Toward a Student-Faculty Conflict Management Plan for Schools of Social Work

SW 706 Ray Woodcock April 15, 2010

The General Problem in Higher Education

Conflict is everywhere, but is concealed Example: instructors tell each other stories about their students, but dont tell students that they are talking about them Example: students learn to let instructors tell them whats important or interesting Example: students deceive instructors as to their interest, as to the amount of work they have done, etc.

Sample Quote
From Wines & Lau (2006-2007, p. 178):
Faculty emphasized fairness in grading and pedagogical concerns whereas students emphasized such items as smiles and displays a friendly demeanor, treats students as equals, greets students encountered outside of class, and adjusts course material to fit student interests.

Misfit Between the University Model and the Social Work Profession
The university model of concealed conflict is dysfunctional poor communication, patronizing and dismissive attitudes, indifference to needs of the other side University functions by suppressing inconvenient opinions you can get thrown out if you speak up GSU, LEO Imagine if relations in university were like those in a personal, therapeutic, or litigious relationship: things glossed over in the university would fill volumes elsewhere

The Specific Problem for MSW Students

Homogeneous SSWs prepare MSWs poorly for this conflicted world Clients lives are full of conflicts MSW students face discouragement and burnout when they discover that the world would rather fight than change Out there, there are fundamentalists, Nazis, white people, men MSWs are not trained to prepare themselves for the reasonableness of opposing views

Objectives of an SSWs Conflict Management Plan

Switch from an authoritarian model of education to a collegial model more suited to adult learners Make the SSW an agent of change that models change rather than resisting it Maximize conflict-related learning experiences to prepare MSWs for real-world experiences Graduates should be so familiar with conflict that they welcome it as a sign that parties are really engaged

Guiding Principles for an SSWs Conflict Management Plan

1. Destigmatize conflict: conflict is normal 2. Democratize conflict: the poor persons conflict is not inferior to the rich persons 3. Selflessness in conflict: everyone thinks they are right. Your view is not privileged 4. Preserve relationships: Fight fair. Dont burn bridges 5. Responsibility: when you can make a difference in a conflict, do so 6. Transparency: we have nothing to hide

Barriers to Implementation of a Conflict Management Plan in an SSW

Power is fun: professors are not going to give up the authoritarian role Conflict training could raise issues of liability, accreditation, LEO union, alumni Faculty who like to blast away at the bad guys may not like it if someone shoots back Students who just want to take the courses and get the degree may not enjoy the hard work of learning to deal with conflict

An Interim Plan for MSW Training in Conflict Management

Focus on subunits: student groups, classes, other people and entities interested in learning about conflict experience Example: conflict management course featuring debates about complex cases (e.g., actor, playing role of mentally ill social worker, who actually argues with MSW students) Example: student group advocating on behalf of unpopular causes

Assessment
Effective conflict management training among MSW students: skills in the 6 principles, as measured by pre-post or control group study Progress toward a conflict management orientation in faculty: enthusiasm for more, on the part of the original instructor; interest in learning more about it, on the part of other faculty