Conflict Resolution and Mediation BA#HD-351-01 & MA#HD-551-01 Spring 2005 Instructor: Fiona Stewart Office: Office of Advancement - 2nd floor 5 Westmoreland Pl. Telephone: (626) 432-5565 (office) email: fstewart@pacificoaks.edu COURSE OUTLINE / SYLLABUS Class Dates Tuesdays 4pm-6:45pm Course Description This class is designed for human service professionals, including teachers, educational administrators, and marriage and family counselors, who work with children, adolescents, and families. Participants will examine the nature of human conflict and effective strategies for conflict resolution, and will explore methods for developing programs which promote the peaceful resolution of conflict. The class will focus on the techniques and models for conflict resolution, mediation, and creative problem-solving in various conflict areas, including the family, the school, and the workplace. Techniques for effective communication, brainstorming and cooperative group decision-making will be explored. Communicating across cultures, and bias awareness issues will be explored within all content areas. Class format will include discussion, lecture, reading, writing, demonstration and role playing. Expectations It is expected that students will: Engage in critical thinking challenging the current paradigms Contribute to class activities and discussions Complete the reading and writing assignments Integrate and implement their learning Ground Rules It is a goal of this class to create an environment that encourages honest sharing and respectful communication. Therefore, it is important to keep personal information shared confidential. Risk taking is a way to grow and it is hoped that students will take this opportunity stretch their comfort level in this regard. Class is a place to explore ideas, question, and share with others, and encourage others to make contributions. Please turn off cellphones, pagers, etc.
I know many of you have to undertake a great deal to be here for these classes and have many other responsibilities to maintain, but out of respect of our class time and for your classmates, please try to minimize interruptions. If you need to make a call please step outside the classroom. College Policies Please refer to the Pacific Oaks College Catalog for complete information on college policies. Attendance Attendance and participation are very important. If you miss a class session, you must make arrangements to obtain information covered in class. More than two absences may result in an Incomplete. Academic Integrity Statement: Participation in this course assumes that each student has read and understands the Academic Honesty requirements of Pacific Oaks. The Academic Integrity Statement appears on Page 38 of the 2004-2006 College Catalog and reads as follows: “Academic dishonesty (i.e., cheating, forgery, plagiarism) depreciates the learning experience. It is fundamental that students contribute to the ideal of academic integrity and accept individual responsibility for their work.” Disability Statement: Any student in this course who has a disability that might prevent him/her from fully demonstrating his/her abilities should contact Pat Meda of the student CARE Center immediately to discuss disability verification and accommodations that may be necessary to ensure full class participation and completion of course requirements. Incomplete Policy An “Incomplete” grade is only available to students who have completed a substantial amount of work required for a particular class. Instructors are responsible for notifying students that an “Incomplete” is being awarded. Faculty will discuss remaining class requirements with the student involved and agree upon the criteria for satisfactory completion of the class. A written contract will then be issued, setting out the conditions for successfully completing the class. Faculty are responsible for making arrangements with other instructors in those cases where repeating the class is a component of the “Incomplete” contract. Evaluations for “Incomplete” are submitted, following the same time line for classes conducted during the term in which the “Incomplete” is completed. If written work is required to complete the class, this must be submitted to the class instructor at least one month prior to the end of the semester following the one in which the “Incomplete” is
