History

In the summer of 1995, the Chancellor introduced the Initiative on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) which mandated that each academic unit in the University System implement a conflict management system, though the mandate provided no template or funding. 

The system-wide goal was to create conflict resolution programs which catered to and integrated well into each specific institution’s campus culture.  The University System was interested in decreasing the reliance on adversarial processes as well as achieving timely, suitable, and satisfactory resolutions at all levels, while reducing the occurrence of conflict.  KSU implemented the Initiative with the hope of making the KSU environment more protective of dignity and trust, respectful of the value of conflict, and effective in nurturing communication and community.

Liaisons were appointed by the President of each institution to interface with the Board of Regent’s Steering Committee for implementation of the initiative.  Dr. Siegel, the President of KSU at that time, appointed Dr. Helen Ridley to develop and implement such a system at KSU because of her position as Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Affairs, her training as a mediator, and her experience in ADR.  The Campus Conflict Resolution Committee (CCRC) was appointed by President Siegel to implement the Chancellor’s Initiative. The initial CCRC consisted of 21 faculty, staff, and students.

In the spring of 1996, CCRC recommended establishing a KSU Ombuds with staff reporting directly to President Siegel, which resulted in the KSU Ombuds Office staffed by 2 part-time persons: one faculty/student ombuds and one staff ombuds as well as a part-time Director.  CCRC’s proposal also included a Center for Conflict Management which would be focused on teaching/education, research, and community outreach components. 

In September 1996, the Office of Conflict Management (OCM) was established as a part-time office on campus. President Siegel appointed Dr. Helen S. Ridley as the Director, Dr. Dorothy Graham as the Faculty/Student Ombuds, and Ms. Karen Ohlsson as the Staff Ombuds.  OCM made presentations to various groups on campus to acquaint the community with the ADR Initiative.

In the fall of 1997, the Office of Conflict Management opened on a full-time basis in office space in the Department of Political Science and International Affairs. A full-time Administrative Coordinator was appointed to help address the increased work load of OCM. OCM provided various presentation and skill-training workshops.  The Office was also called upon to deal with an increasing number of student issues, so President Siegel selected Charmayne B. Richardson as Student Ombuds.

The ADR Certificate, an undergraduate program through the Department of Political Science and International Affairs, was implemented the same year. This program provided education and training for students and was the first academic conflict management program in the State of Georgia.

In the fall of 1998, the Office of Conflict Management became the Center for Conflict Management to continue the forward thrust of the Initiative and more accurately describe the office’s expanded emphasis on education and training.  It was clear that the activities of the OCM extended well beyond the Ombuds function.
While the Center continued to support the work of the KSU Ombuds and the ADR Certificate, in 1999 the Center began collaborating with the KSU Department of Political Science and International Affairs and the Regent’s Consortium for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (CNCR) at Georgia State University to develop a graduate program in Conflict Management at Kennesaw State University.  Much of the Center’s work in 1999 and 2000 focused on the development and implementation in September 2000 of the Master of Science in Conflict Management (MSCM).  With the successful implementation of the MSCM program, an active Ombuds office, and the ADR Certificate, KSU took the lead in the University System in implementing the Chancellor’s Initiative on ADR.

Between 2000 and 2007, the Center worked toward enlarging the Master’s degree program, providing ombuds services to campus entities, and beginning community outreach services. 

In 2007, the Center for Conflict Management was asked to take on a more prominent role in on-campus research—in addition to its mission of providing Education, Training, and Research to the outside community—and the Ombuds office was formally transformed into an independent office on KSU’s campus. At the same time, the Center for Conflict Management and the Master of Science in Conflict Management became separate entities and the ADR Certificate program was transferred to the Political Science and International Affairs Department. 

Since 1996 over 3,200 people have participated in the Center’s conflict management initiatives. By creating culturally sensitive programming, leading research projects, and conducting conflict management trainings, the Center has had a positive impact on faculty, staff, and students at KSU, as well as the broader community. In particular, over the last six years these activities have expanded dramatically, increasing the number and variety of research and scholarship opportunities available to MSCM students and alumni. Simultaneously, these activities have been instrumental in gaining greater public recognition of the conflict management field, the Center, and KSU.

The Center continues to pride itself on its professional service and community outreach, and strives to keep a balance between domestic and international projects.  Collaborations with national and international organizations and partners across the world provide greater depth and recognition to the Center and KSU.