Public Relations Plan: Conflict Resolution Services Situation Analysis - J 453

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Conflict Resolution Services

Situation Analysis | J 453

Public Relations Plan

University of Oregon | Office of the Dean of Students
J 453: Strategic Planning and Cases

Keenan Emery
Nate Hansen
Victoria Ganahl
Brett Golonka
Nikki Kesaris
Adam Sharf
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Problem Statement
Since its inception in 2013, the Conflict Resolution Services (CRS) program at the University
of Oregon (UO) has been unable to successfully reach the university community due to a lack
of effective advertising both on-campus and social media. CRS has struggled to maintain
consistent clients since its formation. Students, faculty and staff are unaware of this free
program because it has not marketed itself correctly and is unclear on which services students
need most. In order for the organization to fulfill their mission statement, CRS must
successfully raise awareness among students, faculty and staff at UO.
Internal Factors
Mission
UO Conflict Resolution Services was founded to provide "impartial, informal and
confidential services for working through difficulties and conflict, making decisions, or
planning" as well as develop effective communication skills amongst UO faculty, staff and
students.3
Vision
CRS strives to teach individuals or groups how to integrate effective communication skills
into everyday aspects of their lives to successfully navigate difficult situations.2
Values
The organization wishes to "transform conflict through communication" for students and
faculty to grow as individuals and professionals. The program strives to develop efficient and
constructive communication skills to resolve conflict rather than handling situations violently
or aggressively.1
Organizational History
CRS was established in 2013 as a means for students to learn how to "transform conflict into
communication." This university-funded program was modeled after other higher education
programs to achieve optimal success. This organization recently hired a director after having
the position vacant for a year and a half. With no director present, there was a lack of direction
and employees found it difficult to collectively move forward as an organization.1 The new
director has provided objectives, goals and major projects for employees. In past years, CRS
has put on high-cost events that have not seen a large return. For example, CRS spent $5,000
on a speaker to lecture on conflict and restoration; the event only brought in around 30 people,
and the return was not worth the investment.1 Last year, there was a small yoga event that was
much more fruitful and worth the time and effort employees put into the event. That event will
take place again this year.1
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Organizational Functioning
Five employees work for CRS. There is a director who oversees all major operations, a
Graduate Employee (GE) who facilitates all CRS services, a program assistant who works on
administrative tasks and intakes within CRS, a cultural liaison who markets to cultural groups,
and a public relations professional who markets to various university-run organizations.1 All
five employees collectively make pivotal decisions for the organization; however, that could
change due to the recent hiring of the new director.
The Graduate Employee has the proper training to mediate all intakes and groups. Due to
the lack of visibility within the community, there is only need for one facilitator. CRS
offers a Restorative Justice program, facilitation, mediation, conflict coaching, a neutral
observer program, and a lending library with books available for students.3 Each program
is funded through the Associated Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO). CRS tries
to attribute equal importance to each program it offers, but that is not always the case
considering some services are used more than others. There is an emphasis on the
Restorative Justice program. resources, groups, and facilitations take place in their office,
Oregon Hall 474.1
Position/Reputation
The organization's services are only available to UO students, faculty and staff, therefore there
is not a large presence in the city of Eugene. However, CRS collaborates with Conflict Dispute
Resolution and the Eugene Court System through their Restorative Justice program.
Restorative Justice is a unique program CRS offers that "brings together the offender and those
directly and indirectly harmed by the offender's actions to promote understanding and reach an
agreement on how the offender can repair the harm."1 The organization works with Eugene
and Lane County courts to hold students accountable for their actions as an alternative to going
through the court system. CRS is visible to specific majors, such as the Conflict Resolution
Services Graduate program and the Psychology department, but is not very visible to the
general community.1
External Factors
Emerging Trends or Issues

Most conflict resolution services offer similar programs. There are not many trends
currently circulating in regards to conflict resolution programs in higher education
nationally, but emerging trends surrounding student behavior may affect CRS' presence and
effectiveness on UO's campus.
At the UO, FSL students are being targeted following an external review that found students
were participating in high-risk behaviors such as binge drinking and hazing. CRS could be
utilized in mediating conversations between the administration and student leadership, as well
as addressing negative behavior in a peer-to-peer environment.13
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In light of political tension following the 2016 election, there has been a rise in student
protests and conflict on campus. There is an opportunity for CRS to resolve conflict
peacefully through their mediation services by promoting healthy debate and effective
communication.14
Universities across the nation are experiencing an increased need for conflict resolution. For
instance, the University of Notre Dame saw these issues on their campus and took action by
publishing an article advertising negotiation and conflict resolution training on their website.
They offer vital information on the five styles of conflict and how to prevent them. The five
styles are avoiding the conflict, giving in, standing your ground, compromising, and
collaborating.5
The US Environmental Protection Agency goes beyond mediation and problem solving
by offering situation and stakeholder assessments. Although the EPA Conflict Prevention
and Resolution Center is focused on environmental issues; these useful strategies and
services could be beneficial to CRS.6
Competing Forces
Competitors in the conflict resolution field are often less affordable and detailed than the UO
Conflict Resolution Services. There is competition, but it focuses primarily on broader
audiences rather than offering student services.
Center for Dialogue and Resolution

The Center for Dialogue and Resolution (CDR) is focused on victim and offender mediation
among a variety of restorative methods. In particular, they aim to "help offenders to have a
greater learning experience so that they can take greater responsibility for their actions." The
program offers similar mediation, education and volunteer services. However, the CDR is
focused on the larger Eugene community, while the CRS program is available only to
students, faculty, and staff. Also, CDR costs around $150 for mediation and $350-600 for
training; whereas the UO CRS program is subsidized within the ASUO Incidental Fee.7
Ombuds Program
The Ombuds Program (OP) was previously CRS' biggest competitor due to OP offering very
similar services and being located on campus. Currently, the organizations share an interim
director and are in the process of merging into one organization. OP provides "a safe and
confidential place to seek information, discuss concerns and conflicts, explore options, and
identify possible resources." Similar to CRS, OP is free to all campus and University
members. On the contrary, OP’s services are more informal and are more counseling- and
advice-oriented.8 The merge between CRS and OP is expected to be complete by Fall 2017;
therefore, it will no longer be a competing force.(1)
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Challenges
The largest external challenge facing CRS is separating the perception of their unique
programs from similar organizations. The organization appears to offer similar services to the
same audiences as the other programs; when in actuality they offer a much more
comprehensive program. The challenge is standing out among other similar UO programs,
gaining publicity and increasing interest among the student body.
Case Study
Harvard Case Study of Conflict Management and Negotiation

Harvard produced a case study focused on the impediments to negotiating with colleagues. The
case study, conducted by Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson and researcher
Diana McLain Smith, found that conflict is rarely resolved, and the solutions are not as simple as
mediators portray them to be. Their finding revealed three common issues that pop up based on
"underlying differences in belief systems, interests, and values."4 These findings reveal that
negative emotion may mitigate the effects of the Conflict Resolution Services and reveal the
importance of balanced and equal conversation. Moving forward, UO CRS can use this case
study as a resource for training their employees on proper mediation.
● The same points are argued repeatedly with little compromise
● When an impasse occurs, the subject’s talks became personal, and accusations were often
spoken out, questioning the other’s motives.
● If the meeting begins to take a negative turn, emotions flare up and setbacks occur.
Illinois State University Case Study in Conflict Resolution

