ABSTRACT
Like most everything else in life, conflict resolution is both an art and a science. There were conflicts with the administration, conflicts with the community, and conflicts on the intramural fields. The approach to conflict resolution taken into account where someone is on the spectrum of emotional and rational development. Other causes of conflicts include schedules, differing priorities, competition for resources, technical opinions, performance trade-offs, and administrative procedures. Healthy conflict occurs when there are differences of opinion about an issue or concern, but the focus stays on the particular issue or concern under consideration. Unhealthy conflict is detrimental to individuals, departments, organizations, and ultimately entire institutions. Other individuals utilize a bargaining approach to resolving conflicts, where the goal is either a compromise or a win/lose outcome. The collaborative approach to conflict resolution is the style student affairs professionals should aspire to with some important caveats. The collaborative approach to conflict resolution, as mentioned previously, is built on the consensus-building process.
