Undergraduate MEDIATORS

While restructuring the race relations bureaucracy this year, Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III did something innovative--he included students.

This month, the Race Czar will begin his search for students and faculty to be trained as conflict negotiators of the Harvard Mediation Service to ease racial tensions on campus.

The move to include students in resolving race-related conflicts may give the race relations bureaucracy a new and fresh approach to long-standing tensions that have at times divided the campus' many ethnic and cultural groups.

While student leaders of many of these groups are open to the idea of student mediators, some race relations tutors express doubts about the efficacy of students in peer mediation. The tutors also say that the burden of ironing out the College's differences should fall on the administration.

The mediation service is the third step in Epps' plan to restructure the race relations bureaucracy. This fall, after criticism that he increased the red tape since he took over as Race Czar in the summer of 1992, Epps combined two committees into the Faculty Race Relations Advisory Committee to the Harvard Foundation.

The mediation service replaces the Office of Race Relations, a casualty of the Epps overhaul in September.

The new program will act as a "safety net" to catch conflicts of race and related issues on the small scale before they erupt into unmanageable situations, Epps says. Informational meetings will take place in the upcoming weeks. Applications are available in University Hall, and are due February 16.

The pilot program will consist of 12 to 16 students, faculty and administrators who will spend two weekends learning methods to improve dialogue on race and other related areas, Epps says.

The coordinators of the service will hold two training sessions this semester, the first of which will be a smaller, pilot program. Another training session is planned for next September.

The service will focus on the issue of race, but Epps says he is confident that the training will also be important in dealing with other issues, such as gender.

"[The students involved] are going there to learn a skill that is applicable in a wide number of settings, not just race," he says.

Epps says he encourages house chairs and heads of cultural organizations to apply for the program to better relations within the housesand deal with any possible conflicts within, orbetween, the student groups.

Training To Be a Mediator

The mediation service was developed in responseto a diagnostic report on race at Harvard preparedby the Harvard Negotiations Project and twoprofessional consulting groups, ConflictManagement Group and Conflict Management Inc.,which specialize in improving race dialogue.

The service, an endeavor of the College,Conflict Management Inc., Conflict ManagementGroup and the Negotiations Project, will trainstudents, faculty and administrators how toimprove dialogue between disputing groups. Theaim, according to consultant Rosigliono ofConflict Management Group, is to resolve smallconflicts so they do not intensify into situationsin which administrators must intervene.

"The purpose is to create the conditions underwhich persons can act on their own," Rosiglionosaid.

Also, the members of the mediation service willtry to change the false views that some havetowards different genders and races thanthemselves to lessen the chance for conflicts toarise.

"We have partially invalid perceptions ofcertain groups," Rosigliono says. "[People of onerace] tend to see a problem in a certain way."

Rosigliono says the mediators will be trainedto teach conflicting groups to position themselvesin their opponent's shoes. By understanding theactions of the conflicting group, the studentorganizations can then create a dialogue that doesnot promote controversy and conflicts, he says.

Epps says the trained mediators will spread outand work with various campus organizations, housesand rooming groups that need conflict resolution.

The dean adds that the mediation service is ameans to improve race relations, but that he hasrealistic expectations about what the service canachieve.

"We know we can't settle issues just by solvingdisputes," Epps says.

The Students' Roles

"I think [the mediation service] is somethingworthwhile which will benefit the entirecommunity," says Alvin L. Bragg '95, president ofthe Black Students' Association (BSA). "Themediators will be doing a service for themselvesand their organizations."

Bragg says he or another member of hisorganization will "definitely apply."

Co-president of the Asian American AssociationJoan R. Cheng '95 also says she and other membersof her group are interested in mediation training."It is a novel way of approaching race relationsat Harvard," she says.

While most student leaders of cultural, ethnicand interest groups on campus say they areinterested in the program, race relations tutorsexpress a range of opinions and concerns aboutstudents mediating disputes between fellowstudents.

"I think it is an unfair burden for students tohave to handle," says Angela Gonzales, the racerelations tutor in Kirland House. "I think theresponsibility for handling these kinds of issuesshould rest with the officials of the University.It's almost as if we are shifting theresponsibility away from ourselves."

