Bickering between Ohio State faculty members could decrease within the next 18 months, thanks to a new faculty mediation program that began Monday.
“It makes sense to have an outside facilitator to help people reach mutually agreeable solutions,” said Susan Fisher, secretary for the University Senate.
So far, the only people who will be able to utilize the mediation program are faculty members or non-bargaining unit staff. The Office of Academic Affairs will pay for the services.
The program provides an unbiased third party to advise two disagreeable parties, who agree to talk about their differences in a private manner. A mediation coordinator from outside of the university wiil decide if the situation needs to be addressed.
The mediator will follow seven steps to help the two parties decide on a solution.
The parties who are involved will meet for a mediation session that could last between two and four hours, but some parties may need to attend multiple sessions.
Eunice Hornsby, assistant director and consultant in Organization & Human Resource Development, said she agrees one session could last between two and four hours on average, but she said it could take more or less time.
“The important thing to focus on is that workable solutions are reached, freeing up time and energy to be focused on work that will ultimately benefit students,” Hornsby said. “Very often people avoid conflict, believing that it will go away. But it rarely does – it generally gets worse.”
President Karen Holbrook said she believes that the mediation program could prove to be a success, as the program applied while she served as provost at the University of Georgia.
“We had a similar mediation program that worked very well,” Holbrook said.
Even though the process at OSU will not involve students, Holbrook said Georgia conducted successful mediation activities with both students and faculty.
“If you have a faculty member and a student who simply do not see the same way, (they) work with a mediator to come closer together so that each understands the other position better,” Holbrook said.
Hornsby said she expects between one and two mediation cases each month, but said the program will help faculty and staff.
“They will be supported in finding workable solutions to conflicts and disputes,” Hornsby said. “Workplace relationships will be improved.”
Fisher said Barbara Snyder, interim executive vice president and provost, looked into other colleges with similar programs, before approving a mediation program at OSU. Fisher said they found the other schools’ programs to be beneficial.
The only time that the program cannot benefit faculty are for issues dealing with promotion and tenure, discrimination, sexual harassment, serisous misconduct, discharge or any other problems that are dealt with under state and federal law.
After 18 months, the mediation program will be reviewed to determine whether to modify or continue the program.
“Reviewing the program makes sense in that we’re spending money for something and we want to make sure that it is working,” Fisher said.
