Mediation

This informal process brings differing parties together for a facilitated conversation, with the goal of moving the participants in the direction of better understanding of the issues and collaborative problem solving.

As with all services of the Office of the Ombuds, mediation is available to all members of the University community, including faculty, students and staff.

The Office of the Ombuds provides this service confidentially, impartially, and informally. In addition, the Office is uniquely situated in that it operates independently from the traditional organizational hierarchy, reporting only to an executive officer in the President’s Center in order to avoid any real or perceived conflicts of interest.

In advance of the mediated discussion, the mediator will meet individually with the parties involved, who participate on a voluntary basis. After these one-on-one conversations, and with the agreement of all parties, the mediation will take place. The entire process is off-the-record, and it is up to the parties to agree to and implement resolution to a conflict or dispute.

Following a mediation, the Office of the Ombuds remains available to provide further consultation to any party involved.