Faculty are pulled in multiple directions at the same time, fulfilling a wide variety of roles across and beyond the traditional division of research, teaching, and service. Demanding in any circumstance, this role requires special attention and specialized skills amidst the political and societal tensions of our present moment. This workshop will introduce and explain the role of the University Ombuds Office as a supportive resource for navigating conflict and other challenging situations on campus. We will then consider how faculty can develop and apply concrete facilitative skills in classrooms, meetings, and other spaces where relationships are built, ideas are discussed, and decisions made.

Learning Objectives:
1. Explain how the University Ombuds Office can act as a resource for all community members in challenging situations
2. Define conflict and analyze its characteristics
3. Identify and explain four potential outcomes of conflict and potential responses on the conflict management continuum
4. Apply facilitative skills to important conversations across a variety of faculty contexts