Mediation at MIT is a completely voluntary and confidential process that helps two or more people in conflict clarify their issues and goals, communicate about the situation, and try to reach a constructive resolution.

Mediators are peers--members of the MIT community trained as neutral facilitators to help the parties in a conflict to work together on the issues that are important to them.

Mediators do not make decisions about who is right or wrong or how things should be resolved--all decisions are made by the parties.


Mediation in the MIT Chemistry Department - Faculty Mediators

It is the sincere goal of the MIT Chemistry Department to maintain an environment in which a spirit of collegiality and mutual respect prevails, for such an environment fosters optimum productivity and satisfaction among its members. To provide graduate students, postdoctorals, and staff with a well-defined mechanism for conflict mediation, the Chemistry Department has appointed two members of the faculty as "Department Mediators". The Department Mediators provide a resource for the chemistry community to assist with a wide range of problems that may arise in the course of their appointment to the department. One key role of the mediators is to offer advice to students, postdoctoral personnel, and staff who find themselves in conflict with other members of the department, including their faculty supervisors. Such conflicts with co-workers could include harassment, concerns over safety, and disagreements over authorship and over what constitutes an acceptable unit of work for publication or for the award of a degree. Although the mediators will help individuals deal with most problems locally, they are also well informed on the many services that MIT offers to members of the community who find themselves in distress. The mediators can maintain confidentially in most matters, but in cases where they cannot, they can refer individuals to resources where confidentiality can be guaranteed.


Chemistry Resources for Easing Friction and Stress (ChemREFS)

We are a group of chemistry graduate students trained and certified by the state of Massachusetts as mediators. We are a resource for chemistry graduate students, undergraduate students, and faculty/staff as an aid in conflict discussion and resolution. All interaction with the Chemistry REFS program is confidential and voluntary on the part of those requesting help. Mediators are not judges--we do not decide who or what is right. We are facilitators. We have completed mediation training through MEDIATION@MIT in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws, c. 233, sec. 23C. We will attempt to provide direction and alternatives to dealing with problems and obstacles the members of the chemistry department may face.