Volume 2, Number 3, May 2002

Recently Found in the Periodicals

Achinstein, Betty. (2002). Conflict Amid Community: The Micropolitics of Teacher Collaboration. Teachers College Record 104(3): 421-455

Baker, Tracey. (2001). Identifying and Negotiating Conflict in the Classroom: Reflections of Freshman Composition Students. Teaching English in the Two-Year College 29(2): 179-192

A study examined the issue of conflict in the writing classroom. First-year composition students' responses to two different self-reflective questionnaires were analyzed. It was found that the most immediate conflict for students involved grades. Conflict in this area arose when the students set themselves up for failure or when the students thought that effort was enough. Conflict also arose when the students came to writing classes with a built-in set of notions about writing that were invalid, when the students misunderstood the instructor's comments, when the students set themselves inappropriate or unrealistic goals, when the students did not want to revise, and when the students emphasized grammar, mechanics, and creativity over content, development, and analysis. An account of how one writing instructor used the comments contained in the students' questionnaires to improve her own composition course is provided.

Chandler, D.J. (2001). Words against Weapons. The Times Higher Education Supplement (1509): 24

The writer argues that it has become much harder to teach peace and tolerance in the U.S. since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the subsequent war on terrorism.. Indeed, teaching has become more complicated and uncomfortable and has even become alienating at times for those who believe that peacemaking, conflict resolution, and tolerance should be part of the daily discourse in every classroom. The writer reflects on his own experiences as an education professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Davidson, Martin N. (2002). Race Matters -- In the Workplace: UVA Study Taps into Emerging Research Field. Black Issues in Higher Education 01/17/2002 edition.

A new study is shedding light on the ways in which Blacks and Whites manage conflict in the workplace. The bottom line, according to the author of the study, Dr. Martin N. Davidson, is that "race matters."

Glotzback, Philip A. (2001). Conditions of Collaboration: A Dean's List of Dos and Don'ts. Academe 87(3): 16-21.

This article presents relational and structural conditions necessary to successful collaboration between college faculty and administrators. Relational conditions include 'refuse to play zero-sum games' and 'the most important power in a college is the power to persuade'. Structural conditions include 'clarify the roles of players' and 'prefer a matrix management model of decision making whenever possible'.

Hora, Mary. (2001). The Courts and Academia: Tenure Discrimination Claims against Colleges and Universities. Journal of Law & Education 30(2): 349-356.

In recent years, an increasing number of professors have sued universities and colleges on the grounds that they were denied tenure because of their gender or race. The number of tenure discrimination claims against universities more than tripled between 1992 and 1997. Universities still typically win appeals in tenure discrimination cases. This article examines tenure discrimination issues and describes the two major obstacles to successful tenure discrimination claims: the special deference the courts have shown towards academic decision-making, and the complex character of the tenure review process itself. The author argues that although the courts should not abandon their deferential attitude, they should begin to recognize the unique difficulties faced by plaintiffs in tenure cases and they should adopt a more flexible approach in assessing the evidence of discrimination on the basis of race or gender.

Kilfoyle, Robert K. (2002). Training - Northern Composure. Security Management 46(3): 50

Teaching conflict resolution skills to staff has markedly decreased aggressive behavior at the University College of the Fraser Valley.

Levy, Tracey I. (2001). Legal Obligations and Workplace Implications for Institutions of Higher Education Accommodating Learning Disabled Students. Journal of Law & Education 30(1): 85-121.

Lincoln, Melinda G. (2001). Conflict Resolution Communications. Community College Journal 72(3): 37-39.

Community college can set a trend by offering a conflict resolution communication program. They can teach the interpersonal communication skills, mediation processes, and coping strategies needed for peaceful resolution through the program and can meet the needs of society by awarding certificates or associate degrees in conflict resolution communication. They can implement the program in order to promote diversity and equality and to combat school violence, reduce altercations in the community, and provide effective coping skills and productive choices to decrease individuals' anger and frustration levels.

Magney, John. (Winter 2001-2002). When Push Comes to Shove: Strikes in Higher Education. Thought & Action: The NEA Higher Education Journal: 55-72.

