Dean of the College Lee Pelton has created an ad hoc committee to review the way the College's community members resolve conflicts amongst themselves.
The committee will be headed by Undergraduate Judicial Affairs Officer Marcia Kelly and College Rabbi Daniel Siegel, who is the advisor to the Dartmouth College Mediation Center.
The group will focus primarily on examining non-disciplinary ways to handle alleged incidents of sexual abuse.
"The committee should review the College's current practices as well as review the relationship between alternative conflict resolution and student discipline at selected peer institutions," according to a letter Pelton wrote to the Dartmouth community.
The committee is asked to complete its mission before the end of Spring term, the letter states.
"Occasionally, students involved in incidents of alleged sexual abuse are interested in non-judicial forms of conflict resolution," Pelton said in his letter.
The committee's charge focuses on mediation in relation to sexual abuse cases.
"The committee is charged with reviewing, in particular, what the relationship ought to be between mediation ... and disciplinary processes for addressing sexual abuse," the letter stated.
Sexual assault and sexual harassment committee representatives will also sit on the committee.
Conversations Pelton had with students about how best to mediate sexual assault conflicts sparked the formation of the committee, he said.
The committee will begin its research by examining alternatives to discipline that are used at other universities, Siegel said.
Dartmouth's Mediation Center was founded in 1992. It formally trains volunteer student mediators for 30 hours in alternative conflict resolution techniques.
Siegel said no conflicts were brought before the Mediation Center during the Fall term.
"All DCMC mediators operate within a specific code of conduct during the mediation process and all mediations are strictly confidential," according to Pelton's letter. "The mediators facilitate discussions between disputants, who request help from the Center, and assist them in discovering mutually agreeable solutions or resolutions to their dispute."
"Most cases are student-to-student issues where students agree to come to mediation," Siegel said.
"I would like to see an increased awareness among students that mediation is available," Kelly said. "That's one of the things the committee will talk about."
In his letter, Pelton stated that the increasing popularity of mediation as a form of conflict resolution has made mediation an issue the College should address.
"Because of the increasing use of alternative conflict resolution to resolve disputes ... a systematic relationship between alternative conflict resolution and the College's undergraduate judicial process is needed," Pelton's letter stated.
But Pelton said the committee may not be limited to the charge stated in his letter.
"It's clear that the charge is not only to look at that issue but to look at other issues as well," Pelton said. "It's not the first time we've dealt with these issues, but it's the first time an ad hoc committee's been charged."
Pelton said he is not at a point where he can make predictions about the committee.
"I don't hope for the committee to accomplish anything beyond the charge, at this point," Pelton said. "I don't predict anything at this point except that I have two perfect candidates to lead the committee and that they will do their best."