given [i.e., the end of April (for Fall classes) or November (for Spring /Summer classes)]. Instructors may set an earlier deadline if they wish. Students who fail to meet the conditions of the “Incomplete” contract will automatically receive a “No Credit.” Students with seven or more units of “Incomplete” may not register for the following term until those classes have been completed. It is a goal to avoid Incompletes!!! Please sign the attendance sheet each class. Narrative Evaluation Statement Faculty have two weeks after the official last day of the semester to complete and submit student narrative evaluations to the Registrar’s Office. Should you require your evaluation immediately due to employer reimbursement or some other reason, please see me. Or if you need a “grade” in addition to the pass/fail narrative evaluation, please follow the following procedure: Submit an official request stating the reason to the Registrar’s Office. Confidentiality Statement Classes at Pacific Oaks are interactive, drawing on the rich experiences of faculty and student alike. Often in the course of these discussions, information of a personal or potentially damaging nature is shared. It is the expectation of the college that such information will remain confidential, allowing all to share freely without fear of disclosure outside other classroom. Breaches of confidentiality damage the building of community and trust and are not acceptable. Books Required The Heart of Conflict by Brian Muldoon Sitting In the Fire by Arnold Mindell Choose One Resolving Conflicts at Work by Kenneth Cloke and Joan Goldsmith OR Creating the Peaceable School: A Comprehensive Program for Teaching Conflict Resolution by Richard J. Bodine, Donna K. Crawford & Fred Schrumpf
Assignments Please type all assignments with 12 point font and use 1 inch margins. Keep all written work in your folder. Place your name, the date, and the assignment title on each assignment and maintain backup copies of work that you turn in. If you use information from any literature, please cite accordingly. Please proofread and spell check all your work before you submit it. I certainly don¹t expect perfection, but I want you to take the time to produce quality work. At Pacific Oaks, we realize that students come to us with various levels of writing abilities. Please know that I am here to support and encourage you and to help you reach the next level of writing, whatever that level may be. Journals (4 total) Length: 1-2 pages each Due: February 22; March 15; April 6; and April 27 Reflection Papers (2 total) Please write a reflection papers on any 2 of the books from this semester. Each paper should be a critical reflection on the book and the author’s point of view. A vital part of your education here at Pacific Oaks is your development as a critical thinker. So rather than reading and writing about what the author thinks, write about what you think. One way to do this is to ask yourself questions such as, “What parts of the book do I relate to and why?” “Have I had similar or different experiences?” “What assumptions or points is the author relaying?” “Do I agree or disagree with these?” “How is what I¹m reading connected to class discussions?” Length: 2 pages each Due: Same night the book is due Group Project You will work on a conflict resolution scenario with others in the class. There will be class time devoted to working in your groups on this project. Group projects will be presented to the class. Due: May 10
Final Paper For your final paper please write about a conflict or problem in your work or personal life (past or present) and how you might go about resolving it based on what you have learned in this class. This should be a real conflict with real possible solutions. You need not embark on resolving the conflict, however, unless this is possible and realistic at this point in your life. The purpose is for this to be an opportunity for you to consider and plan how you might make real changes to solve this problem. If you feel have the resources and suppport you need - try and implement your plan and write about that. If you are not ready or do not have the support you can create a plan and just write about that. Please integrate course materials or other sources into your work to support your points, conclusions, approach or methods. References need to be appropriately cited within the text of the paper and you must include a bibliography. (We will review how to do this in class). Length: 3-5 pages Due: May 3 Self Evaluation In P.O. fashion, this is your chance to reflect on how you feel how you have done this semester and what you feel you have gained as a result of taking this course. Please comment on your performance in this course with regards to class participation and engagement with the class and the course material. Also reflect on the reading and writing assignments and what you feel you will take with you from the information gained from class. Length: 1 page Due: May 3
Date/Course topics February 1 - Introduction February 8 - Who Are We February 15 – Conflict & Society February 22 – Personality & Conflict March 1 - Diversity/Culture & Conflict March 8 – Diversity/Culture & Conflict March 15 – Power & Rank March 22 – NO CLASS (SPRING BREAK) March 29 – Communication & Active Listening April 6 – Communication & Feedback April 13 – Conflict Resolution with Children April 20 – Conflict Resolution/Mediation April 27 - Conflict Resolution/Mediation May 3 - Conflict Resolution/Mediation May 10 – Group Presentations & Closure
Assignments Due
Journal #1 Heart of Conflict due
Journal #2
Sitting in the Fire due Journal #3
Choice Book due Journal #4 Final Paper due Self-Evaluation due Group Presentations