Southern Polytechnic State University P & P No.: 885.0
Policy and Procedure Manual Date: July 1999
Revised:

Campus Mediation Process for Alternative Dispute Resolution

What is mediation?
Mediation is a method of resolving disputes. Mediation is different from the formal staff and faculty grievance processes. In mediation, the persons with the conflict are directly involved and work together toward making a joint agreement on how to resolve the conflict. The mediation process typically moves more quickly than formal grievance processes. It is voluntary, confidential, and is conducted by trained mediators from Southern Polytechnic and/or the Consortium on Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (CNCR), a Board of Regents program.

Mediation Process
1. An employee encounters a problem or conflict in the workplace and decides to seek resolution.
2. The employee may contact any member of the alternative dispute resolution committee to find out about the process and be introduced to the Intake Coordinator.
3. The employee contacts the Intake Coordinator either through direct contact or through a committee member.
4. The Intake Coordinator does the following:

a) Listens to the explanation of conflict
b) Works with the employee to determine if this conflict can be helped by mediation
c) If no, the employee may seek dispute resolution through the standard channels (administrative review, grievance, and/or EEO complaint)
d) If yes, the Intake Coordinator reviews the mediation process with the employee
5. If the employee decides to pursue mediation, then the Intake Coordinator proceeds with the mediation process.
6. Implementation Considerations:
a) Participation is voluntary by all parties
b) Mediations are conducted by trained mediators from SPSU and/or CNCR
c) Mediation is scheduled at a time convenient for all parties
d) Mediation agreements are confidential and no records are kept of parties or agreements
e) Parties participating in mediation do not give up their rights to pursue other types of dispute resolution processes
f) Parties may, however, agree to not pursue additional dispute resolution processes as part of the mediation agreement
g) The number of mediation cases conducted during the year will be tracked by the Intake Coordinator and included as part of the ADR committee’s annual report, but no identifying information is ever kept or used
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Committee
The Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee is made up of persons appointed by the President who have completed at least one approved mediation training class. There are a minimum of two faculty and two staff persons on this committee, although the President may appoint more persons to the committee. The members will serve a two-year term. At the beginning of Fall Semester, the committee will elect a chair who will serve for the current academic year. In addition, the Campus Intake Coordinator, who is appointed by the President, and the Director of Human Resources (or designee) are voting ex officio members of the committee. The Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity (AA/EEO) coordinator serves as a non-voting ex officio member of the committee. The President appoints one member of the Committee as campus liaison to CNCR with the responsibility for communicating general CNCR information to the campus.

Committee Responsibilities:

a) Conduct assessments of the mediation process at SPSU.
b) Provide a written report to the President at the end of each academic year concerning possible improvements to the ADR process.
c) Conduct program/process development as needed.
d) Promote the mediation process to the campus.
e) Provide education and training as needed to the campus.
Chair Responsibilities:
a) Call meetings at least once per semester.
b) Chair meetings.
c) Write report to President at the end of each academic year.
Intake Coordinator Responsibilities:
a) Listen to faculty or staff conflicts to advise whether mediation is a viable means of resolving conflict.
b) Contact all parties involved with conflict.
c) Set up mediation with certified mediators.
d) Track the number of mediation cases conducted for use in the annual report.
Dispute Resolution Options at Southern Polytechnic State University