Community Building and Conflict Resolution (CBCR) is a free resource that provides support to staff, faculty and students with academic or Ohio State workplace concerns who are seeking to address conflicts and challenges through mediation or restorative options. Participants work collaboratively with certified facilitators to identify a path towards resolution. We also provide consultations and can help you identify the appropriate university resources to address your concerns.
The Office of Student Life can assist with personal conflicts between students.
To set up a consultation, contact Dr. Sara Childers, assistant vice provost for community building and conflict resolution, at childers.23@osu.edu.
Services Provided
Community Building
One of the best ways to prevent unproductive conflict is to build skills, relationships and trust. CBCR offers team and community building, providing the following services that can be used for professional development, team activities or retreats:
- Community Building Circles – Developed to create deeper connections amongst the team.
- Strategic Community Planning – Use the Art of Hosting process to create customized strategic community conversations about topics such as goals/mission/vision, community agreements, assessing community priorities and imagining the future.
- Training – Our workshops can be used to build skills in preventing conflict or promoting resolution when conflicts arise.
Conflict Resolution
CBCR uses mediation and restorative processes to address conflict, with a focus on problem-solving, restoring relationships, accountability and social support to all parties involved. Our work is based on professional practice and academic scholarship. Restorative services can now be found working in tandem with criminal justice systems, K-12 education and higher education.
Why people seek conflict resolution:
- Find a non-punitive path towards resolution
- Be actively involved in the process and outcomes
- Be heard and have impact acknowledged
- Repair a relationship
- Seek or offer accountability
- Identify action steps towards repair
- Find an agreeable solution to conflict for both parties (mediation)
CBCR seeks to resolve conflict, and:
- Rebuild community
- Strengthen relationships
- Recognize the core humanity and dignity of all involved
- Support accountability and communal problem solving
- Emphasize learning and growth
- Align with The Ohio State University’s Shared Values and learning goals, and support student and employee development and retention
Need support?
Reach out to us for a consultation by contacting childers.23@osu.edu.
Leaders, departments, units or individuals can contact CBCR for support. Ombuds, Human Resources, Compliance or a related unit can also refer a concern to CBCR. We will work with the individual parties to determine if community building, mediation or a restorative process is appropriate.
If we cannot meet your needs, we will connect you with the appropriate resources.
Once we receive a request, a staff member will reach out to schedule a 30-minute consultation. Participation is always voluntary, and participants can leave the process at any time.
Community Building Workshops and Training
Our workshops and trainings provide skills and best practices for building community, collaboration, and dialogue to create a welcoming environment that supports the retention and advancement of our students and employees.
Our target audience includes faculty and staff, including student employees, as well as graduate and professional students. We offer a variety of educational experiences to build the skills necessary to enact our shared values and strategic vision for student and employee success every day.
Our Workshops:
Navigating Difficult Conversations
“I just don't know how to have this conversation.” If you’ve ever had this thought, you aren’t alone! Our 90-minute workshop equips you with the confidence and skills to engage in meaningful and connecting conversations at work. You’ll learn how to approach difficult topics with empathy, defuse tensions, and create a space for open, honest dialogue. Whether it’s addressing misunderstandings or resolving conflicts, this session provides actionable techniques to transform challenging discussions into pathways for deeper understanding and collective progress.
Practice Makes Progress: Navigating Difficult Conversations Skills Practice
A fundamental part of skill building is practice. This 90-minute workshop offers participants the opportunity to practice the dialogue building skills and de-escalation techniques introduced in our Navigating Difficult Conversations workshop. Participants will be given different workplace scenarios to apply skills in real time. Note: This workshop is designed to be attended after our Navigating Difficult Conversations workshop.
Reflect and Reset: Community Building and Conflict Management Skills
Conflict is a common part of collaboration. Conflict, when mismanaged, can erode relationships and trust, but when we have the skills to manage conflict productively, each challenge is an opportunity to deepen our understanding and grow as a team. Our 90-minute Reflect and Reset workshop is designed to help groups learn effective skills for managing conflict and take actionable steps to move forward collectively when conflicts arise.
Supporting Accessibility and Disability
Join us for an informative 90-minute workshop focused on understanding and supporting accessibility and disability for students, staff, and faculty. This workshop was developed with the support of the ADA and the Disability Studies program.
From Debate to Dialogue
From Debate to Dialogue: Conversation Strategies to Build Connection Across Difference is a training series presented by Community Building and Conflict Resolution and the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning. This 2-day workshop is offered each semester. We will announce the next opportunity soon.
Additional topics for customization include:
- Community and team building
- Community-based strategic planning
- Dialogue skills
- Restorative leadership
- Conflict resolution
To request a workshop or custom consultation, contact Sophia Antoun (antoun.5@osu.edu).
Have questions or need accommodation?
If you have any questions or require an accommodation such as live captioning or interpretation to participate, contact Sophia Antoun (antoun.5@osu.edu). Requests made two weeks in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the university will make every effort to meet requests made after this date.
Our Staff
Sara M. Childers, PhD
Assistant Vice Provost for Community Building and Conflict Resolution
Certified Conflict Resolution Facilitator
Sophia Antoun, MA
Education Specialist
Certified Conflict Resolution Facilitator
Spandana Devarakonda
Graduate Administrative Associate