SCE HomeColumbia UniversitySCE Home

New York City

Barcelona

Middle East

Introduction to Conflict Resolution: Getting What You Want! Learning How to Communicate and Negotiate with Peers, Siblings, and Authority Figures

Level: Open to students entering grades 11 or 12 or freshman year of college in fall 2013.

Session: II, July 16-August 2, 2013

Days & Time: Monday-Friday, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM and 2:00-4:00 PM

Instructor(s): Melinda Aquino and Yuliya Rimsky

Related Courses: Students interested in this course might also be interested in Leadership in Law or Constitutional Law.

"I felt that the instructors organized the course very well with an excellent balance of practical examples, theoretical information, and skill building. The class was highly interactive and this turned out to be especially valuable given the global diversity represented by the students."

- Justin Helmkamp, 2012

Course Description

Conflict is a part of life. Most people do not like conflict because they usually do not resolve their conflicts well and so they develop a distaste for it. There are also ways to constructively engage in conflict that lead to better quality outcomes and relationships. In this course, students learn basic concepts about conflict resolution so that they can develop a deeper and broader understanding of conflict dynamics. There are many types of conflicts and in this course the students focus on learning more about their interpersonal conflicts with others. They learn skills so they will be able to more constructively resolve their interpersonal conflicts toward win-win outcomes.

These goals are achieved by students developing more self-awareness as to the types of conflict styles they tend to use as their “default” approach. They become more aware of their “hot buttons” and the types of behaviors and situations that cause them to become embroiled in a conflict situation. In addition to learning more about their own habits, they apply these concepts and skills to better understand others around them. By developing more empathy and understanding of others, students are able to reduce the number, types, and intensity of their interpersonal conflicts.

The course is primarily experiential and interactive so students learn by doing and reinforce their learning through immediate application. There are role-plays, simulations, discussions, presentations, film analyses and other activities designed to enhance learning of the identified concepts and skills.

Instructor(s)

Melinda Aquino

Melinda Aquino serves as Associate Dean of Multicultural Affairs at Columbia University, where she has worked since 2005. With over a decade of experience in higher education, Aquino specializes in social justice and diversity education, intercultural conflict resolution and mediation, and group facilitation skill training. She received her B.A. in English from the University of Florida, an M.A. in English from the University of Miami, and an M.A. in cinema studies from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. She is now completing an M.S. in negotiation and conflict resolution at Columbia University. Her research interests include postcolonial and ethnic studies, application of restorative justice approaches in addressing bias incidents among college communities, and the role of communication technologies in conflict escalation and resolution.

Yuliya Rimsky

Yuliya Rimsky expects to complete her M.S. degree in negotiation and conflict resolution in February, 2012, at Columbia University. Her master’s thesis is focused around the role of youth organizations in Ukraine’s national unity building efforts. Rimsky’s post-baccalaureate studies include international human rights, international political economics, game theory and political thought, terrorism and counterterrorism, and current developments in Russia and Ukrainian diplomacy. She received her B.A. in political science and psychology from Baruch College and an M.A. in philology (as a teacher of English and German languages and literature) from Cherkasy National University, Ukraine.

Rimsky has served as a program development officer at the Search for Common Ground Indonesia in Jakarta and has worked as a consultant for the United Nations Population Fund Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office in New York. Her current interests include youth development and leadership programs--transformative programs supporting international, national, and community-based conflict management initiatives.
 

Specific course information, such as hours and instructors, are subject to change at the discretion of the University.