and socio-political views vary or compete. This presentation provides a conceptual framework to incorporate conflicts as part of the learning and learning campus community.

Conflict Management History The National Association for College and University Attorneys represent 1400 campuses with 2900 attorneys. Lawsuits increased by 250% between 1992 and Most ombuds offices were established in the 1970’s and 1990’s.

Conflict Management History Over 200 campuses now hold ombuds offices. Most ombuds answer to the Executive Vice Chancellor, the Office of the Provost, the University President, the Dean or Vice Preseident for Student Affairs, and some to “no one.”

Conflict Management History Campus mediation began in the 1980s (Rule, 1993). The first of these services emerged from the community mediation model (Girard et al, 1985).

Conflict Management History During the 1990s the number increased to two hundred (Warters 2000). Many were closely associated with the student judicial offices, law schools, counseling, and academic offices.

Conflict Management History Today, many higher education institutions are experimenting with various alternative dispute resolution (ADR) approaches to legal disputes, and establishing broader conflict intervention and conflict transformation service centers. It has similarly grown into a sought-after academic discipline for peace and conflict studies.

Conflict Management History At San Francisco State University, the Office of Human Relations (OHR) was first established in 1995, closed in 1997 and reopened permanently in 1998.

Conflict Management History OHR had full charges to: affirmative action compliance, disability accommodation for students and employees, and, more sporadically, providing resources for conflict resolution.

Conflict Management History The Dean of Human Relations had tested a number of models for conflict resolution on campus, depending on the need and issue: consultation to individuals and groups; consultation to individuals and groups; provision of materials and resources; provision of materials and resources; mediation to departments and groups; mediation to departments and groups; training on cross-cultural cooperation for student leaders; training on cross-cultural cooperation for student leaders; community building forum/summit; community building forum/summit; and extra-curricular programs on diversity and multiculturalism. and extra-curricular programs on diversity and multiculturalism.

Mission Build a campus environment that incorporates conflict as a part of learning and campus management

Conflict management aims at providing a conflict-friendly environment. Conflict is viewed as a learning and development opportunity rather than an effort for suppression. Intervention approaches aim at addressing the culture of problem solving, effective communication and negotiation, and cooperative working relationship and transformative management of differential values and needs, leading to social change.

Conflict Resolution Addressing is Three-fold 1) Service and Resource: by providing an alternative dispute resolution center for individual cases; 2) Prevention: by education and training; and 3) Crisis management: by establishing institutional response system for crises that have system-wide impact;

Goal 1: Build an Institutional Capacity to Alternative Dispute Resolution Approaches: 1.1 Develop an alternative dispute resolution center that is accessible to the Campus community: students, faculty, administrators and staff.

Goal 1: Build an Institutional Capacity to Alternative Dispute Resolution Approaches: 1.2 Identify resources on campus, including faculty, staff, and human resources that can provide consultation, counseling and expertise in conflict management. For example, such as effective communication, diversity training, team- building, mediation, arbitration, and conciliation.

Goal 2: Build an Institutional Capacity to Responding to Emergency Conflict Crisis: Approaches : 2.1 Response team(s) for threat to campus-wide climate 2.2 Response team for student affairs 2.3 Response team for academic/faculty affairs 2.4 Response team for calamities

Goal 3: Build Institutional Culture toward Friendly Management of Conflicts: Approaches : 3.1 Provide training for faculty, administrators and staff on: Diversity training; Diversity training; Effective communication skills; Effective communication skills; Team building; Team building; Promoting Promoting Constructive conflict interaction, etc. Constructive conflict interaction, etc.

Goal 3: Build Institutional Culture toward Friendly Management of Conflicts: Approaches : 3.2 Promote an academic program on conflict resolution and peace studies. This can be implemented as an interdisplinary study drawing on the expertise and scholarship throughout campus.

Goal 3: Build Institutional Culture toward Friendly Management of Conflicts: Approaches : 3.3 Network with professional organizations nation-wide to share resources and to keep updated in the field of conflict resolution. 3.4 Participate in CSU system-wide network on conflict resolution.