Upcoming Training Courses

The Center has trained more than 3,500 individuals from government and the private sector in the use of ADR theory and techniques. Effective training for ADR practitioners, public decision-makers and the public at large gives participants an understanding of dispute resolution techniques and their applicability to a variety of situations. In addition to public courses, the Center also provides customized trainings for agencies and nonprofits.

• May 26, 2021

  Everything is a Negotiation: Negotiation 101

  Course offered online via Zoom If everything is a negotiation, from buying a new car to determining which terms in a contract are agreeable, we should understand the common pitfalls and successful strategies in a negotiation. This training will help participants understand the basic components of a negotiation including how to evaluate tradeoffs and consequences when pursuing an agreement, develop personalized strategies to address risks and uncertainties, and outline successful approaches to manage emotions (yours and your counterpart).  This will be a highly interactive course that will require full participation. Participants will be expected to perform several negotiations, provide feedback, and discuss insights with their fellow class members. Learn more

• June 7, 2021 — June 11, 2021

  40-Hour Basic Mediation Training

  This class is being offered online, via Zoom. You must be on-camera the full 40 hours. This intensive five-day program is designed to provide individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to mediate a variety of everyday disputes. This course emphasizes the importance of practical experience in becoming an effective mediator. During frequent role-plays, each participant will mediate a variety of disputes with expert feedback. This course is designed to satisfy the 40 classroom hours of training required to mediate court-referred disputes as indicated in the Texas Alternative Dispute Resolution Act § 154.052, Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. This course also meets the Texas Mediator Trainers Roundtable's requirements. Learn more

• July 8, 2021

  Restoring Civil Discourse in an Overheated Society

  Course offered online via Zoom   Our national dialogue is out of control! Our polarized, fractured narrative, amplified by the echo chambers on cable news and social media, has made disagreeing without being disagreeable a lost art and minimized the opportunity for collaborative solutions. Where art thou civility? Help is on the way in our course Restoring Civil Discourse in an Overheated Society! How did we get to this place? What can we do about it? And most important, what are the skill sets to restore thoughtful conversations that the majority of the nation cries out for? For businesses, state or federal institutions or agencies, families, religious institutions... for anyone who wants to overcome the national sense of powerlessness and restore our ability to discuss important matters civilly and respectfully. Learn more

• July 28, 2021

  Breaking Down Silos through Collaborative Decision Making

  Course offered online via Zoom To be successful in developing creative and long-lasting solutions for the future, it is imperative to break down silos and integrate the ideas and concepts from stakeholders, experts, and team members. Leaders are increasingly required to have the knowledge and skills to quickly establish collaborative networks and to make decisions in uncertainty by relying on the expertise of their combined teams. This training will help participants plan and facilitate effective collaborations among stakeholders, experts, and team members. Participants will learn techniques to design collaborative processes to systematically make decisions on a solid foundation of knowledge based on the best management strategies defined in social science research. Learn more