Education/Training Program

Frequently Asked Questions

Conflict Management Specialist Certificate
Former Institutional Certificate
In General: Mediation Training, Certification, and Credentialing

Conflict Management Specialist Certificate
1.  Who is accepted into this program?
2. What is the demand for conflict management specialists?
3.  What are some specific sample jobs?
4. What courses do I enroll in for the Conflict Management Specialist Certificate program?
5. Will I be able to count the conflict resolution courses I took previously at El Centro or elsewhere toward the new Conflict Management Specialist Certificate?
6. Will I be a "certified mediator" if I complete the new Conflict Management Specialist Certificate?
7. What difference does it make if I take DRCM courses or SOCI (sociology) courses?

Former Institutional Certificate
8. What happened to the Institutional Certificate in Conflict Resolution Studies?
9. Will the new courses with the DRCM prefix in the Conflict Management Specialist Certificate program be able to count toward completion of the Institutional Certificate?
10. What do I do if I had not completed all the requirements for the Institutional Certificate in Conflict Resolution and I want to complete them? Is it too late?
11. What is the difference between the Institutional Certificate in Conflict Resolution Studies and the new Conflict Management Specialist Certificate?
12 What is the curriculum of the new Conflict Management Specialist Certificate and how is it different from the Institutional Certificate?
13. Will the short courses I took at El Centro in the past be able to be transferred into the new certificate program?

About Mediation Training, Certification, and Credentialing
14. How would I become "certified" by the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association?
15. Is there such a thing as a "certified mediator" recognized by the State of Texas?
16. How necessary is it that a mediator be "certified" or "credentialed?"
17. What should I do in order to become a mediator? 
18. What do I do to enroll in mediation courses at El Centro College?  

Questions about the Conflict Management Specialist Certificate and Courses
1.  Who is accepted into this program?  
Because we are an open door institution, anyone can be accepted into this program who is eligible to become a student at one of the DCCCD colleges.  However, by the time they complete this program, we believe that our students will have a skill set and a sophistication in their thinking that will make them able to fulfill specific conflict management specialist jobs.  
See more information admissions and enrollment at El Centro

2. What is the demand for conflict management specialists?
The field is quite open and growing.There is a real need for conflict management specialists, however, some corporations, organizations, and individuals do not recognize the need and/or they do not know there is anyone out there who could fill such a need. Therefore, one of the goals of our program is to teach our students how to present their skills to the public in an effective manner.   Another goal is to do a better job of educating the public about the need, the opportunities, and about conflict management specialists and their possible roles. 
" What I am excited about with our new program is that we will have the freedom and opportunity to provide people with a wider array of training than in the past" - Glenn Currier - Director of Conflict Resolution Studies

3.  What are some specific sample jobs?
The job titles of these positions are in flux, however some of the jobs are as follows:
a.  Conflict management specialist who works full time or on a consultant basis for corporations or other organizations to help managers create structures and activities that will facilitate communication and work activities during periods of change due to restructuring or new technology.  
b.  Conflict management trainer who trains management in effective strategies of coping with intra-organizational conflicts.
c. Conflict management faciliatator who helps employees of organizations to effectively cope with conflicts with customers and other external organzations or institutions.
d.  Ombudspersons who help to manage conflicts within organizations among workers and between workers and management.
e.  Conflict engagement specialist who intervenes during conflicts within organizations and trains employees or facilitates activities that are designed to transform conflicts into creative solutions rather than merely avoiding conflict.  

4. What courses do I enroll in for the Conflict Management Specialist Certificate program?
See the curriculum of the Conflict Management Specialist Certificate program. You have a choice about how you enroll.

I have no degree yet:: If you know do not yet have a degree, we recommend that you enroll enroll  in the courses that have a SOCI (sociology) prefix (for example SOCI 2301). Or, you may enroll in DRCM credit courses with a "3" as the second digit of the course number (for example DRCM 1371). If you enroll in the DRCM credit courses they may not transfer to four year institutions.

