Diffusion of a campus innovation: Integration of a new student dispute resolution center into the University culture

Abstract

Campus mediation programs serve a variety of disputes while educating students in alternative dispute resolution. A major challenge to these programs is that ofintegration into the existing campus structure. This article draws on Everett Rogers5 (1983Rogers5 ( , 1995 theory of the dgusion of innovations to discuss a strategic plan for the integration of a dispute resolution progrum into the culture of a college campus. Research was based on a program in1 roduced at Temple University using a peer mediation model of conflict management. Guidelines are presented to assist others interested in integrating a student dispute resolution center into their own campus culture.The integration of conflict resolution programs on college campuses is gaining prominence in higher education. A conflict management system, or dispute resolution center (DRC), provides a nonadversarial mechanism for handling campus conflicts, educates students, administration, and faculty in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), and may result in the empowerment of students to settle future conflicts in a peaceful manner. Indeed, it has been recently argued that the unique challenges facing institutions of higher education make the campus DRC a necessity rather than a luxury (Douglas, 1998).Colleges and universities have implemented such programs i-n a number of different ways. Four common models of campus DRCs include the peer mediation The author would like to thank Tricia Jones at Temple University, as well as Michael Lang and an anonymous reviewer, for helpful comments and suggestions on an earlier draft.

Beyond the Bridge: Transforming Conflict Research, Education, and Practice by Transcending Barriers—Honoring the Contributions of Tricia S. Jones

“…I spent a total of eight years at Temple University and went on to interact with Trish in several ways. She was cofaculty advisor for the university campus’ Conflict Education Resource Team (CERT) (Jameson, ), which I led for a period. She supervised me and other graduate student instructors, she codirected my master's project, she participated on my dissertation committee, and she widely mentored me.…”

State of Knowledge: Conflict Coaching Theory, Application, and Research

“…Called problem solving for one , it was a dyadic, interest‐based process for an individual in a conflict situation where one or more parties did not want to engage in mediation. In January 1996, Folger and Jones began using the term conflict coaching to describe conflict styles coaching for individual disputants in the Temple University campus‐based student‐focused conflict resolution program, the Conflict Education Resource Team (CERT; Brinkert ; Jameson ). Conflict coaching at Temple University was expanded to include conflict coaching for better engaging issues of diversity as preparation for possible confrontation and for possible mediation (Brinkert ).…”

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“…Overreliance on these champions can actually impede the effort, particularly if they lack sufficient influence in the organization. Putting aside for the moment those psychic rewards that may motivate people in HEIs, Jameson () notes that structural innovations such as ICMSs are slower to diffuse throughout the organization when based merely on social rewards without status. Diffusion is already challenging in HEIs because the more complex and diverse the organization is, the slower is the diffusion.…”