NIU students having trouble resolving a conflict with another student might find help by turning to the Student Mediation Services Office.

The service tackles issues such as roommate problems, noise and disruptive behavior, minor harassment and ethnic and lifestyle tensions.

Heather Wier, a mediation coordinator and NIU law student, said the service is provided in cooperation with the Judicial Office and the College of Law in an effort to resolve disputes and develop important communication skills between students.

“Conflict is a part of life and sometimes students find themselves in situations they are unable to handle alone,” Wier said. “Student Mediation Services offers students the opportunity to have a neutral third party, a mediator, work with the students to reach an outcome that is acceptable to both parties.”

Wier said mediators are unbiased when it comes to solving student disputes.

“Mediation is not a process to decide guilt or innocence but a process that allows the students to discover an outcome,” she said. “Mediators only facilitate ideas that help parties reach a mutual agreement.”

The mediators are College of Law students who have been trained in conflict resolution and have completed coursework in either alternative dispute resolution or mediation theory and practice.

Student Mediation Services only handles situations between NIU students. Other disputes are referred to an appropriate agency.

For those interested in scheduling a session or learning more about the service, call 753-4799 or visit www.stuaff.niu.edu/Judicial/ Mediation/index.shtml.