ACTION PLAN - University of Ulster

!Nurture the support of strategic constituencies;
!Do not immediately succumb to the tyranny of Alegitimate demands@;
!Leave a distinctive imprint;
!Error in favor of over-communication, especially in time of flux;
!Respect the power of organization cultures; and
!Preserve and highlight sources of opportunity at the institution.
The Student Satisfaction Argument:
Students are Athe primary >customer= on campus@ and Amediation can help maintain
student satisfaction@ by providing a point of view option. Mediation is important to
students because:
!Students don=t want to have to Aturn in@ or Abust@ others in order to address problems;
!Students appreciate services that can address both off-campus as well as on-campus
life, and they appreciate tangible support in resolving disputes.
!ASmall@ problems can get address, instead of falling through the bureaucratic cracks;
!Mediation can help prevent escalation and prolongation of conflict that disrupt their
social and academic life;
!Students enjoy and benefit from the learning opportunities provided through training as
a volunteer or intern at a center;
!Mediation provided students with a new way to approach each other and deal with
disputes. This can mean a second chance for friendships that might otherwise have been
lost due to the negative effects that conflicts can have on emerging relationships;
!Mediation provided another tool for dealing with conflicts with roommates and club
members from diverse backgrounds and lifestyles.
Madison Area Technical College offers conflict management services through staff who
remain objective and neutral in Aassisting members of the campus community to address
student-related conflicts. The primary goal is to facilitate >win-win= agreements, where
better communication and understanding among community members ultimately improve
relationships, increase retention, and promote academic success.@
(//matcmadison.edu/matc.studentresources/rights/conflict.shtm) The goals, authority and
jurisdiction, procedures, and appeals process are briefly discussed.
What can we do?
ULM could establish a campus mediation center. It could be staffed by peer mentors like
the teen court concept or students majoring in areas of business, government, criminal
justice, and communication could staff the center as part of their education training.
Test Taking Strategies:
What are we doing?
CASS approaches this area in several ways by providing interactive workshops,
presenting classroom workshops when invited, one-on-one interaction with CASS
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