Gonzales says she applied to become a mediatorbut still has mixed feelings about the involvementof students in race disputes. For instance, in aconflict between two ethnic organizations, thestudents will probably not be able to see past therace of the student mediator, she says.

"In say a conflict between the AAA and the BSA,the members of the BSA might not want anAsian-American mediator," says Gonzales, who addsthat she does not believe mediation training willbenefit the students personally.

"In that kind of situation, the mediator needsto be agreed upon," says Lance Laird, North Houserace relations tutor.

Gonzales says, however, that the addition oftrained mediators would be helpful for conflictsin the upper-class houses. She also says she hopesthe race relations tutors will still be animportant part of dealing with issues of raceamong students.

"I'm not sure that putting all theresponsibility on student mediators is the bestthing," Laird says. "I think certainly that tutorsand older folks would have a little morecredibility."

But Epps and other tutors says that usingstudent-mediators isn't such a gamble.Undergraduates could breathe new life into the oldways of dealing with race relations, the deansays.

"Undergraduates can be extraordinary," saysEpps. "Adults often tend to be stuck in their oldways."

Epps is confident that students, includingfirst-years, can mediate conflicts. He says thatstudent mediators will even be able to intervenein areas such as police and community relations, apriority on Epps' list of target organizationsneeding mediators.

"I think it is absolutely kosher for studentsto mediate," he says. "People are coming into thiscollege who have extraordinary experiencealready."

Winthrop House race relations tutor Naomi Andresays she believes that the involvement of studentmediators from outside the house poses potentialdifficulties.

But she thinks peer counseling could be anextremely effective way of resolving some issuesin the houses.

"In the Confederate flagdebate that arose inthe past in Kirland House in which a student hungthe flag outside her window, it would have beenhelpful to have people trained in resolution,"Andre says.

Three years ago, Brigitte M. Kerrigan '91 hunga Confederate flag out of her Kirkland House room.The flag sparked campus debate as well as strongcriticism from the BSA, which asserted that theflag represented slavery.

What it Takes

The criteria for selection includes commitment,communications skills, exhibited maturity andprior experience in dealing with conflicts of raceand related issues, Epps says.

Students interested in becoming a mediator mustfill out an application consisting of fourquestions and an essay, which "measures yourability to be articulate about [the race] issue,"Epps says.

"We want people who have had some experience inthe past or who have knowledge on the race issue,"Rosigliono says.

Epps says he plans to select a few students tobe a part of the selection board, made up ofmembers of the Negotiations Project, ConflictManagement Group, and Conflict Management Inc."We've had a fair amount of interest from people,"Epps says about the application process. "I evenknow Deans of Students at other schools that wouldlike to take the training."

He says the training is available to the wholeuniversity but will focus on the College.

Epps says that he plans to interview studentsto make the final cuts for the program.

Despite the limit of the number of students whocan participate in the program, Epps says heencourages all students to apply, includingseniors.

"Increasingly, this society is turning tomediation for disputes," Epps said. "If [students]are trained as mediators they will be able tosettle disputes in jobs they take after Harvard.

Training To Be a Mediator

The mediation service was developed in responseto a diagnostic report on race at Harvard preparedby the Harvard Negotiations Project and twoprofessional consulting groups, ConflictManagement Group and Conflict Management Inc.,which specialize in improving race dialogue.

The service, an endeavor of the College,Conflict Management Inc., Conflict ManagementGroup and the Negotiations Project, will trainstudents, faculty and administrators how toimprove dialogue between disputing groups. Theaim, according to consultant Rosigliono ofConflict Management Group, is to resolve smallconflicts so they do not intensify into situationsin which administrators must intervene.

"The purpose is to create the conditions underwhich persons can act on their own," Rosiglionosaid.

Also, the members of the mediation service willtry to change the false views that some havetowards different genders and races thanthemselves to lessen the chance for conflicts toarise.

"We have partially invalid perceptions ofcertain groups," Rosigliono says. "[People of onerace] tend to see a problem in a certain way."

Rosigliono says the mediators will be trainedto teach conflicting groups to position themselvesin their opponent's shoes. By understanding theactions of the conflicting group, the studentorganizations can then create a dialogue that doesnot promote controversy and conflicts, he says.

