History and Rationale of the Mediation Program

On June 19, 1995, a design team convened the first planning meeting and several meetings thereafter to discuss the concept and implementation of mediation as an informal alternative dispute resolution resource serving the university and medical center community. The design team consisted of administrators, staff, faculty and students. The team was charged with:

• Attaining institutional buy-in from senior management.
• Integrating mediation as an alternative dispute resolution option to existing formal grievance processes.
• The development and implementation of a basic mediation training program to teach participants the core skills essential to the practice of mediation.

The rationale for a mediation program was based on the inherent benefits of an informal dispute resolution process.

Mediation:

• Is voluntary and confidential.
• Saves time and money.
• Can prevent arbitration or litigation.
• Acknowledges the validity of all parties concerns and interests.
• Encourages creative problem solving.
• Provides an opportunity for parties to be jointly responsible for deciding the outcome of their dispute.