I want to transfer to a four year institution: If you wish to transfer to a four institution, the only courses that will transfer are the SOCI courses.  You will have to check with the four year institution to see if they have a "course substitution" process to allow you to transfer DRCM academic credit courses.

NOTE: If you have a bachelors or graduate degree you are TSI (assessment testing) exempt. Otherwise, we require an assessment test to enroll in any credit course. This is to ensure that all of our students have the reading level necessry for success in our courses.

I already have a bachelors or graduate degree: We recommend that you enroll in the DRCM courses with a "0" as the second digit in the course number (for example: DRCM 1071).  The process of enrolling is simpler because you may do so by telephone with a credit card. 

5. Will I be able to count the conflict resolution courses I took previously at El Centro or elsewhere toward the new Conflict Management Specialist Certificate?
You will have to go to the counseling division for "Course Substitution" paperwork. You will need a course description and a transcript giving evidence of your successful completion of the course and that it is equivalent to present DRCM course. The counselors will initiate the processing of the paperwork. It may take a month or more for possessing. Please do not go to counseling to begin this process at the beginning of a semester - wait until a couple of weeks or so after registration is over because the counseling and college staff are very busy during registration. In most cases, it is anticipated that all 40 hour courses completed in the last two years in El Centro College Conflict Resolution Studies program will probably be granted substitutions and will probably count toward the completion of the Conflict Management Specialist Certificate IF THEY ARE EQUIVALENT TO PRESENT DRCM COURSES. Please be patient with us as we process this massive amount of paperwork during the Fall 2006 and Spring 2007 semesters.

6. Will I be a "certified mediator" if I complete the new Conflict Management Specialist Certificate?
No, this Certificate is NOT A LICENSE or certificate in the same sense as a Certified Public Accountant. The State of Texas has no licensing board for mediators. There is a voluntary association (Texas Mediator Credentialing Association) that provides credentialing to people who meet their requirements, but this organization is not a State of Texas entity. When you finish this program and acquire the Certificate, it would be accurate to say that you are "academically certified through El Centro College."

7. What difference does it make if I take DRCM courses or SOCI (sociology) courses?
The actual cocurse content is identitcal. If you enroll in courses with the DRCM prefix, they will probably NOT transfer to a four year institution as sociology courses. They may not transfer at all since they are certificate courses and do not have common course numbers with four year institutions. If you do not have a degree we recommend that you take the courses as SOCI (sociology) courses where possible. You will be able to do a course substitution request through the Counseling Division to have them substitute for the DRCM courses in the Conflict Management Specialist Certificate program.

Questions about the Former Institutional Certificate
8. What happened to the Institutional Certificate in Conflict Resolution Studies?
The Institutional Certificate that was in effect for 2004-2006 will no longer be offered. It has been replaced by the Conflict Management Specialist Certificate which requires more courses than the previous certificate.

9. Will the new courses with the DRCM prefix in the Conflict Management Specialist Certificate program be able to count toward completion of the Institutional Certificate?
If you enroll in new DRCM (Conflict Management Specialist Certificate) courses that are equivalent to the old courses, the DRCM courses will count toward completion of the Institutional Certificate. For example, if you take DRCM 1373 Introduction to Divorce Mediation in the Fall 2006 semester, it can be substituted for SOCI 2301 or FMLD 1092.

10. What do I do if I had not completed all the requirements for the Institutional Certificate in Conflict Resolution and I want to complete them? Is it too late?
If you completed at least one course toward the Institutional Certificate by the end of Summer I 2006, you are eligible to attempt to complete all others, but they must be completed by the end of the Fall 2006 semester. Those students who lacked ONLY the Ethics course by the end of Summer I 2006 will be exempt from taking it.

