building a container for conflict resolution on campus
TRANSCRIPT
Building a Container for Conflict Resolution on Campus
MCPA & MI-ASCA Joint Conference Peace & Justice: Intentional Practices in an Era of Compliance
Presented October 26, 2015 - Michigan State University Kellogg Center
Bill Warters, Ph.D. Wayne State University
Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution Program
Themes for My Talk
The Learning Potential in Conflict
Tensions between Law and Informal Justice
The Unique Nature of Higher Education Institutions
The Changing Face of Campus Conflict Resolution
Creating “Conflict Containers” and Mobilizing Third Siders for Peace and Justice
The Learning Potential in
Conflict
"Just know your lines and don't bump into the
furniture."
Spencer Tracy’s advice on acting
The Problem of Selective Perception
We are creatures of routine In order to manage the world, filled as it is with overwhelming amounts of potential stimuli, we only attend to certain aspects of situations that we have determined are necessary for our successful navigation through the world Conflict forces us to pay attention to new things - the world pushes back and we have to readjust and (hopefully) learn new things
Power Influences Perception
Role-taking Ability is Related to Power
David Kipnis - “The Metamorphic Effects of Power” leads powerholders to distance themselves & devalue those with less power
Thomas, Franks and Calonico 1972 study of Role-taking Abilities within the Family (“Roletaking and Power in Social Psychology” ASR Vol. 37)
Children were best at it, with mothers second, and father the worst
Low power people are better observers for “survival purposes” whereas high power folks may use coercion instead and not attend to experiences of those “below them” in a status hierarchy
Student’s Learn from Conflict with the Right Help
Rodgers, R. F. (1983). "Using Theory in Practice". Administration and Leadership in Student Affairs. T. K. Miller, R. B. Winston and W. R. Mendenhall. Muncie, Indiana, Accelerated Development Inc.: pp. 111-144.
STARR research on Restorative Conferencing compared to Model Code Judicial Boards - RJ showed better learning outcomes on all measures
My Social Ecology Summer
1977- Colliding with Feminism
A Complicated Threesome
Gender and Sexual Identity matter
Women’s and Men’s Groups quite different
Using Circles to Solve Problems
Case: Inappropriate Sexual Advances
A Class on UtopiasWhatAboutWhenConflictsHappen?
IllustrationfromSirThomasMore’sbookUtopia(1516)
Tensions Between Law and Informal
Justice
“Law Begins Where Community Ends” - Jerold Auerbach
Conflicts as Property - Nils Christie
1982 - UC Santa Cruz
Learning Doesn’t Just Happen in the Classroom
Discovering Men Against Rape and the Pro-feminist Men’s Movement
Creating Peer Pressure Among Men to End Men’s Violence
Case: Confronting Men Who Assault Women
The Unique Nature of Higher Education Institutions
Main Organizational Theories of University & College Functioning
Bureaucratic Collegial Political Organized Anarchy
Higher Education: A Conflict Rich Environment
Special Forces/Sources make it an especially conflict-rich environment
Defective Pressure Cooker model of conflict handling is the norm (Walter Hobbes)
“Garbage-Can” Decision-making Methods may prevail
A Loosely-Coupled System (each pot on its own bottom...)
The Changing Face of Campus
Conflict Resolution
Bill’s First Mediation Experiment
Family Student Housing was our setting
Based on Community Boards model for community engagement
Volunteer driven, with important forms of staff and faculty support
Campus ADR Timeline1966 - First Campus Ombuds Program
Campus ADR Timeline1979 - First Campus Mediation Initiative
Campus ADR Timeline1988 - National Videocast on Higher Ed Conflict Management
Campus ADR Timeline1990 - First National Conference on Campus Mediation
Campus ADR Timeline1994 - ASJA Resolution supports use of Mediation in Student Judicial Affairs work
Campus ADR Timeline1999 - Mediation in the Campus Community book published
Campus ADR Timeline2000 - FIPSE funds Campus Conflict Resolution Resources project
Campus ADR Timeline2004 - Restorative Justice on the College Campus book published
Campus ADR Timeline2008 - ASJA holds National Conflict Resolution Summit meeting
Campus ADR Timeline2009 - Reframing Campus Conflict book published
Growth of Campus Mediation Projects* Does not include Law School based ADR clinics
Campus-based Mediation Programs*
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
300
220
60
18102
Conflict Studies Academic Program Growth
0
150
300
450
600
1981 1986 1990 1995 2000
590
254
9963
31
Academic Peace & CR Programs
Over 200 institutions with ombudspersons
University System of Georgia 1995 Regents’ Initiative, all 34 campuses
University of Hawaii System 1998 –1999 CR Initiative, all 10 campuses
1998 NACUBO prize to University of Texas, San Antonio
University of Missouri System 2000 Mediation Initiative, all 4 system campuses
Minnesota State Colleges and University 2001 Workplace Mediation Pilot, 30 to 34 campuses
Association for Student Judicial Affairs change to Association for Student Conduct Administration
Signs of Institutional Acceptance of ADR
Reflections on Changing Conduct Management Practices in Higher Ed
Campus Judicial System Changes Over Time
Move Away from judicial language and toward learning and development (Conduct Administrators)
Program naming changes (removing “Judicial” from title)
Acceptance of broader range of models (Spectrum Model)
Mediation now part of institutional offerings
Coaching
Increased reach of federal government onto the campus - Title IX and DCL
Growth of Restorative Justice as a form of practice
Edited Volume - 2009
http://worldcat.org/oclc/320189910
A Spectrum of Options
Project on Restorative Justice
Campus PRISMPromoting Restorative Initiatives for Sexual Misconduct on college campuses
Campus PRISM members gather at the 2015 NACRJ conference in Florida
Campus PRISM is a project to incorporate restorative justice principles into responses to the problemof campus sexual violence.
Goals of the Campus PRISM:
Consider the potential and challenges of RJ in light of the national controversy about campussexual misconduct.Apply lessons from the use of RJ in criminal justice sex offenses, e.g. CoSAs, conferencing, andother trauma-informed practices.Gather and disseminate knowledge about RJ practice and research.Explore the potential for multicampus RJ pilots.
Overview of Restorative Approaches to Sexual Misconduct:
http://www.skidmore.edu/campusrj/prism.php 10/23/15, 1:04 AMPage 1 of 6
PRISM Project
Creating “Conflict Containers” and Mobilizing Third Siders
for Peace and Justice
Mobilizing the Third Side
as per William Ury in The Third Side: Why We Fight and How We Can Stop
see http://www.thirdside.org
Provider - Enabling People to Meet Their Needs Teacher - Giving People Skills to Handle Conflict Bridge-Builder - Forging Relationships Across
Lines of Conflict Mediator - Reconciling Conflicting Interests Arbiter - Determining Disputed Rights Equalizer - Democratizing Power Healer - Repairing Injured Relationships Witness - Paying Attention to Escalation Referee - Setting Limits to Fighting Peacekeeper - Providing Protection
Roles and Levels of Escalation
Community BoardCirca 1983
5 Core Beliefs
1) Conflicts are part of life's experiences and have positive value.
2) The peaceful expression of conflict within the campus community is a positive value.
3) Combining individual and campus/community acceptance of responsibility for a conflict is a positive value.
Based on SF Community Boards values
Core Beliefs continued
4) The voluntary resolution of conflict between disputants is a positive value.
5) Campus diversity and tolerance for differences are positive values.
Based on SF Community Boards values
ESCROProject
East Side Conflict Resolution Outreach project
Unity in the Community Resource Fair
Mediation
Monday night sessions
Wayne State University
http://madr.comm.wayne.edu
Book Giveaway!