Mediation for students - informal conflict resolution

Mediation is a FREE and CONFIDENTIAL service and offers you an opportunity to try to resolve any conflict between parties who may work, study or live together. It could be student/student or student/staff but as this is a voluntary process, both parties must agree to take part.

Mediation allows you to have difficult conversations within a safe environment where a trained impartial mediator will facilitate the discussion to help both parties to listen to each other and will support them as they identify areas of commonality and difference.

A mediator will not solve the problem for the parties but will help you to analyse the problem and decide what you want to achieve.

Always try to resolve things yourself first in a calm, non-confrontational way. You could seek advice from the Student Union Advice Centre.

Mediation could help if:

• You have tried to resolve things yourself but it hasn't worked
• You feel you cannot confront the other party on your own?
• You want to avoid taking out a formal complaint?
• You need to feel listened to and understood?
• You are keen to try and find some sort of resolution that both parties can live with?
• You are keen to keep things private and off the record

Examples of situations where mediation is appropriate:

• A complaint or working relationship problem related to the University/lecturer/supervisor/tutor (but not academic judgement ie an exam result)
• Conflict with another student on placement or studying together
• You feel bullied, intimidated or disciminated against
• Conflict has arisen which you have tried to resolve but now feel that you do not have the ability to work things out on your own
• Where there is conflict and both parties wish to avoid formal proceedings

Facts about mediation that you need to know:

• It does not form any part of the University's formal procedures, but by agreeing to mediation this does not stop you pursuing things formally later if you feel the need.
• No record of this process will be kept on your student file or anywhere else and no details of the mediation will be passed to anyone else.
• Nobody but you and the other party in the conflict needs to know about mediation.
• The Mediation Service can approach the other party for you and talk to them about the request for mediation but we can't make them do it.

How to approach the mediation service

If you feel ready to self-refer to mediation and have already tried to resolve things yourself please downlaod the self-referral form below. However, if you would prefer to have an informal chat before moving things forward, please contact the Mediation Services Manager. 

Kate Grant, Mediation Services Manager, telephone 02380 597098 (Internal Ext 27098)

or email: mediation@soton.ac.uk