A Peer Mediation Program to assist students to resolve student-student conflicts through a process facilitated by trained student peer mediators.

Mediation is a process for resolving disputes in which an impartial third party assists people to engage in conversation and to work towards creating a mutually agreeable resolution.

The Campus Mediation Program (CMP) is a new program beginning Fall 2004 to help students resolve conflicts collaboratively and to foster conflict management skills on the residential campus.

Mediation is an opportunity for students to take responsibility for resolving their problems. When students opt to try mediation, a pair of CMP co-mediators will be chosen from a pool of trained student volunteers. Together the co-mediators will facilitate a problem-solving process in which the parties themselves define the issues and make decisions about what they want to do about a situation.

The Campus Mediation Program is a project of the Peace Studies Program and co-sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs.

Time Saving: It addresses problems at an early stage. Mediations can usually be held within seven days of a request, before problems escalate.

Private and Confidential: Mediation sessions are private and conversations kept confidential. No student file is generated.

Less Adversarial: The focus is on working together to resolve issues, not prove someone right or wrong.

Preserves Relationships: Gives parties an opportunity to take responsibility for their actions, and to heal rifts. Parties learn communication skills that may avoid future conflict.

Little Risk: Agreements are voluntary. In the case of an impasse, all appropriate legal and procedural options, such as the judicial system, are still available.

Enhances Community: Mediation preserves and builds relationships within the community, fostering an atmosphere of mutual respect.

*Adapted from Bill Warters, Mediation in the Campus Community, 2000.

A peer mediator is someone who is:

• Good listener who is empathetic and really present.
• Non-judgmental, open-minded and can maintain impartiality.
• Patient
• Treats parties with respect and does not talk down to them
• Calm and confident enough to manage the process, making sure everyone is heard and treated respectfully.
• Skillful at asking questions that will help parties identify issues and come up with creative solutions
• Able to maintain confidentiality

(1) Any student having a problem with another student can contact their SA or RLC or go directly to LeAnne Jones, the Campus Mediation Program coordinator, to find out more about mediation or to request a mediation.

(2) If a mediation is requested, LeAnne will contact the other student(s) involved and find out if they are willing to participate in a mediation.

(3) If parties are willing to try mediation, LeAnne will get the schedules of the students involved and look at the schedules of the peer mediators who have been trained and set up a time to meet. At least one hour needs to be set aside and more time may be needed.

(4) At the mediation, there will be the two peer mediators who will be co-mediating and the students involved in the dispute. The session will be completely confidential, and take place in a private room.

(5) During the mediation, the peer mediators will go over their roles, your role, confidentiality, guidelines and any questions you may have about the process. Then they will give each person an opportunity to share their perspective on the situation, including how they have been affected and what they see would need to happen to make things better. This will be the main part of the mediation. Mediators will guide the conversation, asking questions to help parties clarify the situation, but will not express any opinions or make any suggestions.

When the parties have had a chance to talk things through and listen to each other, they will be asked to work together to make suggestions for what might be done to improve the situation. If the parties come to agreement, the mediators will help the parties to write up an agreement.

The agreement is not a legally binding document, but a way to clearly state what has been agreed upon. Usually an agreement will also include language about what will happen if there are further problems or the agreement is not upheld. Mediators are not involved in the enforcement of an agreement. Parties, having come up with the terms of the agreement themselves, feel a commitment to follow through.

(6) Follow-up mediations or multiple sessions are always possible. These should go through the Campus Mediation Coordinator.

For more information or to set up a mediation session, contact:
LeAnne Jones, RLC, Coordinator, Campus Mediation Program joneslea@grinnell.edu