Lucy Katz, JD, former professor of business law and former holder of The Robert C. Wright Professorship in Business Law, Ethics, and Dispute Resolution, left an indelible imprint on the Fairfield University community. Her creation, along with Dr. Thomas Pelligrino, of the student peer mediation program provides mediation training and certification for students who go on to serve their peers and the University. Over the years, students have been trained and served in this important and unique role.

Take the professional training offered by the Lucy Katz Dialogue & Resolution Program and enhance your knowledge and skills in conflict resolution.

What is Mediation?

Mediation is a voluntary process in which trained unbiased mediators help others resolve conflicts. Mediators facilitate communication and help explore new ideas. Mediation is informal and confidential. The parties to the conflict make key decisions and all final decisions about the outcome. With their mediator's guidance, they create their own solutions. At any point, the parties can refuse to participate or refuse a particular solution.

10 Reasons to Use Mediation

  1. Completely Voluntary: Mediation is completely voluntary. You create your own solutions to your conflicts.
  2. Fair and Multi-partial: Mediation is fair and multi-partial.
  3. Neutrality: The mediators remain unbiased and are trained to help resolve disputes.
  4. Guidance: The mediators do not impose decisions but rather help parties find their own solutions.
  5. Confidentiality: Mediation is confidential.
  6. Relationship Enrichment: Mediation improves relationships.
  7. Communication Improvement: Mediation improves communication.
  8. Conflict Resolution: Mediation can identify and eliminate the sources of conflict.
  9. Cost Efficient & Beneficial: Mediation saves time and money.
  10. Camaraderie: Mediation promotes justice and community.

Schedule Meditation

At the mediation, two peer mediators and a coordinator will be present for the mediation process. The mediation is private unless situations threaten your life or someone else's or describe child abuse or neglect. These situations will be reported.

The role of a Mediator is to listen and facilitate the conversation between the parties and not to take sides, judge or tell you what to do.

  • Speak to mediators not directly to each other.
  • Write down thoughts instead of interrupting.
  • We hope to reach an agreement, however, please note that agreements cannot violate the law or student code of conduct.

At the mediation, all parties will meet together for introductions and guidelines. Each party will meet with the mediators privately to share their story and then the mediators will privately transmit your story to the other party. This may occur a few times until all parties feel their story has been told and transmitted.

Mediators will also work to reach agreement in private sessions. All parties will reconnect at the end to review the agreement.

  1. Complete the "Request Mediation Services" form
  2. The program will contact you via e-mail to review your form
  3. Schedule your mediation facilitated by two mediators

For further questions, contact Pejay Lucky, Director at (203) 254-4101 ext. 4215 or e-mail plucky@fairfield.edu

Become a Peer Mediator

With training in mediation skills, Peer Mediators commit to assisting in dispute resolution using the mediation process. All students are invited to Apply to Become a Peer Mediator. All students are invited to apply for Peer Mediation Training (without the commitment to become a Peer Mediator). Training experience includes:

  • Basic principles of collaborative dispute resolution
  • Extensive role-play and practice activities
  • Helpful hints for conducting mediation

  • Gain lifelong skills
  • Gain a valuable job credential
  • Help create an atmosphere of justice and fairness in student life

Mediation training benefits your personal and professional development including obtaining skills for problem-solving, listening to understand people's needs, and reducing conflict in your life and work.

  • Receive 40 hours of University-verified mediation training
  • Develop personal problem-solving, listening, and relationship skills
  • Develop mediation and negotiation skills applicable to career opportunities
  • Develop skills needed in local, national, and international settings at all levels

  • Participate in 40 hours of training
  • Attend monthly Peer Mediation meetings
  • Participates in the Stag Explorer Program (see application for further details)
  • Serve on-call as mediators
  • Participate in Peer Mediation Club activities
  • Promote mediation and recruit new mediators
  • Present workshops or class presentations on mediation for University audiences

Workshops

We are pleased to offer these opportunities for teams, clubs, or organizations! These serve to provide team bonding, growth, and professional development. Please email kuzcategui@fairfield.edu if you are interested in having any of the following workshops for your respective organization(s).

The Lucy Katz Dialogue & Resolution Program provides trained professional and student Social Justice Mediators to facilitate these workshops.

Team Dynamics Workshop

This workshop focuses on team engagement, developing strong relationships with others, and creating action steps for a healthy team dynamic.

Dealing With Tension

In this workshop, groups will focus on techniques to work through tension, e.g. active listening, story gathering, meaning-making, etc. In addition, participants will be introduced to a range of interventions and prevention strategies to promote a healthy dynamic when dealing with tension in your group.

Social Justice 101 – Power Dynamics and Structural Discrimination

This workshop focuses on a group developing a consciousness of inclusion by identifying and rectifying structural discrimination within their community.

Social Justice 201 - Examining and Managing Your Privileges

This workshop focuses on examining an individual’s privileges or lack thereof in society. Participants will explore the intersection of their multiple social identities (Race, Class, Gender, Sexuality, Spirituality, etc.). By gaining this consciousness, individuals will be able to explore ways to become allies to those groups who do not have the same privileges.

Lucy Katz Fellowship

The Lucy Katz Fellowship plays a pivotal role in cultivating healthy and authentic relationships across campus, especially when tension exists within a community, team, or between partners, roommates, etc.

Lucy Katz Fellows work to develop students’ consciousness around social justice. They are responsible for cultivating a community that allows for diverse students at Fairfield University to come together and engage in dialogue on difficult topics, such as racism, sexism, transgender oppression, heterosexism, etc.

Training and Development of Lucy Katz Fellows

Lucy Katz Fellows meet every week in an attempt to accomplish the following learning goals:

  • Learn more about their own and others’ cultures, histories, and experiences.
  • Explore commonalities and differences within and across racial/ethnic boundaries.
  • Address the impact of individual, group, and institutional racism on race/ethnic relations in a US context.
  • Identify, plan, and take actions that contribute toward the creation of inclusive and just communities.
  • Effectively communicate knowledge and awareness and use skills gained during bi-weekly intergroup dialogue series.
  • Learn intergroup dialogue skills to be an effective facilitator.

Additionally, some Lucy Katz Fellows are trained as social justice mediators.

Contact Us.

Karl Uzcategui
Karl Uzcategui
Associate Director, Student Diversity & Multicultural Affairs