A case study produced by Illinois State University focused on the effect of conflict within an
organization. The study found that managers who were improperly trained in conflict resolution
are more likely to allow small conflicts to go unresolved. The lack of training could be
detrimental to the organization and could lead to fractures or more severe outcomes. Their
findings revealed that much of conflict resolution falls on leadership:
● Conflict must be anticipated and addressed before it leads to harmful results.
● Conflict resolution training should be a part of an employee’s orientation.
● If employees understand how to appropriately approach and resolve conflict, the
workplace is more likely to have a positive and encouraging climate.
This case study could further develop our organization’s purpose on the UO campus by creating
expectations for student leadership and educating them on the importance of effective conflict
resolution management.
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SWOT Analysis
Strengths
ASUO funding: CRS offers free services to students, faculty, and staff. Student debt
renders much of the organization's public unable to pay large sums of money for
additional services leaving CRS as the primary option. Funded through the ASUO, the
services offered by the organization are already paid for by a significant part of their
public.1
Professional staff: Five employees work for CRS: The Director, a Graduate Employee
(GE), a program assistant, a cultural liaison, and a public relations professional. This
structure allows for efficient handling of current intake.1
Broad range of services: CRS offers a restorative justice program, facilitation, mediation,
conflict coaching, a neutral observer program, and a lending library with books available
for students.3 The organization can market for a broad range of student needs.1
Confidentiality: The CRS staff are trained in confidentiality and will not discuss or
report conflicts unless they violate a Title IX requirement. This allows students to feel
more comfortable with the services offered.1
Established relationships: The CRS program has effectively marketed to the Conflict
and Dispute Resolution Master's Program (CRES) and the UO Law school. These two
outlets provide the CRS program with the organization's trained Graduate Employees.
They also actively promote CRS with their respective platforms.1
Mission: The CRS' mission is broad and applicable to all students, not just those facing
imminent conflict. The organization is looking to integrate effective communication skills
into everyday aspects of their public's lives. These skills are not exclusive to those
confronted with a communication crisis.3
Newly added staff: The addition of a new director has provided objectives, goals and
major projects for employees.3
Weaknesses
No defined niche: The diverse range of services offered by CRS make the development
of a marketing strategy difficult. CRS is struggling to discover which of their services
are most marketable.1
Lack of efficient advertising: The visibility and awareness of the program are low due to
inefficient analysis and targeting of key publics. CRS is having a difficult time
recognizing which services students need most.1
Lack of a customer base: The organization currently has no consistent customers outside
of the restorative justice program.3
Small budget: CRS operates under a small budget from the ASUO making it difficult to
plan and facilitate large-scale events and advertising campaigns.3
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Opportunities
Additional staffing: New additional staffing allows more opportunity for the use of
services by increasing the intake of cases. The program is prepared to receive more
intake in the future. The cultural liaison position will also open more opportunities in the
international community.3
Partnerships: Partnering with student groups such as FSL, ASUO, and RHA will allow
for a stronger presence on campus through increased trainings and mediations. Potential
programs and trainings include: Standards or Judicial Board trainings for FSL chapters,
RA training and roommate conflict resolution services, and services to help international
students adapt and mediate conflict. This opportunity will help boost the CRS customer
base without additional funding or advertising.1
Media presence: Increased media presence will help raise awareness of CRS presence
on campus and opportunities within the department.3
Ombuds Director: The new director of CRS will help bridge the gap between Ombuds
and CRS, creating consistent services throughout the department and eliminate
confusion between the two services.3
Internships and academic opportunities: Because of the strong, established relationships
with the CRES Program and law department, there is an opportunity for internships and
academic credit through CRS. These opportunities would be available for mediators,
program liaisons and department specific positions within CRS.1
Threats
Lack of public awareness: The lack of knowledge students have of CRS is a threat to the
public perception and success of the program. It's difficult to correctly market services
when there is a lack of public awareness.3
Location of office: The current location of the office is hard to find and intimidating to
students. Its physical location is in a building rarely used by students; therefore, the
services and resources provided by CRS are often neglected. CRS is often mistakenly
associated with Student Conduct because of its proximity to their office. Student Conduct
has a negative connotation with students because it is the acting accountability mechanism
for any violations of the Student Code of Conduct.1
Association with Dean of Students: CRS' association with the Office of the Dean of
Students creates barriers in advertising and marketing abilities because of inefficiency
within the department. Therefore, the rigor and timeliness of campaigns and efforts of
CRS are often diminished or decreased.1
Restrictions on advertising: Advertising on campus, specifically the dorms (a key setting
for CRS), is majorly restricted. To present any advertising materials in these areas, such
as posters, fliers, etc., one must go through a lengthy process for approval, but many
materials never make it through due to the restrictions of content.1
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Current Situation
Issue Background
CRS has had a difficult time connecting and communicating with the general student body at
the University. The program has a small staff, and few promotional resources. Additionally,
since the CRS program became active on social media, they have only earned a total of 648
followers.3 The inability to reach their audience has meant that the CRS program has not been
able to resolve as many conflicts in the campus community as it could, and it doesn't know
which areas of conflict resolution are most helpful to students.
Issue Consequences
While many students on campus could use CRS, we believe the program's lack of notoriety is
limiting the impact it has. Most UO students are unaware of the CRS program, and students
that could be in need of the program's resources have not been able to take advantage of them.
This lack of knowledge affects the student body because they are unable to properly resolve
their differences, which promotes further conflict and drastic consequences. Failure to resolve
issues could lead to severe aggression and possible physical harm.
Direction
The general student population needs to become more aware of the wide variety of services
that the CRS program offers. Increased visibility at popular campus locations is something that
could greatly benefit the program, as well as diversify and grow their social media presence.
The CRS program staff believe that more students should be utilizing their resources.
Promoting these resources in areas that students can see is key to the program’s success.1
Planning Obstacles
Currently, CRS only has one staff member that works on student outreach in any capacity, with
most of its relatively small team focusing on program-specific work.1 With only five CRS staff
members to work with, we were faced with the problem of developing a campaign that could be
effective while utilizing a small staff. Our team developed a solution to this problem that
involves the education of UO thought leaders within our target audiences. By providing
specialized trainings, we were able to maximize the abilities and resources of the small CRS
staff and reach a broad audience with our message. Another issue that we face in developing the
campaign was CRS’ budget. CRS only receives funding from the ASUO. To overcome
budgeting issues, our team developed strategies and tactics that required minimal staffing and
financial resources.
Resources
The student outreach coordinator provided us with a survey that will help us learn what kind of
events our target audience wants CRS to put on. As a program through the UO Office of Dean
of Students (ODS), we could use this as a resource and collaborate with other programs from
the ODS. This will be an effective strategy because it allows us to minimizes cost and to utilize
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resources that are already offered from UO. We can also utilize the program's social media
following. While it is relatively small at the moment, it does have a handful of social media
followers that could quickly spread designed messages.3 These resources allow us to directly
target messages to the student body. If used correctly, the resources could increase awareness
and involvement in the organization. Social media is an important tactic for CRS to utilize as a
platform for advertising their services because it is an easy way to earn free exposure.
Primary Research
To better understand the attitudes and awareness of CRS on the UO campus, we crafted and
conducted a survey. The goal of the survey was to determine the motivations and barriers
students face to use CRS, the channels and settings most appropriate to reach students, and the
scope of the issues that students face related to the program. Our findings revealed two publics
that CRS would benefit the most by targeting: first-year students and members of Fraternity and
Sorority Life (FSL).
Our survey consisted of 34 students in FSL, 20 first-year students and four students not affiliated
with either category. According to our survey, first-year students are more likely to engage in
conflicts than any other class of students. 80 percent of the surveyed first-year students claimed
to have an unresolved conflict one or more times per year, with 40 percent claiming to have
unresolved conflict once per month or more. A large barrier for CRS is that only five percent of
first-year student respondents have heard of CRS. Moreover, 90 percent of these same
respondents would prefer going to friends or family to resolve a conflict before turning to a
university provided resource, while the other 10 percent would not seek help at all. Finally, 50
percent of first-year students trust their peers the most to receive information regarding conflict
resolution on campus, while 35 percent of first-year students would trust administrators the most.
Our findings revealed that among UO students, first-year students – specifically freshmen – were
the least likely cohort to be aware of the CRS program, as well as the most likely to engage in
conflict. This tells us that it is important to reach students early in their academic careers, and
develop campaigns that target freshmen as soon as they arrive on campus. This also reveals that
it is important to have well-informed peer leaders who can refer students to the proper CRS
resources.
Targeting FSL members is another way to increase CRS engagement. Our survey found that 14.7
percent of students in FSL experience conflict at least once or more per week, while 38.2 percent
of FSL students experience conflict one or more times per month. A barrier facing CRS is that
76.4 percent of FSL students have never heard of CRS. Moreover, 85.3 percent of students in
FSL mentioned that they would prefer going to friends or family to resolve a conflict, while 14.7
percent of students would not seek help at all.
Similar to first-year students, FSL members that took our survey were largely unaware of the
CRS program, despite a high number of FSL students experiencing conflict one or more times
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per month. Based on these findings, as well as the fact that FSL members preferred going to
friends and peers to resolve conflicts, a CRS campaign that focuses on FSL leadership trainings
would be beneficial to this target public .
Through our research, we found that the most effective medium for delivering messages to both
first-year students and FSL members was the official UO website. Our survey indicated that 55
percent of first-year students, and 64 percent of FSL students would seek information about
conflict resolution through the UO official website. Other messaging platforms that first-year
students and FSL students frequently use include social media and on-campus postings.
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Target Publics
First-year students
First-year students, specifically freshmen, are a target public because of the unique situation they
experience. For the first time, this group of young adults live away from their parents, in a new
environment, with new people. Roommate or student-to-student conflict may arise, and it is
important for them to know how to resolve situations as quickly and peacefully as possible.
Studies have shown that 25 percent of students will experience roommate conflict.(9) This is a
huge number of students who are dealing with issues they don’t know how to solve. This
situation reveals a need for conflict resolution services. Further studies show that "more conflict
may be exhibited among freshmen at universities who do not complete early roommate behavior
negotiation exercises."9 In other words, the first-year students are having conflict issues, but are
not informed on how to deal with them. Utilizing CRS may decrease this percentage among
University of Oregon Residence Halls. As an organization, the Resident Hall Association could
also benefit from CRS training to learn how to confront challenging or uncomfortable situations
with students. This student group can be positively impacted if the Resident Hall organization
gives them the tools to succeed.
An article published by the New York Times cited research that found that students lacked the
skill and desire to resolve their conflict in a responsible way. For example, Tom Kane, the
director of housing at Appalachian State University said, “we have students who are mad at each
other and they text each other in the same room.”(17) This research suggests that students rely
far too much on their mobile devices and would rather “hide behind” their screens instead of
having a conversation to resolve their disagreement. This situation reveals a student need for
mediation, because they do not particularly want to talk only one-on-one. Conflicts are so
common among first-year students, that at the University of Florida (UF), emotional outbursts
were found to occur at least once a week. (17) This frequency shows the effect that lack of a
proper organizational presence and set of guidelines can have on a group of students.
According to Norbert Dunkel, UF’s director of housing, the biggest issue is the lack of common
communication skills: “Over the past five years, roommate conflicts have intensified. The
students don’t have the person-to-person discussions and they don’t know how to handle them.”
According to professionals, first-year students, compared to other classes, tend to have the most
conflict.(17) Therefore, this demographic requires the most attention of any of the classes. Many
students are used to their parents “fixing their problems” or intervening in their life. CRS would
be an excellent situational resource for first-year students, as it provides them with the
appropriate tools to resolve their disagreement. These case studies reveal that first-year students
are the most likely to engage in conflict with their roommates or friends; however, they are the
least likely to seek help from professional resources. First-year students are a group who would
benefit most from CRS and the programs it offers. As an organization, CRS offers the ideal
services to aid and inform this target public. Our communication assessment revealed that most
first-year students should be targeted through Twitter and Instagram to communicate CRS’ key
messages.
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A focus group conducted by North Carolina State University found that residence assistants
(RA) were unlikely to confront obnoxious or loud neighbors on their floor. The study found that
the students expect the RA’s to discourage loud noises and enforce floor rules. The common
theme is that students were hiding from the confrontation. Unfortunately, “with avoidance often
comes escalation” and more damaging conflict.(17) Many first-year students living in the dorms
will create relationships with their RA’s and rely on them in a way these students used to rely on
their parents. Conversely, RA’s are not there to fix their problems, but help facilitate those
conversations. CRS could teach the RA’s ways to interact and aid those conversations which
could be pivotal in the success of first-year students. This idea offers a situational solution to the
problem because it answers the students needs and avoids what they don’t want.
Fraternity and Sorority Life students

