Interdisciplinary Minor in Alternative Dispute Resolution
Effective: Fall 2009
Contents
1.
Description. 2.
Requirements for Minor in ADR. 3.
Courses of Instruction 4.
Student Advising 5.
Instructors
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practices continue to grow in the U.S. and throughout much of the world as preferred alternatives to litigation and violence. The mastery of basic ADR competencies is increasingly valued by employers who use ADR for their internal and external disputes. This widespread growth of ADR creates the need for the university community to meet the challenge to produce graduates who are well-versed in the area. To produce graduates who are both knowledgeable and practiced in this subject, the Institute of Applied Economics in collaboration with colleges, schools, and departments across the University of North Texas now offers an interdisciplinary minor in Alternative Dispute Resolution. This program provides students with additional choices among the existing interdisciplinary minors offered at UNT.
2. Requirements for Minor in Alternative Dispute Resolution
A minor in Alternative Dispute Resolution requires a total of 21 hours. This minor consists of 12 hours of required courses and 9 hours from a specified list of electives. The electives that fulfill the 9 hour requirement must be representative of at least two different academic departments. In choosing electives, the student should consult with an advisor in the Institute of Applied Economics.
COMM 3320 - Communication and Conflict Management
This course examines the role of communication in the effective management of conflict and is an introduction to basic mediation topics such as gender, intercultural, and nonverbal communication. The course studies conflict in various common contexts such as intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, and organizational.
AECO 4000 - Mediation
This course defines and examines the process of mediation. It explores the history and development of mediation and introduces theories of conflict management. The course also reviews diverse settings of mediation, such as domestic, commercial, non-profit, employment, and institutional environments. Within each of these settings, significant legal, ethical, professional, cultural, and gender considerations are explored. Students participate in mediation exercises and simulations.
AECO 4120 - Negotiation and Dispute Resolution
This course introduces the fundamentals of nonlitigation-based dispute resolution and negotiation strategies for a variety of business, professional, and personal settings. Learning and skills are developed through lecture, role playing, out-of-class assignments, case studies, and negotiation simulations.
AECO 4420 - Practicum in Mediation and Dispute Resolution
This course provides an opportunity for students to round-out their education in dispute resolution through participation in numerous exercises, simulations, and actual mediations and/or other forms of alternative dispute resolution. PREREQUISITE: AECO 4000 (2120).
PSYC 3640 - Psychological Factors in Marital Adjustment
This course is designed to give a description of the physiological, psychological and economic factors involved in marital adjustment. In this course, we will focus on topics ranging from being single to pregnancy to divorce. From this course, you will become familiar with research and theory in specific areas of marriage and family, and thus gain a broader understanding of the diversity that exists within the field.
BLAW 2000 - Personal Law
A consumer-oriented study of the principles of personal law. Student participation required in resolving problems associated with the family, home and vehicle ownership, crimes, negligence, employment, death (including wills and estates), taxation and an individual's rights as a consumer. Recommended for all students, regardless of major field of interest.
MGMT 3870 - Management Skills and Problem Solving
Develops management skills necessary for career success. Particularly emphasizes the role of judgment, creativity and information processing in both individual and group decision settings. Includes risk assessment, choice under uncertainty, problem structuring and other decision processes.
College of Public Affairs & Community Service:
AECO 4010 - Family Mediation
This course covers mediation as a method for handling the issues that arise in divorce or separation, as a family life skill, and as a method for maintaining intact families. A background in family law is not presumed, and basic Texas family law is covered. PREREQUISITE: AECO 4000
AECO 4020 - Workplace ADR
This course is a review of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to address sources of conflict in the workplace. It examines procedures and benefits of arbitration, mediation, ombudspersons, minitrials, neutral fact-finding, and other alternatives to litigation-based conflict resolution. Trends in use and ethical/professional considerations are considered.
AECO 4030 - Dispute Resolution & the Global Workplace
This course presents an overview of perceived benefits derived from and detriments created by escalating levels of world trade. It examines the various organizations that serve as umbrella coalitions for advocacy and opposition to such trade, the type of workplace and trade issues resulting domestically and internationally from such trade, and dispute resolution options contained within trade agreements for addressing such conflict.
AECO 4040 - Crisis Intervention
This course provides an overview of hostage negotiation and crisis intervention from the perspective of multinational employers, government security, law enforcement agencies, and other organizations. Instruction includes a review of tactics, techniques, behaviors, emotions, and motivations of the intervenors or negotiators, the suspects, and the victims.
AECO 4450 - Arbitration
This course presents the concepts, information, resources, and skills needed engage in arbitration as a user, arbitration advocate, or arbitrator. Upon completion of the course, students will have the information and resources to assess the advantages and disadvantages of arbitration for different types of conflict.
AECO 4980 - Experimental Course
As new courses in the ADR field are developed, they will be offered initially under this Experimental Course number. Only courses in the ADR field will count toward the ADR minor. Students should check the "Course Topic" listed with each AECO 4980 or check with the ADR advisor if they have questions about a specific course.
CJUS 3210 - Judicial and Legal Systems
This course examines the courts, the legal and judicial process and judicial behavior. PREREQUISITE: CJUS 2100 or equivalent.
The ADR advisor in Applied Economics is Dr. William McKee. Dr. McKee is a nationally recognized arbitrator/mediator and is responsible for the development and implementation of UNT's ADR interdisciplinary minor. Dr. McKee is also in the early stages of forming a University-based center for mediation/ADR services. He will assist you in elective selection to tailor your ADR minor to meet your specific career interests and goals.
Dr. McKee's office is located in Chilton Hall, Room 263. He can be reached for appointments at (940) 565-3445 or by e-mail.
William McKee, Ph.D., Professor of Applied Economics. Dr. McKee's areas of expertise are labor economics and methods of alternative dispute resolution. He has held appointments at the Brookings Institution and George Washington University. All AECO courses will be taught or supervised by Dr. McKee.
David Renfro, M.E., Adjunct Professor of Applied Economics. Mr. Renfro is also a Commissioner of Mediation with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. He is a practicing mediator and labor negotiator with more than 15 years experience in labor-management relations and dispute resolution.
Students should contact individual departments for information on specific instructors of other courses listed for the ADR interdisciplinary minor.
Questions? Contact: Dr. William McKee, Professor and ADR Program Advisor.
This Webpage maintained by Lisa Gage, Administrative Coordinator. Updated: 24-Sep-2009