Mediation Services within ECRT is available to all university faculty and staff to help solve work-related problems such as communication issues.
Mediation is a voluntary process where people work together with the help of a trained mediator to resolve a misunderstanding or conflict. The mediator assists participants in exploring potential agreements that address the situation from the perspective of all participants. Mediators are a neutral third party and do not take sides or make decisions.
What to Expect During Mediation
The mediation will either take place at the ECRT office suite in a comfortable private space, or another mutually agreed upon private area on university property. They will typically be scheduled for two hours.
The mediator will:
- Set ground rules to ensure a respectful process
- Act as a neutral party and assist both participants in expressing their points of view, interests, and goals of the mediation
- Encourage the participants to explore solutions to the identified issues with the goal of determining a path forward towards a potential agreement
Request a Consultation
If you are interested in mediation, contact Mediation Services for an initial consultation through our form or call us at 734-763-0235.
The consultation provides space to address questions and answers about the mediation process before a potential participant determines whether to engage. An intake person will gather basic information on why the person is seeking mediation and share information about the process.
If Mediation Services agrees that the issue is appropriate for mediation, the mediation program will reach out to the other participant and invite them to meet for an individual consultation to explore whether they are interested in pursuing mediation. If both participants agree, a mediator will schedule a time for the mediation process. Some issues, such as allegations of sexual misconduct, are not appropriately addressed through mediation.
Is Mediation Confidential?
Mediation Services at the University of Michigan are private. Participants are expected to keep the mediation conversation private unless they all agree otherwise. The mediator will also keep all information discussed in mediation private unless otherwise agreed upon by the participant.
Will My Supervisor(s) Be Informed of My Participation?
Supervisor(s) will generally not be notified about an employee participating in mediation. A case in which a supervisor might be notified include:
- If all participants agree to a supervisor being notified.
- If the matter resulted from or includes a disclosure related to a report of issues that must be reported to ECRT, such as sexual and gender-based misconduct, instances of discrimination or discriminatory harassment based on a legally protected category.