Members of Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) form a community of nearly 4,000 students
where conflict management skills are crucial due to the complexity of the individual chapter
organizations.15 The CRS organization can be utilized to train student groups on how to mediate
conflict, as well as use effective communication skills in leadership councils and accountability
mechanisms. Distributing information about the on-campus resources available to the
organizations would help to prevent communication issues, and the resources could reduce the
escalation of conflicts into bigger problems. Furthermore, providing skills to deal with conflict
will help FSL members maintain a sense of community.
FSL students are a target public because Greek life organizations are often associated with
excessive drinking, which can lead to underage consumption, sexual assault and physical
conflict. According to Blomberg.com, in the spring semester of 2015, “155 fraternity and
sorority chapters at 55 U.S. colleges were shut down, suspended, or otherwise punished after
alleged offenses including excessive partying, hazing, racism, and sexual assault.” (18) Research
suggests that increased alcohol consumption leads to conflict. According to psychologist
Professor McMurran, "Alcohol reduces our ability to think straight, it narrows our focus of
attention and gives us tunnel vision. If someone provokes us while we're drunk, we don't take
other factors into account... This can lead to violent reactions from people who would usually
shrug things off." (19)
Needless to say, there is a large amount of conflict and potential for conflict in FSL circles.
Therefore these students are one of the biggest targets for conflict resolution services because
they have some of the highest possibilities for conflict. CRS provides the programs to positively
impact and curb this behavior. On UO’s campus, there was recently an external review
conducted that revealed several issues in the community that are making way for more conflict
than the usual student at UO would experience. The review states, “Students acknowledge the
problems are largely of their own creation and ultimately theirs to solve. However, they express
frustration with the perceived expectation that they solve them alone, despite being largely
ill-equipped to do so.”(20) The report elaborates more, stating that students are often afraid to
seek assistance from university organizations and officials in fear of prosecution and/or
sanctions. This situational assessment reveals that it is important to ensure confidentiality in
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order to have the trust of FSL members. Because of CRS’ close proximity to the Student
Conduct office, this fear is escalated and prevents FSL students from using CRS services.
Members discussed having an issue with Student Conduct, describing “frustration with the
overall tenor of working with the conduct team to resolve issues.” They described “a feeling of
being patronized and marginalized.”(20) General members of Fraternity and Sorority Life often
get the majority of their information from their respective chapters’ executive board. These
boards offer an opportunity for effective communication because they come from a position of
power which has actual influence and the power to punish and revoke membership.
Research suggests that living in close quarters leads to conflict. In the external review, it was
found that physical space and location is an added challenge for the community.(20) During
interviews conducted for the review, students consistently reported a “dearth of spaces large
enough to accommodate the unwieldy chapter sizes.” The lack of accommodating space is
creating conflict within the chapter facilities and causing chapters to move to off-campus
locations, inflicting more conflict on the community outside of FSL by moving events into the
greater Eugene neighborhoods.(20)
Students consistently reported not having support on campus. The need for the university to
invest more time, people and resources towards creating a positive influence on the FSL
community was loudly expressed by students and alumni in the assessment. The report reinforces
this idea stating, “Students, staff and law enforcement officials agree that there is not currently
an infrastructure or mechanism for students to engage in an open and honest way regarding
issues of policy.”(20) It was also agreed that chapters lack a “functional, consistent and
well-executed internal standards process for maintaining high standards within the chapter.”(20)
All stakeholders came to the conclusion that students need to be provided with proper training to
become more informed and clear about their role in solving conflict. This is an opportunity for
the CRS organization to step in and offer FSL the services, program, support and resources they
are asking for in order to support and educate them to solve conflict more effectively. CRS can
offer chapters and members the proper training to manage conflict on their own, empowering
them to better handle internal issues.
Conflict & Dispute Resolution Program (CRES)
While not discussed in the primary research section, our meeting with the CRS communications
director revealed another university public that is worth targeting by the CRS program. The
Conflict and Dispute Resolution Program within the law school at UO makes up a niche
audience for CRS because of their unique understanding of CRS. The program helps graduate
students develop “conceptual knowledge and practical skills [they will need] to meet the
challenges that emerge due to conflict.”(21) CRES students can utilize certain resources offered
by CRS more so than the average undergraduate students, particularly the Lending Library,
which offers students specific educational literature about conflict resolution that is not readily
accessible anywhere else on campus. CRES and CRS already have already developed a
partnership by which CRS offers CRES students internship opportunities. This
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inter-organizational relationship can be further utilized by offering CRES with more access to
CRS services and resources. The relationship can also become more mutually beneficial because
of the positive impact it promises. CRES can help CRS build its presence on campus by
promoting services in focus groups and projects, as well as spreading the word about CRS
services throughout the CRES program. Through our communication assessment, we identified
that using posters and flyers in the CRES graduate offices is the most effective way to reach and
influence this key public. Through a more exclusive partnership, CRS could also gain more
employees and mediators through CRES students, allowing them to meet higher demands for
service and giving them more opportunities to promote their services to the rest of the
community.(21)
Goals-Objectives-Strategies-Tactics
Goal #1: Increase awareness of CRS services, programs and resources.
Objective #1: Increase awareness of CRS mediation services among first-year students by 25
percent as measured by pre/post survey at the beginning and end of fall term 2017.
Strategy #1:
Coalition — Develop a coalition with the Student Orientation Staff (SOSers) to promote
services to incoming first-year students.
Messaging strategy — Teleological: This strategy will demonstrate the ideal way to manage
and effectively resolve conflict.
Justification: When targeting a specific audience like first-year students, especially in a

