The Peer Mediators Process

The process to request a mediation should be simple and seamless.

The Process

Report a Conflict

Use this form to report your conflict to the Peer Mediation team. Because we will need to get in contact with you, please note that the form is not anonymous. 

Initial Response

After you submit your report, expect a response from the peer mediation program co-managers within three business days. Both are full-time staff members. If further information is needed, we may ask additional questions via email or request to meet with you. Once we feel that we have the necessary information, we will connect you and the other parties with a designated team of peer mediators within 1-2 business days. These peer mediators will have access to the information you submitted on your form and any additional information gathered by the staff co-managers. 

Preliminary Meetings with Peer Mediator Team

The peer mediator team will conduct an individual, preliminary meeting with you via zoom or in-person to introduce themselves and ask a few additional questions. They will do the same with each party who participates in the mediation. These preliminary conversations will help the peer mediator design your facilitated conversation.

Mediation Sessions

With your peer mediator team, you will decide upon a time and location for the mediation session. Most mediation sessions will take between 1-2 hours. We recognize that conflict is difficult and some disagreements may take additional sessions to resolve

• During the mediation session, the peer mediator team will facilitate a conversation that will hopefully help you and the other parties better understand each other’s experiences and concerns; however, please note that while the peer mediator team will guide the conversation, this practice can only work if all parties are willing to actively engage and openly share in the conversation. 

Follow-Up

The peer mediator team will attempt to end the mediation session by identifying possible next steps as needed. Each case is unique. For some, next steps may include planning another mediation session. Others may feel the dispute is resolved when they have had the chance to discuss their feelings and, thus, no further steps are necessary. Alternatively, parties may want to create a formal agreement to document a resolution or next steps. In these cases, please note that the Peer Mediation program does not enforce any agreements/resolutions, and, instead, students are responsible for upholding their resolutions. 

Note: While each case is different, from start to finish the mediation process may take a few weeks. This is for a few reasons. First, while peer mediators are employees, they are also students. Because of this, our mediators may have less availability at certain times of year. In addition, as mentioned above, some conflicts will require more than one mediation session which extends the timeline. In cases where resolution is urgent, the peer mediation coordinators can help identify additional resources for support.