FUNDAMENTLS OF OMBUDS PRACTICE

This is a practice-based course designed to introduce students to ombuds work, and to help students develop the skills, knowledge, and attitudes required to succeed in the role of an organizational ombuds.  Underlying theory will be explored in the context of practice. This course will emphasize the Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics put forth by the International Ombudsman Association (IOA).  Upon successful completion of the course, students will be fundamentally prepared to apply for entry-level positions in the field of organizational ombuds and should have the requisite knowledge base to sit for the IOA’s Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner exam.

Note for NECR Students
: This course is offered as an elective in the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (NECR) program. The course builds upon students’ negotiation and mediation skills and self-awareness as a practitioner.  It is highly recommended that students complete PS5105, PS5107 and PS5124 prior to enrolling in this course.

• S 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Amy E Sereday
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• 3 points

UNDERSTAND CONFLICT & COOPERATION

UNDERSTAND CONFL & COOPER

• W 5:10 p.m.-6:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Peter T Coleman
  h-index: 35 Info
• 3 points

INTRODUCTION TO NEGOTIATION

• S 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Bodi Regan
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• 3 points

Negotiation for Everyday Use

In this course, we will explore negotiation from several points of view and approaches. We will also look at characteristics that impact the quality of our negotiations and the outcomes, such as the role of emotions, cultural considerations, effectiveness of our communication, and opportunities to seek out negotiation to transform relationships. The course will be a blend of concepts and skills, theory and practice. On some occasions, you will be introduced to a concept and then asked to apply those concepts in an experiential activity. At other times, you will be asked to engage the activity or simulation and then the concepts will be elicited based on your experience. You will have several opportunities to practice developing your skills throughout the course, in terms of enhancing your practice and honing your analytical and conceptual understanding.

• M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Cody J Smith
  Info
• 3 points

INTRAPERSONAL DYNAMICS & CONFLICT

• SUSU 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Barry Sommer
  Info
• 3 points

FAMILY BUSINESS AND CONFLICT

Conflicts that arise in family businesses are informed by long family histories and patterns of behavior, multiple identities, and are often characterized by communication breakdowns and emotional upheaval.  Conflicts in these contexts are costly emotionally, financially and relationally to family members and also to non-family employees and ultimately to the longevity of the business organization itself.  When conflict arises within these contexts it can be difficult to separate the personal relationships from the business relationships.  Because these types of business disputes can be especially emotional, how can we most effectively engage with this type of conflict?  

This course builds theoretical knowledge by introducing some context specific theories, models, and frameworks. We will build on existing NECR coursework introducing the Three Circle Model of Family Business (Tagiuri and Davis); Founders’s Value Categories Framework (Liebowitz);  Dynamical Systems Theory (Coleman, et.al.) as it applies to a family businesses; Family Systems Theory (Bowen; Minuchin) and family dynamics as a subsystem; Sustaining Cycles of Trust Model (Sundaramurthy)  and communications in family businesses (Astrachan and McMillan); discuss EQi-2.0 360 version (MHS) and its usefulness in the family business workplace; introduce and administer the Neethling Brain Instrument (Dr. Kobus Neethling & Paul Torrance) (NBI) as a tool for understanding more about individual thinking styles and how this knowledge informs group dynamics.  

Case studies will be a primary focus throughout the course, providing examples that address a spectrum of classic family business conflicts. We will use tools to analyze and develop intervention strategies in small and large group activities. This elective course is designed for NECR degree candidates, or any SPS graduate student with an interest in the topic, space permitting.  If you are a student outside the NECR program, please contact instructors for additional readings to inform course materials.  NECR students will be required to have taken Introduction to Mediation NECR PS5107, Understanding Conflict and Cooperation NECR PS5101, Skills Practicum: Self as Instrument NECR PS5880, Intrapersonal Dynamics NECR PS5124.

 

• SUSU 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• 3 points

CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND DYNAMICAL SYSTEM

CONF RESOLUTION/DYNAMIC S

Dynamical Systems Theory (DST) is a methodology developed in the hard sciences to understand complex systems—from the weather to the functioning of cells, using mathematical algorithms. We added the lens of social-psychological concepts and practices to better understand how to apply DST to conflict. We are now applying DST to conflict analysis and resolution for larger social problems and conflicts that are protracted, deeply embedded and have multiple complex issues. This DST approach goes beyond linear problem-solving and embraces complexity in new ways. Dynamical Systems and Conflict Resolution (NECR 5210) is a required 3-credit course in the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Program (NECR). Students are expected to spend on average 20 hours per week on this course, including media, group work, readings, and other assignments. NECR 5210 builds on concepts from Understanding Conflict and Cooperation (NECR 5101), where students became familiar with conflict resolution frames, theories, and models, as well as a basic understanding of the DST approach. This course will further develop and advance student understanding and use of advanced DST concepts and tools that will be useful for scholar-practitioners facing situations that require a systemic approach for more highly complex conflicts. It is a complementary approach that rounds out the other concepts and skills student learn in the program. Throughout this course students will work individually and in groups on multiple case studies, to understand and apply DST methodology, while developing an appreciation for the more fluid and non-linear DST approach.