population as large as UO, it is important to consider the individuals and organizations that most
influence them in order to decipher their specific needs. SOSers are among the first individuals
first-year students interact with upon arrival to the university. During IntroDUCKtion, all
freshmen are required to interact with the SOSers. They often look up to the staff as role models,
seeking advice, guidance, and information regarding resources the university can offer to
enhance the student experience. SOSers often maintain their relationships with students during
IntroDUCKtion throughout their time at UO. They may also hold prominent positions in separate
university organizations with potential to influence first-year students in the future.
By partnering with individuals who already have credibility and influence among first-year
students, we believe information regarding CRS will be well-accepted, demonstrating the
two-step theory. By passing information about CRS through an already credible source (SOSers),
the information will be better-received by the target audience. Because first-year students are
already seeking advice and information from the SOSers, first-year students will be genuinely
interested in the CRS services as another means of helpful information they are given by the
SOSers.
Tactic #1: SOSer Informational Session

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SOSers will be required to attend a CRS Informational Session prior to IntroDUCKtion. The
informational session will walk through the steps of using CRS programs and services, as well as
encourage them to promote the use of CRS to first-year students.
Justification: Exposing the SOSers to the benefits of CSR is crucial to gaining their support for
the organization, as well as spreading awareness of the services they provide. This tactic not only
aims to educate student staff members to raise awareness among first-year students, but also
persuade them to get involved and spread the benefits of CRS among other audiences they
interact with. SOSers are often heavily involved in other areas of the university and have a strong
presence on campus; therefore, training them will allow them to spread our message across all
platforms they are a part of. Also, this tactic empowers them to handle situations more
appropriately, using CRS as a resource in their own lives. By giving SOSers a means for conflict
resolution, other individuals they influence will follow their lead. This reflects the identification
strategy, which says that the individual receiving information will identify with the positive
message the spokesperson is sending. People look to others and often aim to be like someone
else with desirable characteristics. By building a positive association between CRS and the
SOSers, the public will make a positive association between the proposed ideas and the
characteristics the spokesperson embodies.
Tactic #2: SOSer Presentation

During IntroDUCKtion sessions, there will be a skit put on by SOSers that guides students
through the process of using CRS to resolve potential conflicts as a first-year student.
Justification: First-year students trust the SOSers and find their opinion credible. The SOSers
often advertise various services during orientation, but what is different about this approach is
the stimulation and “fun-factor” that enables first-year students to be more engaged and excited
about what CRS has to offer. The skit will be effective because it creates an experience that will
stand out and be memorable, while also solving a problem for first-year students. The messaging
will persuade students to use CRS services because of the stimulation of the skit, as well as the
source delivering the skit (SOSers). As opposed to being unsure of how to handle conflict, they
will have all the resources at hand from the very start of their collegiate experience. The skit will
offer real-life conflict situations that most first-year students face, as well as teach them how to
utilize CRS services and resources to solve that conflict.
Strategy #2:
Sponsorship — Provide exclusive CRS services to Residence Hall Association, specifically
Residence Assistants, to mediate conflicts within residence halls.
Messaging strategy — Autonomy: Providing the tools and skills to RA’s to deal with conflicts
internally will instill a sense of self sufficiency.
Justification: As of Fall 2017, all first-year students will be required to live in on-campus
housing. On-campus housing is often where most conflict on campus occurs due to the variety of
16

new experiences most students are going through. The majority of students are living with
random roommates that they have never met before, or have never had a roommate before
college. Most halls have 30 to 60 students per floor, so students are forced to live with 30 to 60
strangers, on top of starting a new school and, in many cases, moving across the country. These
new experiences can cause excessive stress and lead to conflict among first-year students. If CRS
offers exclusive services to the Residence Hall Association, conflict can be mitigated through
proper training and access to resources for RAs and students. By providing services and
resources specific to the needs of RHA, and by building a mutually beneficial relationship, the
RAs and students will be more likely to utilize CRS for conflict mediation rather than seeking
help from an outside resource, or not seeking help at all.
Tactic #1: RA Training

