FDR Mediation Training Available to UNM Faculty

The UNM Faculty Dispute Resolution Program offers free training in mediation for all UNM faculty, administrators, deans and chairpersons.

Topics covered in the training include a detailed look at the experience of conflict, types of faculty conflicts, and how faculty respond to these conflicts. Different conflict styles are reviewed, myths of conflict resolution are covered, and alternative ways of resolving conflicts are discussed.

The training sessions emphasizes the dynamics of the mediation process as well as mediator skills of acknowledging, clarifying, questioning, summarizing, power balancing, saving face, and reality-testing.

The program is designed with multiple opportunities to practice mediating faculty conflicts through the use of hypothetical scenarios and role playing, which is then followed by discussion and feedback sessions. Faculty who have completed the training in past sessions serve as coaches for the practices.

Training sessions are 32 hours in length and span the course of four days. Part of the commitment includes the viewing and review of two mediation videos.

The next mediation training will be held in Fall 2008:

Friday and Saturday, September 12th and 13th, 8:30-4:30

-and-

Friday and Saturday, September 19th and 20th, 8:30-4:30

To date, approximately 80 faculty have completed the FDR mediation training. They have consistently reported high satisfaction with the outcome of the training and have had positive comments to offer:

"Thank you Jean, for creating this opportunity for faculty and for all the effort and caring that you have put into this program. What a privilege it was to work with all of you - really an experience to remember!"

"I want to thank everyone for a wonderful mediation training experience!"

"Add my thanks for a wonderful experience. The four days reminded me of why I pursued an academic career."

"I want to echo everyone's sentiments about the excellence of the training. I found it extremely thorough and very challenging. I also enjoyed working with everyone in the group. Looking forward to participating in the mediations!"

For more information or to sign up for a training session, please contact The Faculty Dispute Resolution Program at 277-3212 or via email at facdr@unm.edu or jcivikly@unm.edu

Updated 3/3/08