365.010 Faculty and Staff Campus Mediation Service

Executive Order No. 30, 8-10-00.

1. A campus mediation service on each UM campus would enhance the university environment by providing an informal means of dispute resolution and help avoid lengthy and costly litigation.
2. Mediation is an informal, voluntary, and consensual process in which disputing parties work with an impartial mediator to resolve their differences. Both parties must agree to participate in the mediation.
3. A trained mediator will work with the disputing parties to help them clarify their issues and interests, open lines of communication, and develop better working relationships. The mediator would have no authority to impose a settlement. Rather, parties will be encouraged to seek solutions that meet their respective needs. The mediators may provide information, direct the parties to appropriate resources and, if needed, provide an informal means of conflict mediation. 
4. Neither the time period for filing a grievance, pursuant to the academic grievance procedure or the staff grievance procedure, nor the time frames for taking any action regarding such grievance will be extended as a result of the decision to utilize the Campus Mediation Service.
5. The Campus Mediation Service on each campus stresses confidentiality. Unless disclosure is required by law, the mediator will not release information received or records created by or received by the mediator. 
6. Each campus will establish its own Campus Mediation Service by creating a campus-wide committee and a campus coordinator to determine the procedures for implementing the Service and to select mediators.
7. The chancellor on each campus will solicit nominations from deans, directors, and department chairs for faculty and staff to be trained as mediators. Self-nominations from all campus faculty and staff also will be solicited. Efforts will be made to select at least 12 persons from each campus to be trained. Mediators may be active or retired faculty and staff.
8. Efforts will be made to seek diversity in the pool. Mediators must demonstrate good listening skills and have the ability and patience to be impartial and trustworthy.
9. Campus coordinators will determine training needs for mediators on an annual basis and will report to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs those needs. Each campus will provide the appropriate publicity about the Campus Mediation Service to all staff and faculty. 
10. Faculty and staff on each campus with problems, questions, or complaints may contact the designated campus coordinator who will coordinate the selection of a mediator. Further, no fee is charged for the service.