RAs will be required to go through a training facilitated by CRS staff members to learn how to
best mediate conflicts between students in residence halls.
Justification: Similar to SOSers, it’s crucial to train and educate the primary influencers of the
target audience, first-year students. By outfitting RAs with the correct tools and resources to deal
with conflict within their halls, CRS is using them as a medium to reach their audience through
two-step flow communication. Although RAs are the ones who primarily mitigate and mediate
conflict within the residence halls, they are promoting CRS services to first-year students by
association with the program through the mutually beneficial relationship between CRS and
RHA. Through sponsorship, RHA also direct high levels of conflict beyond their level of training
to CRS, therefore becoming a major client of CRS. By offering correct and effective training,
RAs will continue to spread awareness through their frequent use of the resources and services,
as well as by recommending to students that they use the services for other aspects of their life
aside from the dorms.
Tactic #2: Permanent Fliers

An aspect of the sponsorship approach will include providing fliers to RAs and requiring them to
post a flier on each “RA board” outlining services, programs and resources that CRS offers.
Justification: Providing RAs with fliers executes our sponsorship strategy by exclusively
distributing CRS information throughout their residence hall to give them a tangible resource to
effectively communicate with first-year students. Having posters permanently on display will
help remind people where they can turn in times of conflict. This flier will have 10 small tabs at
the bottom for students to rip off in order for them to have all of CRS’ information. Often, when
first-year students find themselves seeking resources, they turn to a central board located next to
their RA’s room. This board is a vital opportunity for CRS to utilize, raising awareness for its
services and offering infographics, “how-to’s,” and other advice-driven resources on this board.
In addition, the posters can be tailored to the specific public it is targeting, therefore increasing
its effective message delivery without an RA present. This tactic also allows us to eliminate the
issue of advertising in the dorms by creating materials tailored to first-year students.
17

Strategy #3:
Audience Engagement and Problem Solving — Show the need for conflict resolution services
among first-year students and offer/promote CRS services that are most relevant to them to solve
their problem.
Messaging strategy — Categorization: Reframe the concept of conflict resolution as a vital
component of life that will continue beyond college.
Justification: First-year students may not recognize an arising conflict right away, but other
students may see the signs as a bystander. CRS needs to teach students to recognize the
immediate signs of an arising conflict, and then give them the tools to fix it before it’s escalated.
Students are more likely to pursue and support CRS if they are distant from an issue – or maybe
supporting others in an issue or conflict. As opposed to telling people what to do, the problem
solver approach shows students the need for conflict resolution to mitigate an issue and allows
the bystander decide whether to help or not. By engaging first-year students through various
media and social settings, they will be exposed to several tools and resources that will help them
recognize and solve conflict.
Tactic #1: CRS Dorm Storm

Hold event once a term in the residence halls where CRS hands out promotional (stress release)
materials, as well as hold contests and fun games.
Justification: A common issue on campus is the lack of a physical presence programs and
organizations have when it comes to interacting and engaging first-year students. This leads
students to categorize CRS as irrelevant. Most clubs and organizations rely solely on social
media or advertising to reach their audience, but first-year students need to make a face-to-face
interaction in order to remember and actively engage with the organization for the rest of their
time on campus. Holding an event or tabling in or near the dorms will not only raise awareness
for CRS, but it brings attention to the reality of conflict in the dorms and the ways to deal with it
through unique interactions with the students. This tactic will change the way students view
CRS, by re-categorizing it as a strong resource to help them resolve conflicts now and in the
future. It will also and be given resources to do so, simply by interacting and engaging at the
event.
Tactic #2: Facebook Contest

The residence hall that gets the most students to like or share a Facebook post on the CRS
Facebook page within a certain time frame will win a pizza party sponsored by CRS.
Justification: First-year students are actively engaged on social media, specifically on

Facebook, where many clubs, organizations, and residence halls have pages that students can
join to receive information and news. A Facebook contest will engage students via social media
and spread our message to various channels and audiences. This tactic encourages direct
feedback and promotion, while effectively targeting student interests. The residence halls will be
most effective because the contest will also help grow community and encourage healthy
18

competition between the dorms while also helping students connect and get to know each other
better. The winning pizza party thrown by CRS can also actively promote its services and
programs.
Goal #2: Increase usage of CRS services, programs and resources.
Objective #1: Increase usage among students in Fraternity and Sorority Life by 10 percent, as
measured by pre/post survey.
Strategy #1:
Partnership – Partner with FSL leaders to provide resources that are tailored to solve FSL
conflicts.
Messaging strategy — Autonomy: Similar to the training of RAs, FSL leaders will feel a sense
of autonomy and comfort in the fact that they can deal with conflict internally. Framing the
message towards this goal will make the audience more receptive.
Justification: FSL makes up approximately 10 percent of the student population at UO. The
previously mentioned external review states that members of FSL “feel targeted and perceive
that their actions seem to elicit greater reactions, yield more significant consequences and receive
more attention than a similar action that occurs elsewhere in the university community.”(20) This
is largely due to the fact that FSL engages in more high-risk behavior, and lack the means to hold
themselves to the standards they say they will. With a large population of students, factors such
as self-governance, pressure from the university and a negative perception from the community
lead to large amounts of conflict that are, more often than not, handled incorrectly or not
effective at mitigating long-term problems.
Through a partnership, FSL students will learn how to recognize issues in their community and
receive the tools and training to better deal with these situations. Specifically, leaders in the
community need training and guidance for how to handle fragile situations and conflict. Students
are not trained effectively to be successful in self-governance and peer-to-peer accountability on
the scale they are expected to by their national organizations or university administration. They
deal with issues such as sexual assault, binge drinking, hazing, mental health, bullying, and many
others on a daily basis, all of which can create conflict. Empowering FSL leaders with conflict
resolution resources and knowledge will allow them to better mitigate conflict in the future. If
FSL is more informed on ways to stop conflict, they will be more effective and successful
long-term.
Tactic #1: Executive Board Trainings

Train chapter leaders on how to mediate larger group conflicts, as well as judicial processes.
Justification: Chapter executive boards are the first place students often go to handle various
conflicts within the chapter. Especially during the judicial process, students are expected to
handle high-risk and sensitive subjects of conflict on their own without any advising or guidance
19

on how to mitigate these issues. These leaders often never receive training on how to handle
these conflicts and can easily mishandle a situation, causing even more conflict in the long-run.
Involving chapter leaders not only gives them the means to prevent conflict, but also allows them
to pass this knowledge onto others. It’s important that the people in power have skills to address
and resolve conflicts.
Tactic #2: Recruitment Training

Hold a training for Recruitment Counselors and staff in order to teach them how resolve conflicts
with potential new members, as well as between chapters during recruitment.
Justification: With recruitment comes high levels of stress and high amounts of unresolved
conflict. Because of the timing of recruitment (first or second week of school during fall term),
students are often overwhelmed and exhausted by the complicated process of recruitment and the
emotions at play. Because of this, conflict is extremely common. FSL has large numbers of
student staff that are trained in the process and the logistics of recruitment but these trainings
often lack resources for how to deal with conflicts that may arise. By training Recruitment
Counselors, the main point of contact for potential new fraternity and sorority members during
the process, CRS can provide FSL with resources to mediate conflicts that may arise during the
recruitment process. This tactic broadly targets all fraternities and sororities and actively engages
students in CRS.
Tactic #3: New Member Orientation

