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DISPUTE RESOLUTION POLICIES & PRACTICES

Office of Student Conflict Resolution (http://www.umich.edu/~oscr)

The Office of Student Conflict Resolution is the Student Affairs unit that administers the Code of Student Conduct, the University of Michigan policy that details the non-academic rights and responsibilities of its students. The primary activity of the office is conducting the conflict resolution process. It is involved in community outreach and at times OSCR staff offer advice and support to students involved in conflict resolution.

Student Mediation Services

There are two types of mediation–that which is done under the Code of Student Conduct, and that supplied by Student Mediation Services.

Student Mediation under the Code of Student Conduct

Under the Code, students may have the opportunity to resolve their disputes through mediation. When participants meet with the Resolution Coordinator (RC), the RC will explain the role of mediation under the Code. Should the participants wish to mediate their dispute(s), the RC will help them arrange the mediation. Before proceeding to mediation, all participants sign a Pre-Mediation Agreement, which acknowledges their intent to use mediation and which confirms that they understand the process and what is expected of them within it.

If mediation is successful in resolving the Code-related dispute(s), the participants will write and sign a Mediated Agreement. When the Office of Student Conflict Resolution (OSCR) receives a copy of the Mediated Agreement, the original case will be closed. Participants may not appeal the mediation or the Mediated Agreement.

If the mediation is unsuccessful or does not resolve all the Code-related dispute(s), the participants will resolve the remainder through the Code's arbitration process. No portion of the mediation, except a signed Mediated Agreement, may be used in a subsequent arbitration or appeal.

Student Mediation under the SMS (www.umich.edu/~sdrp)

Founded by a student in 1995 and now run by elected leadership, Student Mediation Service gives students the unique opportunity to mediate their disputes rather than ignoring them or engaging in violence. SMS's primary goal is to provide the highest quality mediation services available at no cost to University of Michigan students.

Program on Intergroup Relations (http://www.umich.edu/~igrc/)

The Program on Intergroup Relations (IGR) was inaugurated in 1988, at a time of heightened awareness of racial and ethnic tensions at the campus. Program architects sought to advance student understanding of and respect for diversity and to augment student skills in responding to intergroup conflicts. Intergroup conflict was understood to encompass issues of gender, religion and sexual orientation as well as race and ethnicity.

IGR faculty and staff have collaborated with the Office of Academic and Multicultural Initiatives (OAMI), the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and the Housing Division, to develop and implement program activities. In 1992, the Program was established as a unit housed under the Division of Student Affairs.

IGR curricular offerings have included five-week undergraduate mini-courses now expanded into semester-long, peer-facilitated courses on Intergroup Relations. Each is based on the "Intergroup Dialogue" model developed by IGR staff. Trained IGR facilitators have contributed to campus Martin Luther King symposia and are often called upon to facilitate one-time dialogues for student organizations and residence halls, an indication of the Program's continued commitment to student life issues.

IGR programming now includes a training course for facilitators, a training practicum for current facilitators, First-Year Interest Groups seminars (FIGS), and student retreats, the first of which was conducted in the Fall of 1997. IGR also offers a course titled Social Psychology in Community Settings in conjunction with University Housing Residence Education for prospective student staff.