• SUSU 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Beth Fisher-Yoshida
  Info
• 3 points

Open Source Intelligence: Research for C

THE ART AND CRAFT OF PRAC

The elective "Open Source Intelligence: Research for Conflict Analysis"
 
course is designed to introduce students to key practical insights, tips, and professional skills necessary for any successful conflict resolution practitioner. In this course, students will be required to practically apply some of the tools and techniques of NECR, and appreciate the importance of combining and reformulating the basic NECR concepts in order to serve their exact needs in the field. 

Through this course, students have the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom, learn additional practical research skills, and adjust them to their own very specific professional aspirations in the field. This course also helps students strategize their next professional steps in the field in a concise, methodical way. 

It is important to keep in mind that the Conflict Resolution field at large is quite diverse, and our students have unique backgrounds and future aspirations. Therefore, this course is customized in coordination with each student during 1-on-1 sessions that take place at the beginning of the semester, in order for each student to be working on something that is clear, and has practical value for his/her very specific professional interests. 

As with many things in life, proactiveness, creativity, and an entrepreneurial spirit are keys to success for our very challenging field.  Each student will be having a required 1-on-1 session with the instructor, where the instructor will help the student explore ways to creatively strategize their next professional steps as practitioners and also develop the instructions for the final paper that match the needs of the student. 

Overall, the goal is to provide students with an enriching, personal experience that helps them rethink their role as practitioners and strategize better their short/ long term goals in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution.

• U 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
• Instructor: Nikolas Katsimpras
  Info
• 1 points

Interpersonal Dynamics: Collaboration, F

SKILLS PRACTICUM

The Skills Practicum: Self as Instrument course develops students’ capacity to act as reflective practitioners of constructive conflict resolution. Building on theories presented in Introduction to Negotiation and Introduction to Mediation, the course provides students with many opportunities to develop self-awareness and to practice the skills of negotiation, mediation, and facilitation.

To intervene as skilled practitioners, conflict-resolution professionals need to understand both what they themselves bring to the table as well as the appropriate strategies and communicative skills for effective conflict management. Along with those skills, they require a deep understanding of how their own worldview shapes their biases and perspectives to form the lens that they use to view and respond to conflict.

Students bring their own unique experiences, insights and communicative strengths to the learning process. This course seeks to build on these contributions, providing (1) tools for deepening self-awareness as a means of advancing connection to others, (2) opportunities for strengthening their face-to-face communication skills as negotiators and as mediators, and (3) techniques for developing their skills as third-party facilitators.

• SUSU 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Robert Anderson
  h-index: 77 Info
• 3 points

CAPSTONE: Conflict Analysis Models

Conflict analysis is central to understanding the context and content of any conflict. It is also critical for the person doing the conflict analysis to have a good understanding of who they are as a conflict resolution practitioner, including the frames with which they view the conflict analysis. Our worldviews, assumptions, values, and beliefs shape how we frame and create meaning from conflicts that we choose to examine, and how we understand the dynamics of those conflicts. Therefore, to conduct an impartial analysis of any conflict, and add value for the stakeholders involved, self-awareness is crucial.

This course is the foundation for developing the necessary mindset for conflict analysis. We want you to be able to enter any situation and ask the question, “What is really going on here?” and to use that inquiry to uncover underlying needs, issues, and assumptions. In this course, in addition to increasing your self-awareness as a conflict resolution practitioner, you will explore and become familiar with diverse conflict analysis approaches and tools, beginning with creating a conflict map to identify the actors, dynamics, and structures that are creating, escalating, and perpetuating the conflict. You will work with a variety of conflict analysis tools to examine the stakeholder perspectives and will be asked to identify issues that surfaced as a result of this analysis. You will define goals for your inquiry that correspond to the conflict issues you have identified and coalesce thematically around a specific purpose of appropriate scope for your capstone study. You will utilize the Coordinated Management of Meaning and Case Study frameworks to engage in desk-based qualitative inquiry using secondary sources. You will put theory into practice by interpreting the secondary data through the lens of applicable theory. The data will be further analyzed using CMM models and conflict analysis tools as a means of surfacing several needs to be addressed in your intervention design (in the next capstone course).

This course is the first of three (3) required courses of the capstone sequence.
In 6050, students will complete conflict analysis for their capstone case study.
In 6250, students will design an intervention that addresses the needs identified in their earlier analysis. In 6350, students will consider sustainability, as well as monitoring and evaluation strategies for their proposed intervention.

• S 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Amy E Sereday
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• 3 points

CAPSTONE: RESOLUTION STRATEGIES

• T 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Peter Dixon
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• 3 points

CAPSTONE: NETWORKING & SUSTAINABILITY

CAPSTONE: NETWORKNG & SUS

• S 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Mark A Whitlock
  Info
• 3 points