During the New Member Orientation, CRS will make a presentation to the new members
outlining their services, programs and resources that are most relevant to them.
Justification: The external review states that “the [FSL] experience has become a first-year and
second-year experience.”(20) It’s important to expose new members (usually first-year and
second-year students) to CRS from the beginning of their Greek life experience so that they can
utilize it throughout their membership. This tactic is important because it ensures that new
members understand what is required of them and how they are to behave. This standard of
behavior is often associated with high levels of conflict when individuals are being held to that
standard or do not hold themselves to that standard. If the negative behavior within FSL is to be
changed, it needs to start with new members. By introducing CRS early on in their collegiate
career, there is hope that they will continue to use the services throughout their time in FSL and
at UO.
If used in conjunction with the training that would be given to FSL leaders and Recruitment
Counselors, there would be a foundation of skills and resources that will be crucial in
transitioning from new members to leadership, as well as passing that knowledge onto others.
Objective #2: Increase use of CRS Lending Library among CRES students by 25 percent as
measured by the number of rentals from spring term 2017 to fall term 2017.
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Strategy #1:
Partnership — Partner with CRES program to encourage graduate students to utilize literary
resources offered by CRS.
Messaging strategy — Noetic: The campaign should highlight the fact that CRS is working to
implement strategies that CRES students are learning. Pointing out similarities will make CRES
students more willing to explore opportunities within CRS.
Justification: A partnership with CRES helps to gain an influential partner in the conflict
resolution field. By partnering with the program, CRS will increase traffic into the office and
lending library, as well as raising the chances of gaining potential reputable interns or graduate
students to work for CRS. CRES students will gain a unique channel to information relevant to
their field and studies. The partnership is mutually beneficial because CRES will have access to
conflict resolution resources and CRS will gain publicity.
Tactic #1: Class Presentations

Have CRS staff give a presentation about the lending library to each CRES class at the beginning
of each term.
Justification: This method will be effective because it plants a seed early and enables the
students to utilize resources that they probably didn’t know existed. In-person contact with
CRES students will ensure thorough understanding, giving students the opportunity to engage
and ask questions to the presenter. This tactic also allows CRS to control the content presented,
targeting certain audiences within the CRES program that may need more attention than others.
Classes are also more full near the beginning of the term so the presentation will have a broader
reach.
Tactic #2: Flyers and Brochures

Produce and distribute flyers and brochures that detail the CRS lending library at each CRES
classroom.
Justification: Flyers and brochures give tangible and usable information for seeking conflict
resolution and CRS services, programs and resources. These resources are something they can
hold on to, as opposed to a speech that they might forget. By distributing flyers and brochures
throughout the department, CRS is increasing their presence without contributing too much time
or effort into making contact with the students. Simply by seeing the materials around the
department and having knowledge of the partnership between CRES and CRS, CRES students
will recognize the branding as credible and readily available.
Strategy #2: Audience Engagement -- Increase traffic to the Lending Library by connecting with
students in prominent locations and on popular platforms.
Messaging strategy — Bandwagon: Create buzz around campus by giving out prizes or swag.
The giveaways will entice people to come to events held by CRS.
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Justification: Because of the location of the CRS office (threat), this strategy will be crucial in
gaining more traffic and engagement into the office to use the Lending Library. Because of the
weaknesses in advertising and promotional materials and the difficulty to get them approved by
the Dean of Students office, it’s important to engage students in unique ways that will increase
traffic into the office in order to see and engage with the Lending Library. For this strategy, CRS
will need to use the audience's interests and incentives rather than their needs. To do this, it’s
important to utilize popular platforms and reiterate the positive, long-term implications that can
result from using resources such as the Lending Library, rather than drawing directly from the
use of CRS on a situational basis.
Tactic #1: Book Fair

Hold a tabling event in front of the EMU with books on display for students to check-out. Hold
contests and giveaway prizes to increase interaction.
Justification: This tactic is a fun way to involve and educate students about the Lending Library
and raise awareness about the unique resources it has to offer. Most students have no idea the
Lending Library exists in the first place, so the prominence of the location (in front of the EMU)
will draw in a plethora of students from different audiences and raise involvement in the
organization. The books and resources available in the Lending Library could be seen as dull and
not useful, but this tactic will dispel that myth and expose students to the benefits of the Lending
Library in an exciting, incentivizing way.
Tactic #2: Book of the Week

Feature a “Book of the Week” on CRS social media.
Justification: One of the issues presented by the client was the lack of content they had to post
on social media to engage their followers. As a solution, “Book of the Week” helps CRS to
maintain consistent weekly exposure and encourages followers to tune in and give feedback. By
featuring a different book in the Lending Library every week, CRS will encourage followers to
make their way into the library to check out more books that might interest them.
Tactic #3: Lending Library Office Hours

Give out free food and coffee at the Lending Library to increase traffic and usage of the Lending
Library during the last two weeks of the term.
Justification: Students are likely to be on the lookout for free food and coffee. Giving out
complimentary food and drink will lure students and faculty towards the library. Once students
are brought in the message can be delivered directly. This strategy will be effective because it
helps students and raises awareness for CRS and the Lending Library.
Objective #3: Increase traffic to the CRS website across all target audiences by 10 percent as
measured by pre/post survey and website analytics at the beginning and end of fall term 2017.
22

Strategy #1:
Organizational Performance: Utilize website for promotion of programs and resources and
scheduling services with students and organizations.
Messaging strategy — Stimulation: Increasing excitement in the content of the CRS website
will produce more traffic. Adding the website link to the promotional material will associate the
website with the exciting content.
Justification: Currently, CRS doesn’t utilize the website for anything other than descriptions of
services. CRS could utilize the site more by added promotional aspects and giving more detail
regarding each service they offer. There needs to be more elaborate explanations of each service
in order for students to fully understand how they can use CRS efficiently. The site needs to
become more accessible to students and have a larger presence on promotional materials in order
to generate more traffic. Once they have a more thorough understanding of the service they want
to use, they can use the website to schedule a consultation, training, or program with a CRS
employee or service. By utilizing the site in more unique ways, CRS will generate more traffic
and increase their organizational performance.
Tactic #1: Website Redesign

Redesign the website to make make navigation easier and more stimulating to encourage
interaction and retention of the content.
Justification: The current CRS website is hard to find and lacks any participatory navigation.
The website needs a redesign to engage students with the services provided and to help them
gain a further understanding of what CRS is and does. For example, providing a search option by
conflict or problem would aid in navigation. Students could choose an option for an issue they’re
having, say a problem with a roommate, and the site would direct them to the correct programs
and resources they offer to help the student. Once they have decided what service would be best
for their issue or conflict, they can schedule an appointment on the website.
Tactic #2: Promotional Materials

Redesign promotional materials (i.e brochures, fidget spinners, fliers, and social media) to give
the website more presence and accessibility.
Justification: Promotional materials need to send students directly to the website to elaborate
more on services and resources offered by CRS. By giving the website more presence on
promotional materials, students will go immediately to the site to engage with CRS, generating
more traffic and engaging students in online content. An example of another student organization
who recently succeeded in this tactic is the Sexual Violence Prevention team within the Dean of
Students. They redesigned their website to help students understand the complicated process of
reporting sexual violence and created all new promotional materials to advertise the changes they
made (see safe.uoregon.edu). They strengthened their presence on campus and promoted their
services in a more accessible way.
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Crisis Mini-Response
Situation: Kimberly Johnson, a freshman at the University of Oregon, sought the Conflict
Resolution Services for one-on-one mediation about ongoing problems with her roommate. She
confided in Graduate Employee Matthew Fisher that she was feeling discouraged because her
roommate, Becca, would continuously call her “fat.” When explaining these situations to
Matthew, Kimberly appeared distraught. During lunch hour, after his session with Kimberly,
Matthew told his friend about the meeting with Kimberly. It turned out Matthew’s friend was
Becca’s big brother. Becca confronted Kimberly and Kimberly had a meeting with the Director
of the Office of Dean of Students and told them she is considering suing the University of
Oregon for breach of confidentiality.
Crisis Type
Preventable – Human-error
Intensifying Factors: This organization is not-well known on campus and has no current
reputation. They have had no major crises to this point.
Diversionary Response
Disassociation: Fire the offending employee.
Vocal Commiseration
Apology: The director will write a letter to Kimberly.
Rectifying Behavior
Investigation: The University of Oregon will investigate the situation at hand.
Corrective action: Hire new staff and retrain employees about the importance of confidentiality.
CRS should begin by investigating the situation at hand. Investigation is necessary because CRS
and the University of Oregon will understand the full scope of the issue and uncover any existing
deficiencies that need to be addressed. In addition, the director should write an apology to
Kimberly on behalf of the former employee. An apology can improve the long-term relationship
with key publics. It is important for the organization to take responsibility for their actions
because it restores trust within CRS. A letter to Kimberly shows the organization cares about her
well-being and wants to make sure she is taken care of. Furthermore, violating the bylaws and
talking about confidential mediation sessions wounded the trust and reputation of the
organization. Therefore, after a formal apology from the director, there should be a
disassociation between Matthew and the organization. Firing the employee who breached
confidentiality transfers responsibility from CRS as a whole onto the offending employee. This
response can be effective for neutralizing the negative coverage of the situation and diverting
press away from the organization. After Matthew is terminated, corrective action should take
place by hiring new staff and retraining employees about the importance of confidentiality. This
is important because it can improve the image of the organization in the long-term and
24

