ORG 478 Mediation Skills

This course provides ''hands-on'' training and experience in acting as a neutral third-party mediator to facilitate negotiations between and among disputing individuals, groups, and organizations. The course makes extensive use of self-assessment instruments, role-playing, simulations, analyses, feedback, and other participative methods to explore one’s conscious use of self in behaving in effective ways to manage conflict. Topics include mediation and negotiation theory, integrative negotiations, the role and responsibilities of the mediator, stages of the mediation process, framing issues and supporting negotiation, working toward an agreement, and related topics including dealing with impasse, handling emotions, mediator ethics, getting past bias, cultural differences, trauma-informed approaches, apology, power, confidentiality, and assessing outcomes.