Dickinson College encourages an atmosphere in which life's everyday conflicts can be successfully resolved in a respectful and productive manner. To this end, the Conflict Resolution Center offers conflict-coaching sessions and mediation services to all members of the Dickinson College community.
Dickinson College wants to encourage an atmosphere where life's everyday conflicts can be successfully resolved in a respectful and productive manner.
Conflict is a part of everyday life. There are certainly times when the wisest way to handle a conflict is to walk away until the parties calm down. In most cases, however, a conflict that is simply avoided will not solve itself.
People tend to approach conflict with a "win-lose" mindset. Unfortunately, this often perpetuates a cycle, as today's "loser" waits for an opportunity to retaliate. The successive conflicts often tend to escalate as well, until people are arguing about the argument, and no longer focusing on a problem that can possibly be solved.
Conflicts can strain or damage relationships. Interpersonal conflict affects other people as well, drawing in friends, colleagues, or co-workers as the parties to a dispute seek allies and want others to take sides.
We've all heard the phrase "win-win." In conflict situations, it isn't always easy to achieve a win-win situation, but it is certainly possible and often worth the effort. With experience, individuals can gain the tools and temperament to solve problems and conflicts with a win-win approach.
Sometimes when faced with a conflict situation, it is useful to have a neutral and confidential resource, someone with whom to discuss approaches to conflict resolution, consider options, or clarify the underlying issue that is most important to you. The Conflict Resolution Resource Center offers "coaching" sessions and mediation services to students, staff, faculty and administrators. CRRC also supports Sustained Dialogue at Dickinson, and has created a collection of print and audio books at the Dickinson College library. This website provides more information about these resources.
The Conflict Resolution Resource Center is located at 179 West Louther Street, a small limestone building at the northeast corner of West and Louther Streets. Mediation sessions