11. What is the difference between the Institutional Certificate in Conflict Resolution Studies and the new Conflict Management Specialist Certificate?
There is more coursework in the new Certificate program. Nine courses are required, while the Institutional Certificate required only about five courses. The new Conflict Management Specialist Certificate is recognized by and has the backing and authority of the State of Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. There were rigorous requirements for this certificate to be approved. El Centro College and North Lake College, who collaborated in the application process, were granted the certificate, and are the only community colleges in the state to offer it. The accountability required with the new program is a significant step in the academic credentialing of mediators.

12. What is the curriculum of the new Conflict Management Specialist Certificate and how is it different from the Institutional Certificate?
The new certificate has not only the introductory courses (offered previously at El Centro College), but there are brand new advanced courses. There are also more electives possible in the new program. The practicum is not required for the new certificate as it was with the Institutional Certificate. However we strongly recommend that you take the practicum course in order to give evidence to employers or potential clients that you have experience doing actual mediations. Please see the Curriculum for the Conflict Management Specialist Certificate.

13. Will the short courses I took at El Centro in the past be able to be transferred into the new certificate program?
No, all of the courses in the new program are 48 hour courses. Therefore short courses taught before Fall 2006 such as Transformative Mediation, Court Procedures, and Arbitration will not transfer or substitute for courses in the new program.

About Mediation Training, Certification, and Credentialing
14. How would I become "certified" by the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association? 
The TMCA does not certify mediators  but it grants them a credential after they fulfill certain requirements.  You can find their criteria for "membership and credentials" on the following page of their website:
www.txmca.org/criteria.htm

15. Is there such a thing as a "certified mediator" recognized by the State of Texas? 
No.  The state has no certification or licensing requirements like CPA's or attorneys. 
The TMCA is a private organization that began under the sponsorship of the Texas Bar Association.  It has responded to the increasing desire by Texas Supreme Court justices and the public for some way to measure the qualifications of people claiming to be mediators.  It is hoped that the TMCA, by requiring its members to meet certain standards, will increase the quality of mediation in the State. The organization is only two or three years old and its success is still being assessed.

16. How necessary is it that a mediator be "certified" or "credentialed?"
The only requirement for people to do court-appointed mediations in the State of Texas is that they complete a 40hr. basic mediator training course.  Most training organizations provide, as does El Centro College, a certificate of completion if a student successful attains the training.  It is not necessary for individuals to be credentialed before they begin mediating in this state.  However, we at El Centro College believe that a 40 classroom hour course does not a mediator make.  It is our desire to move people toward becoming professionals and we encourage our students to acquire as much training and experience as possible to increase the quality of their skills and thinking.  That is one reason for initiating our Conflict Management Specialist Certificate program.

17. What should I do in order to become a mediator? 
We recommend that you take a course or two in mediation and conflict resolution to determine if this is really something you wish to pursue.  If you decide to receive your training from El Centro College, a good first course is "Introduction to Conflict Dynamics."  This course helps you to identify your conflict style and to increase your understanding of and ability to cope with conflict. The other course we recommend is "Introduction to Mediation."  This course is the 40 classroom hour course required by the State and it teaches you the knowledge and skills you will need to begin mediating actual disputes.  If after taking these two courses you decide you like the field, we recommend that you take "Introduction to Divorce Mediation."  This course exceeds the hours of training required by the State of Texas to mediate family cases and teaches you about family dynamics, as well as certain legal aspects of the divorce process.

18. What do I do to enroll in these courses at El Centro College?
First, review this website for class schedules and other important information about courses and our program.  If you already have a bachelor's or graduate degree call 214/860-2260, our Continuing Education department, and you can actually quickly enroll by phone with a credit card.  If you want to register for credit, call 214/860-2311, our admissions office.  For more admissions information see the El Centro website http://www.ecc.dcccd.edu/admissionsenrollment/   If you encounter any problems with registration for which you can't get a solution, please feel free to call Glenn Currier (Director: Conflict Resolution Studies) at 214-860-2393 or Janet McClanahan (Administrative Assistant) 214-860-2392.