THE OMBUDS OFFICE

Susan Park became UC Davis’ first ombudsperson in June 2013, and, as of Wednesday (Oct. 15), she will be joined by an associate ombudsperson: Rita Callahan.

She comes to UC Davis after six years as an organizational conflict resolution practitioner in a large, unionized, complex organization in New York City. She provides conflict coaching, training, mediation, facilitation and consulting services to improve trust, respect, communication and fairness in workplace environments.

Previously, she was an independent consultant for 13 years, working with organizations around the country to improve conflict management, communication, collaboration, leadership and organizational performance. She has assessed organizational climates in varied organizations, facilitated many small and large groups, trained thousands of people in conflict resolution, communication, collaboration, emotional intelligence, leadership, mediation, negotiation and related topics, mediated hundreds of workplace cases, and coached leaders and employees.

Office of the Ombuds

To schedule an appointment, on either the Davis or Sacramento campuses, call (530) 219-6750. Drop-ins are discouraged, in order to maintain the anonymity of all visitors.

"You can’t shake hands with a clenched fist." — Indira Gandhi

"Assumptions are the termites of relationships." — Henry Winkler

•••

Good fortune awaits next week in conflict resolution training sessions and fortune cookies (with quotes like those above), all courtesy of the Office of the Ombuds.

The occasion is National Mediation Week, Oct. 13-17, and Conflict Resolution Day, Thursday, Oct. 16. (The ombuds staff will be passing out the cookies on the 16th, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of the Memorial Union.)

The Office of the Ombuds is an independent, confidential, impartial and informal conflict management, problem-solving resource for all members of the UC Davis community, with offices on the Davis and Sacramento campuses.

Next week's training sessions, free and open to the campus community, comprise a presentation and workshop, each presented once on the Davis campus and once on the Sacramento campus; and three interactive sessions, all on the Davis campus.

• “How the Brain Derails Communication in Conflict … and Getting Back on Track” — Presentation on how conflict may develop, and ways to move forward. 10:30 a.m.-noon Oct. 13, Sacramento; and 9-10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, Davis. Instructor: Susan Park.

• “Conflict: How Did It Happen? What Can I Do About It?” — Using stories shared by participants, this workshop will deal with where conflict comes from, how it develops and ways to move forward. This is a more interactive version of the presentation (above). 1:30-4:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13, Sacramento; and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Oct. 14, Davis. Instructor: Susan Park.

• “Conflict: Tools to Address It” — Interactive session exploring how different perceptions affect conflict, the impact of irritations in the workplace, how conflict escalates, and tools to address conflict constructively. 9-10:30 a.m. and 2-3:30 p.m. Oct. 16, and 2-3:30 p.m. Oct. 17, all on the Davis campus. Instructor: Rita Callahan.

Registration can be arranged online; search for “CRD.” For help with registration, contact Staff Development and Professional Services by email.

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