Thirty members of the university community, including students, staff, faculty and
administrators, representing numerous campus units participated in the Diversity
Training Circle's Training of Trainers (TOT) for Conflict Mediation last Sept. 17.
Hugh O'Doherty, director of the College Park Scholars (CPS) Public Leadership
Program, facilitated the day-long training sponsored by the Office of Human Relations
Programs. O'Doherty, a native of Northern Ireland, has been involved formally in
facilitation work for 25 years. His vast experience-he was the director of the United
States Ireland Public Leadership Program and participated in the Reconciliation Center
in Ireland (a center that tries to promote dialogue between Nationalists and
Unionists)-proved very useful throughout the day.
"The goal of this training was to introduce people to the theory and method of mediation
to give them a beginning sense of what it would take to really learn these skills-a
foundation for future learning," says O'Doherty. "I think this training session succeeded
in that."
Training activities included an overview of mediation, scenarios for negotiation and
mediation exercises, as well as a group mediation session. Participants were given
different scenarios in which they role-played and attempted to implement the mediation
skills they learned throughout the day. One major activity of the day, facilitated by Amir
Jahansir from College Park Scholars, focused on group mediation from two different
perspectives. O'Doherty says the training session lays the "foundation" for learning
effective conflict mediation skills in the future.
The participants felt the day-long session gave them a good base for building their
mediation skills. "[This program] was a terrific introduction and I want more. I would like
to see a second session to build on this one," says Lee Harper, Institute for Systems
Research. "I learned listening is one of the hardest things to do in the mediation
process - both parties really need to listen to each other," says Rita Singer, a senior
kinesiology major.
Maria Vandergriff-Avery, family studies, expressed similar sentiments. "This [training
session] was really good. It was a good start in terms of how to become an effective
mediator. It gave us the opportunity to 'get our feet wet.'"
In addition to introducing people to the mediation process, this TOT has a significant
connection to the Peer Mediation Program developed by the Student Intercultural
Learning Center (SILC) and to a course-BSOS 399: "Facilitating Dialogue on Race,
Gender and Ethnicity." After receiving this training, participants can become peer
mediators in their own units and, if interested, join the new SILC Peer Mediation
Program, which provides students with the opportunity to learn and apply skills and
strategies for mediating and transforming conflict. This program is open to all students.
Other members of the university community have the opportunity to act as advisers to
students in the Peer Mediation Program.
If the TOT program sparked an interest, students can also take mediation-related
classes from SILC such as BSOS 399. It is a year-long pilot program taught by
O'Doherty, Bridget Turner, assistant coordinator of SILC, Tom Dunne, Director of the
Center for Cooperation and Conflict Management, and Lois Vietri, director, CPS
International Studies Program. This class is being offered as a collaborative effort by
SILC, College Park Scholars and the Academy of Leadership.
According to Turner, "The goal of this course is to teach students how to facilitate
dialogue on issues of race gender and ethnicity. During the fall semester students learn
about the breadth and depth of diverse communities, and receive training in group
facilitation, dialogue and conflict management. The second half of the course gives
students the opportunity to teach and sharpen group facilitation skills."
Overall, Mark Brimhall-Vargas, acting assistant director of OHRP and co-organizer of
this DTC TOT, believes the training session was a success. "I'm extremely pleased with
the presenters and participants in this TOT. We're already planning for the future," says
Brimhall-Vargas.
For more information about the following programs, contact the designated people:
· Diversity Training Circle-Mark Brimhall-Vargas at 405-2840 or mb333@umail.umd.edu;
· Peer Mediation Program or BSOS 399-Bridget Turner at 405-8190 or bt38@umail.umd.edu or Hugh O'Doherty at 405-0390 or hodoherty@academy.umd.edu; and,
· SILC-Paul Gorski at 405-8192 or pg92@umail.umd.ed.
--Jamie Feehery-Simmons