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Mediation

MCR team members are available to provide mediation services to our campus community. All team members have received 40-hour mediation skills training through Northwestern's School of Professional Studies certificate program, and additional training and professional development related to mediation and conflict resolution skills and topics.

What is mediation and why would I seek it out?

Mediation is a method of dispute resolution in which two or more parties who are in conflict meet with a mediator (or team of mediators) to help them understand their issues, identify their needs, communicate effectively, and explore options for resolution. In the MCR Initiative, our mediators work in teams of two.

The practice of mediation is grounded in several principles:

  • Voluntary: Participation in mediation is always voluntary as is whether any resolution is reached. 
  • Privacy: Only those directly involved in the dispute are present at the mediation. If others are to join, all parties must agree in advance. 
  • Confidentiality: What happens in the mediation stays between those involved. The mediator will not share anything that is discussed outside of the mediation, with the exception of what is required by mediators as responsible employees (see FAQs for more information on this). 
  • Self-determination: Those involved in the mediation are responsible for their own solutions. The mediator’s role is to facilitate the process, not to impose a solution.  
  • Impartiality: The mediator does not favor either of the parties and does not have any interest in whether or what type of resolution might be reached.  
There are many reasons to seek out mediation. Mediation is an informal and flexible process in which the parties involved are in full control of the outcome. If you’re involved in a conflict with a colleague, supervisor, or supervisee, mediation can be a helpful process to (1) explore the root causes of the conflict, (2) communicate each person’s needs fully and effectively, (3) explore possible options for resolution. Mediation can be especially useful when your relationship with the person you’re having conflict with is important to maintain.  

How Do I Request Mediation?

If you’d like to request mediation, please complete this intake form. A team member will respond to you within 48 hours. If your situation is appropriate for mediation, we will walk you though the next steps, including connecting you to your co-mediators. If your situation is not suited for mediation, we will suggest alternative resources.

Request Mediation

MCR Mediators

*This table contains a list of MCR Mediators
Name Unit
Victoria Akinde University Library
Tameka Brannon Feinberg School of Medicine
Robert Brown Medill School of Journalism, Media, and Integrated Marketing Communications
Sarah Brown OIDI/Women’s Center
Sonia Calles Mesa Alumni Relations and Development
Jaci Casazza University Registrar’s Office
Lucas Christain University Compliance
Heather Cohen Community Standards
Dayna Dion Buffett Institute for Global Affairs
Mona Dugo Office of the Dean of Students
Tracey Gibson-Jackson Student Organizations and Activities
Jasmine Gurneau OIDI/Native American and Indigenous Affairs

Roderick Hawkins

 School of Communication 
Katelyn Kennon Center for Awareness, Response, and Education 

Lehua McAllister

 Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance 
Leona Quist Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion
Maria Sanchez University Athletics
melisa stephen OIDI/Women’s Center
Carrie Thomas Office of the Ombudsperson
Geet Vanaik Buffett Institute for Global Affairs
Jackie Wickham School of Professional Studies
Evan Williams Office of Community Standards
Rachel Velez University Athletics
The MCR Initiative benefits from the guidance and support of its Advisory Board, which includes members from Student Affairs, Human Resources, the Office of the General Council, the Provost’s Office, the Office of the Ombudsperson, the Center for Leadership, the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, Pritzker School of Law, Kellogg School of Management as well as external experts in mediation and conflict resolution.  

References:
Gelfand, Michele J., Lisa M. Leslie, Kirsten Keller, and Carsten de Dreu. "Conflict cultures in organizations: How leaders shape conflict cultures and their organizational-level consequences." Journal of Applied Psychology 97, no. 6 (2012): 1131.  

Watson, Nancy T., Kenita S. Rogers, Karan L. Watson, and Carla Liau‐Hing Yep. "Integrating social justice‐based conflict resolution into higher education settings: Faculty, staff, and student professional development through mediation training." Conflict Resolution Quarterly 36, no. 3 (2019): 251-262.