Context:
Higher education is in some turmoil in both the UK and overseas; economic uncertainty brings increased pressure on both students and staff to get things right, and high expectations on all sides can sometimes lead to frustrations and disappointments, which can in turn lead to conflicts or open disagreements. Increasingly students and staff are turning to the law to sort out such conflicts, but this can be very costly and cumbersome.
Types of Disputes covered:
Our ways of working:
Higher education is in some turmoil in both the UK and overseas; economic uncertainty brings increased pressure on both students and staff to get things right, and high expectations on all sides can sometimes lead to frustrations and disappointments, which can in turn lead to conflicts or open disagreements. Increasingly students and staff are turning to the law to sort out such conflicts, but this can be very costly and cumbersome.
Types of Disputes covered:
- disputes between academic staff within institutions of higher education
- disputes between students within institutions of higher education
- disputes between staff and students in higher education
- allegations of bullying in any of the above
- allegations of abuse of power in any of the above types of disputes
Our ways of working:
- We contact both parties by telephone (in the first instance) before offering them a face to face meeting.
- All such face to face meetings take place in a private and neutral venue in a Scottish castle. Both parties must travel there independently.
- Face to face meetings normally require a whole day to sort out the dispute and reach a signed agreement
- All expenses of mediators are shared equally as the case progresses) (proportionately to the respective percentage ratio of each party’s annual income) between the two parties in the dispute who wish to reach a satisfactory solution.
- We do not “take sides” in disputes, but simultaneously try to provide a space for listening and learning for both parties to see things through each other’s eyes and to reach a place of reconciliation. In cases where there is a clear “right and wrong” issue we recommend the use of the office of the Ombudsman for High Education or its equivalents.