March 17, 1998
						Contact: Raj Doshi
							(804) 243-1502
or rrd8q@virginia.edu

				FEATURE TIP SHEET

Note to reporters:  Student mediation is becoming increasingly popular
in high schools and colleges. At James Madison University, for example,
the student-run service, called Madison Mediators, was established in
1987 and has grown from handling roommate and landlord conflicts to
mediating occasional conflicts between students and faculty or staff.
The student leader of JMU's mediation service is Dan Taggart, who can be
reached at (540) 434-0059.

	STUDENTS GAIN SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY, EMPOWERMENT
	BY SETTLING CONFLICTS THROUGH MEDIATION SERVICE

	The two undergraduates came into the room and sat, arms folded
across their chests, facing two student mediators.  Roommates, the young
men who walked in had been engaging in ever escalating fights about
noise and study habits.  Sullenly, with faces reflecting resentment over
the other's habits, they began their session with the University of
Virginia's student-led mediation service.
	Two hours later, after drafting a written agreement pinpointing
hours to be spent on stereo playing and studying, the two were smiling
broadly and shaking hands.  Through University Mediation Services, they
had learned a valuable life-lesson: how to communicate about differences
and reach a solution acceptable to both parties.
	"Mediation is like a pressure valve.  It can relieve tensions
before parties explode in anger," said Raj Doshi, student coordinator of
the service, now in its second year of operation.  
	Mediation allows students to talk through their conflicts in a
non-judgmental setting. At U.Va. student mediators complete 20 hours of
training and lead those involved in disputes through a five-part
process.  After introductions, each person tells his side of the story.
Together, the 
opposing parties decide on which issues need to be resolved.  Then, with
prompting from a mediator, they engage in problem-solving, brainstorming
about how to solve the conflict.  Finally, the two create a written
agreement that details obligations and responsibilities of each party.
After a case is settled, the mediators conduct follow-up to determine
that the conflict has been successfully resolved.
	To date, about 25 cases have been handled by University
Mediation Services, according to Doshi. Most cases involve roommate
disputes in which the students have become increasingly angry and
defensive, unwilling to talk to each other.  Other cases that have come
to mediation involve landlord/tenant complaints and conflicts between
and in student organizations.
	Students, who voluntarily bring their disputes to the mediation
service, determine their own consequences, Doshi noted.  "Once people go
through mediation, they realize it is empowering.  They learn how to
listen, how to communicate and how to resolve an issue on their own
terms.  


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	"Students worry that they will lose power if they go through
mediation, but once they complete it, they realize they have gained
responsibility," he said. For Doshi, a third-year student majoring in
economics and mathematics, mediation has taught him valuable lessons.
"It's had a profound impact on how I interact with others.  I can see
the importance of being open and honest and being an active listener." 

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