Mediation as Parallel Seminars: Lessons from the Student Takeover of Columbia University's Hamilton Hall

The author and a colleague served as co-mediators of the 1996 student takeover of a Columbia University building. The building takeover was the culmination of a year-long debate at Columbia over the inclusion of Ethnic Studies in the curriculum. The student protestors and university administration agreed to a settlement folllowing four days of mediation. Among the lessons learned in this case, the author cites: mediation is a process that generally involves a series of parallel seminars involving the parties and their constituents that takes place throughout the process; trust building isa task of singular importance for the mediator; a mediator sometimes may have a personal stake in the outcome that pushes the process toward settlement; it is crucial to consider the role of the media, particularly in high-profile cases; and food (or the lack of it) often affects the performance of the mediation participants.