potentially prevent the situation from recurrence.
Sample Apology Response from Director of CRS:
Dear Ms. Johnson,
On behalf of the Conflict Resolution Services, I am deeply sorry for the pain our employee has
caused you. You confided in our staff under strict privacy and he acted against everything CRS
stands for. Breaching confidentiality is an offense we take very seriously and we are currently in
the process of investigating the situation. In the meantime, the graduate employee is no longer a
mediator for CRS.
The actions of our former team member do not reflect our values or purpose. We strive to
provide our clients with skills to develop efficient and constructive conversation to comfortably
resolve their conflict. Moving forward, we will be retraining our employees to ensure they know
the seriousness of maintaining confidentiality. In short, we are disappointed and embarrassed by
our actions.
Your well-being is of the utmost importance and if you return to CRS, I will personally provide
the best services possible to ensure that your original conflict is properly addressed. However, I
understand if you do not feel comfortable returning. Therefore, I want you to be aware of
Counseling & Services at the University of Oregon Health Center. Their services are topnotch
and like us, care significantly about their client’s health and success.
Again, I am so sorry for any pain we have caused and please let me know if I can do anything
more to make you comfortable.
Best,
John Smith
Director of Conflict Resolution Services
Timeline Justification:
Because the goal of the campaign is to raise awareness and visibility of the services generally
across students, the most reliable timeline approach is pulsing. It’s important to have consistent
events and programming throughout the year to maintain active visibility and messaging to all
target publics, but there are also certain times that be more active than others. For example, using
the bursting approach at the beginning and end of each term is effective because of the higher
need for CRS services at these times.
The timeline is representative of a realistic approach to a long-term campaign. The campaign

starts with trainings and rebranding to raise awareness and loyalty to the CRS program by
teaching the target publics and their main influencers about our services. These trainings can
25

remain consistent in future years and maintain allegiance to CRS in the long-term. The end of the
campaign relies on behavioral change from our target publics to then further usage of the
programs and services CRS.
Conflict Resolution Services PR Campaign Budget: Deliverables

Strategies Tactics Component Detail Unit Price Quantity Annual Vendor
Cost
Strategy Tactic 1.1.1.1 Brochures: 11 X 8.5 $1.23 30 $36.90 Campus Copy

SOSer CSR basics trifold: folded
1.1.1 informational
session
Muffins Fresh baked $0.67 27 $18.00 Safeway
assorted
Coffee Coffee $1.24 36 $44.64 Starbucks

traveler – 12
cup pack
Tactic 1.1.1.2 SOSer SOSers skit $0.00 25 $0.00 University of

volunteers Oregon
SOSer Student
presentation Orientation
1.1.2 RA Training CSR basics trifold: folded
Muffins Fresh baked $0.67 200 $134 Safeway

assorted
Coffee Coffee $1.24 204 $252.96 Starbucks

traveler – 12
cup pack
26

Tactic 1.1.2.2 Flier for Full page $0.25 330 $82.5 Knight
Permanent residence color 8.5 X Library
Fliers halls 11
Strategy Tactic 1.1.3.1 Fidget Custom CRS $1.74 800 $1,397 Idea Stage
1.1.3 Dorm Storm Spinners
Corn Hole Set Standard $0.00 1 0.00 Borrow
Brochures: 11 X 8.5 $1.23 800 $984 Campus Copy

CSR basics trifold: folded
Tactic 1.1.3.2 Facebook Post boost $50.00 1 $50 Facebook

Facebook advertising
Contest campaign
Pizza Party Pizza $0.63 200 $126 Little

Caesar’s
Fidget Custom CRS $1.74 200 $348 Idea Stage

spinner Fidget
giveaway spinner

2.1.1 FSL Executive CSR basics trifold: folded
Board
Trainings
assorted
Tactic 2.1.1.2 Brochures: 11 X 8.5 $1.23 30 $36.90 Campus Copy

Recruitment CSR basics trifold: folded
Training

assorted
Tactic 2.1.1.3 Powerpoit Basics of $0.00 1 $0.00 CRS

presentation CRS
New Member
Orientation
Strategy Tactic 2.2.1.1 Powerpoint Basics of $0.00 1 $0.00 CRS

2.2.1 Class presentation CRS
Presentations
Tactic 2.2.1.2 Flyer handout Contact $0.02 200 $4.00 SOJC Printer
Flyers and information 4
Brochures flyers per
page
27

Brochures: 11 X 8.5 $1.23 200 $246.0 Campus Copy

CSR basics trifold: folded
Strategy Tactic 2.2.2.1 Gift Card Local $0.00 1 $0.00 Tracktown,

2.2.2 Book fair fundraising business Gift Yogurt
for giveaways Card Xtreme,
donations Duckstore,
Chipotle
Strategy Tactic 2.2.2.2 Social media Facebook $5.00 30 $150.00 Facebook

2.2.2 Book of the posts post boost
Week
Tactic 2.2.2.3 Staffed office Muffins $0.67 10 $300.00 Safeway

Lending hours
Library Office
Hours
Tactic 2.2.2.3 Staffed office Coffee $1.24 12 $14.88 Starbucks

Lending hours
Library Office
Hours
Strategy Tactic 2.3.1.1 Static Computer $250.00 1 $250.00 Student

2.3.1 Website webpage programmer Programmer
redesign redesign (CIS Student)
Tactic 2.3.1.2 Website on included in $0.00 $0.00 Campus

Promotional promotional prior Copy, Idea
Materials material marketing stage, SOJC
material costs Printing
Total Cost: $4,842.08

28

Evaluation:
Goal #1: Increase awareness of CRS services, programs and resources.
Objective #1: Increase awareness of CRS mediation services among first-year students by 25
percent as measured by pre/post survey at the beginning and end of fall term 2017.
Outcome: By conducting a pre/post survey at the beginning and end of first-year students’ first
term on campus, we can determine whether or not their attitudes and understanding of CRS
changed at all over the course of the term. Our survey will not only inquire as to whether first
year students have utilized or are aware of CRS, but also where they received messages about
CRS services.
Strategies 1:
Tactic 1 (SOSer Informational Session/SOSer Presentation)
Outtake: A portion of the above-mentioned survey will focus on the SOSers, and ask students if
they remember any information that the SOSers gave them about CRS during orientation.
Output: CRS speaker completes one SOSer training in thirty minutes during the SOSer training
week.
Output: The SOSer team will perform a 10-minute skit during each introDUCKtion section to all
students in attendance.
Strategy 2:
Tactic 1 (RA Training)
Outtake: In addition to inquiring about the SOSers, our survey will also ask first-year students
about how the RAs approached conflict resolution. One section of the survey will ask if students’
RAs ever mediated a conflict for them, as well as if the RAs ever discussed the CRS program.
29