This article addresses how faculty unions should deal with strikes. To get a better sense of how academic unions handle a strike situation, the author examines six unions, including Wayne State University, Eastern Michigan University, Ferris State University, Gogebic Community College, Illinois-Elgin Community College and Kaskaskia Community Colege. Each of these colleges/universities has gone through strikes between 1996 and 2000.

Moraka, Raletsatsi Ezekiel. (2001). Management of Change and Conflict Resolution Within Student Affairs at Historically White Universities. Dissertation for the University of Pretoria.

Pettitt, John M. (2002). Understanding Conflict and Climate in a Community College. Community College Journal of Research and Practice 26(2):105-120.

A study explored the use of different kinds of conflict communication behaviors by different job groups in a community college and investigated whether those behaviors were related to institutional climate. Community college employees completed a Personal Assessment of the College Environment survey. Results indicated that satisfaction with leadership of organizational structure was associated with the use of nonconfrontational behaviors, although the nature of the relationship varies depending on the tenure of the employee. The findings also revealed a less frequent use of control behaviors among employees of all types who showed more satisfaction with organizational structure. Moreover, participants who indicated greater satisfaction with work design also reported more frequent use of solution oriented behaviors. The assumptions and findings of the study suggest the importance of understanding how climate may be related to the use of conflict communication behaviors of individuals and how this understanding might be used in giving leadership to organizations.

Rashid, Judy Wellington. (2001). Leadership Development: Conflict Management for College Student Leaders. Dissertation for North Carolina State University.

The purpose of this study was to determine if statistically significant differences exist on the pre and posttest conflict management survey style scores between the control group, who did not receive treatment in conflict management, and the experimental group who did receive the treatment. The participants were college student organizational presidents at North Carolina A&T State University.

Findings suggest that conflict management style might be improved through conflict management skills intervention. In an effort to aid in student retention, campus community building, reduction in campus violence and expulsion, further investigation of the use of conflict management intervention with various groups on the campus is suggested.

Roberts, Gary R. (2001). Resolution of Disputes in Intercollegiate Athletics. Valparaiso University Law Review 35(2): 33-38.

Schreier, Lori S. (2001). Assessing the Use and Impact of Emotional Intelligence in Mediation and Mediation Training. Dissertation for Duquesne University

Simmons, Jeff. (1999). A Campus Climate Plan Relaxes Racial Tension. San Jose State. The Education Digest 65(4): 33-38.

A new friendly atmosphere has been created on the campus of San Jose State University thanks to its Campus Climate Plan. After some disturbing racist incidents in 1995, the university's president made moves to reform the campus and make it a friendly, effective and nurturing environment for students of all ethnic backgrounds. A committee was formed, as was a program. Although the program, which was implemented in 1997, is still in its infancy, administrators and students agree that there have already been tangible results. There has been no more racial conflict on the campus, students communicate more openly and more people of color now hold management positions.

Tolerance.Org. (11/5/2001). Hate in the News: Jim Crow on Frat Row. Tolerance.Org: A Web Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Auburn University received much national attention when photos of white fraternity members dressed in Klu Klux Klan costumes were put on the internet. Photos, some of which simulated a lynching, were taken at Halloween parties on October 25 and 27, 2001. This article has a link to the photos, addresses the consequences of the fraternity members' actions and explains what actions were taken by Auburn University. Tolerance.Org followed-up on the story five months later; the article has a link to the follow-up reports.

Jim Crow on Frat Row can be found at http://www.tolerance.org/news/article_hate.jsp?
id=319.

Weaver-Meyers, Pat. (2002). Conflict Resolution: A Case Study about Academic Librarians and Faculty Status. College and Research Libraries 63(1): 25.

The University of Oklahoma librarians underwent a dramatic challenge to their faculty status in the 1990s. This article chronicles that challenge and documents the events that led to the retention of faculty status by the librarians. The event is analyzed in the context of conflict resolution research. Conclusions suggest that a strong sense of service may help to unify academic librarians in future conflicts about their ambiguous status within the broader academic community. Third-party intervention and alternative options are also strategies discussed.

Williams, Marcellette G. (4/26/2002). Why a Union for RA's Makes No Sense. The Chronicle of Higher Education: B24.

Undergraduate students who work as resident assistants at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst recently voted to become the first union of residence hall RA's. This article explores the nature of the student workforce, positive and negative consequences of the recent vote to unionize at Amherst and various disputes that led up to and followed the decision.

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