Epps says the trained mediators will spread outand work with various campus organizations, housesand rooming groups that need conflict resolution.

The dean adds that the mediation service is ameans to improve race relations, but that he hasrealistic expectations about what the service canachieve.

"We know we can't settle issues just by solvingdisputes," Epps says.

The Students' Roles

"I think [the mediation service] is somethingworthwhile which will benefit the entirecommunity," says Alvin L. Bragg '95, president ofthe Black Students' Association (BSA). "Themediators will be doing a service for themselvesand their organizations."

Bragg says he or another member of hisorganization will "definitely apply."

Co-president of the Asian American AssociationJoan R. Cheng '95 also says she and other membersof her group are interested in mediation training."It is a novel way of approaching race relationsat Harvard," she says.

While most student leaders of cultural, ethnicand interest groups on campus say they areinterested in the program, race relations tutorsexpress a range of opinions and concerns aboutstudents mediating disputes between fellowstudents.

"I think it is an unfair burden for students tohave to handle," says Angela Gonzales, the racerelations tutor in Kirland House. "I think theresponsibility for handling these kinds of issuesshould rest with the officials of the University.It's almost as if we are shifting theresponsibility away from ourselves."

Gonzales says she applied to become a mediatorbut still has mixed feelings about the involvementof students in race disputes. For instance, in aconflict between two ethnic organizations, thestudents will probably not be able to see past therace of the student mediator, she says.

"In say a conflict between the AAA and the BSA,the members of the BSA might not want anAsian-American mediator," says Gonzales, who addsthat she does not believe mediation training willbenefit the students personally.

"In that kind of situation, the mediator needsto be agreed upon," says Lance Laird, North Houserace relations tutor.

Gonzales says, however, that the addition oftrained mediators would be helpful for conflictsin the upper-class houses. She also says she hopesthe race relations tutors will still be animportant part of dealing with issues of raceamong students.

"I'm not sure that putting all theresponsibility on student mediators is the bestthing," Laird says. "I think certainly that tutorsand older folks would have a little morecredibility."

But Epps and other tutors says that usingstudent-mediators isn't such a gamble.Undergraduates could breathe new life into the oldways of dealing with race relations, the deansays.

"Undergraduates can be extraordinary," saysEpps. "Adults often tend to be stuck in their oldways."

Epps is confident that students, includingfirst-years, can mediate conflicts. He says thatstudent mediators will even be able to intervenein areas such as police and community relations, apriority on Epps' list of target organizationsneeding mediators.

"I think it is absolutely kosher for studentsto mediate," he says. "People are coming into thiscollege who have extraordinary experiencealready."

Winthrop House race relations tutor Naomi Andresays she believes that the involvement of studentmediators from outside the house poses potentialdifficulties.

But she thinks peer counseling could be anextremely effective way of resolving some issuesin the houses.

"In the Confederate flagdebate that arose inthe past in Kirland House in which a student hungthe flag outside her window, it would have beenhelpful to have people trained in resolution,"Andre says.

Three years ago, Brigitte M. Kerrigan '91 hunga Confederate flag out of her Kirkland House room.The flag sparked campus debate as well as strongcriticism from the BSA, which asserted that theflag represented slavery.

What it Takes

The criteria for selection includes commitment,communications skills, exhibited maturity andprior experience in dealing with conflicts of raceand related issues, Epps says.

Students interested in becoming a mediator mustfill out an application consisting of fourquestions and an essay, which "measures yourability to be articulate about [the race] issue,"Epps says.

"We want people who have had some experience inthe past or who have knowledge on the race issue,"Rosigliono says.

Epps says he plans to select a few students tobe a part of the selection board, made up ofmembers of the Negotiations Project, ConflictManagement Group, and Conflict Management Inc."We've had a fair amount of interest from people,"Epps says about the application process. "I evenknow Deans of Students at other schools that wouldlike to take the training."

He says the training is available to the wholeuniversity but will focus on the College.

Epps says that he plans to interview studentsto make the final cuts for the program.

Despite the limit of the number of students whocan participate in the program, Epps says heencourages all students to apply, includingseniors.

"Increasingly, this society is turning tomediation for disputes," Epps said. "If [students]are trained as mediators they will be able tosettle disputes in jobs they take after Harvard.