Output: CRS employee completes three thirty-minute RA trainings before first-year students
move into the dorms.
Tactic 2 (Permanent Fliers)

Output: Measure the number of fliers that are distributed.
Outtake: Additionally, tracking the number of tabs that are pulled off of each flier at the end of
the term could help determine how many students engaged with the fliers.
Strategy 3:
Tactic 1 (Dorm Storm)
Output: Measure the number of stress release toys given out at the event.
Outtake: Track student attendance at the event by having students present their ID in order to
participate in games or activities.
Tactic 2 (Facebook Contest)

Outtake: Measure the number of shares, likes and comments the CRS Facebook page receives
during the time frame in which students are trying to win the pizza party.
Output: CRS marketing employee creates engaging social media contest before the term begins.
Goal #2: Increase usage of CRS services, programs and resources.
Objective #1: Increase usage among students in Fraternity and Sorority Life by 10 percent, as
measured by pre/post survey.
Outcome: Conduct a pre/post survey about the CRS program, that is distributed to all FSL
students. This survey can be used to determine whether the trainings impacted FSL’s attitudes
towards CRS, or their behavior when dealing with conflict.
Strategy 1
Tactic 1 (Executive Board Trainings):
Outtake: A portion of the above-mentioned survey will focus on the role of chapter leaders in
mediating conflict. The survey will ask FSL students if their chapter leaders had to mediate any
group conflicts over the term, and whether or not they felt the leaders were effective in their
mediation. The survey will also ask if chapter leaders ever mentioned CRS to students.
Output: CRS employee completes a one-hour Executive Board training per fraternity or sorority
chapter week 7 and week 8 of winter term.
Tactic 2 (Recruitment Training)

Outtake: The survey that we distribute will also discuss recruitment, and ask FSL students if they
believed they recruiting process created conflict, and if the Recruitment Counselors were
properly prepared to handle said conflict.
Output: CRS employee completes a two-hour Recruitment Counselor training on September 21.
30

Tactic 3 (New Member Orientation)

Outtake: The survey would have a specific section dedicated to newly-initiated members. This
survey would ask how effective the presentation was and how much of the presentation was
retained.
Output: CRS employee will conduct four presentations for new fraternity and sorority members
three weeks after becoming a part of their organization.
Objective #2: Increase use of CRS Lending Library among students by 25 percent as measured
by the number of rentals from spring term 2017 to fall term 2017.
Outcome: The focus of this objective it so specifically increase the number of rentals from the
CRS lending library. Measuring the average number of rentals per week from spring term 2017
through fall term 2017 would determine whether or not campaign methods that are implemented
throughout fall term had an impact on the number of rentals.
Strategy 1
Tactic 1 (CRES Presentation)
Output: Track the number of weekly rentals that the CRS lending library experiences in the
weeks before and after the CRES presentation is given.
Outtake: CRS employee completes one CRES class presentation about the Lending Library
during week 1 of each term.
Tactic 2 (Flyers and Brochures)

Output: Count how many flyers were printed versus how many flyers were distributed.
Outtake: Count average library attendance before flyers are distributed and count average library
attendance after flyers are distributed.
Strategy 2
Tactic 1 (Book Fair)
Output: Measure how many prizes are ordered by CRS.
Outtake: Measure both how many prizes are distributed to students, and how many book rentals
occur as a result of the event.
Tactic 2 (“Book of the Week”)

Outtake: Measure how many likes, comments and shares the social media post gets on the CRS
Facebook and Twitter page during the specific week.
Outtake: Each week, track whether or not that week’s target book was checked out by a student.
Output: CRS employee chooses every “Book of the Week” and creates social media content
before the term beings.
Tactic 3 (Lending Library Office Hours)

Outtake: Track the number of people that attended the lending library’s before and after the CRS
31

staff begin offering food.
Output: Utilized budget of $104.96 per term for coffee and food for students during week 10.
Objective #3: Increase traffic to the CRS website across all target audiences by 10 percent as
measured by pre/post survey and website analytics at the beginning and end of fall term 2017.
Outcome: Conduct a pre/post survey in which users view images of or visit the CRS website
before and after it is updated, and determine their attitudes about the website’s redesign.
Strategy 1
Tactic 1 (Website Redesign)
Outtake: Measure the average number of weekly visitors to the CRS website both before and
after it is redesigned, to determine whether or not the update increased traffic.
Output: Website is completed by outside organization by the beginning of the school year.
Tactic 2 (Promotional Materials)

Outtake: Track the number of average weekly visitors for the website before and after the new
promotional materials are distributed.
Output: Outside entity is charged with redesigning each of the promotional materials for the CRS
website.
32

References
1 Glunn, J. (2017, April 19). Conflict Resolution Services Client Interview [In-Person interview].
2 Office of the Dean of Students. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://dos.uoregon.edu/crs
3 Gunn,J. (2017, April 3). Conflict Resolution Services. Powerpoint Lecture presented at
J453 Strategic Planning in University of Oregon, Eugene, Ore.
4 Program on Negotiation Staff [Harvard Law School]. (2017, February 7). New Dispute
Resolution Skills: A Case Study of Conflict Management Using Negotiating Skills. Retrieved
from
https://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/business-negotiations/new-conflict-management-skills/
5 BiskEducation [University of Notre Dame]. (n.d.). The Five Styles of Conflict

Resolution. Retrieved from
https://www.notredameonline.com/resources/negotiations/the-five-styles-of-
conflict-resolution/#.WP0vAVPytmB
States Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Conflict Prevention and

6 United
Resolution Center. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/adr
7 Center for Dialogue and Resolution. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.lanecdr.org/
Ombuds Program. (n.d.). About the Ombuds Program. Retrieved

8 The
from https://ombuds.uoregon.edu/
9 McCorkle,S., & Mason, S. G. (2009, November 1). Confict in Residence Halls: A

Preliminary Study of the Efficacy of Roommate Negotiations to Reduce Roommate Conflict
[Scholarly project]. In Boise State University ScholarWorks. Retrieved from
33

http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=pubadmin_facpu
b s
10 Conflict Resolution. (2015, December 15). Retrieved from

http://experience.oregonstate.edu/campus-services/conflict-resoluti
on

11 Restorative Justice Services. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.fcgov.com/restorativejustice/statistics.php
12 WorkplaceConflict Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.theconflictresolutionprofessionals.org/workplace-conflict-statistics.ht
ml
13 Externalreview affirms concerns about fraternity and sorority life. (2016, April 24).
Retrieved from
https://around.uoregon.edu/content/external-review-affirms-concerns-about-fraternity-and-
sorority-life
14 University of Oregon students protest Trump's election. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/34971181-196/university-of-oregon-students-protes
t- trumps-election.html.csp
15 About Us [Fraternity & Sorority Life]. (n.d.). Retrieved

from http://oregonfsl.orgsync.com/About
(16) Meredith, E. (n.d.) Butter Me Up: A Case Study in Conflict Resolution. Retrieved May 11,
2017, from
http://my.ilstu.edu/~llipper/com495/examples_cs/NCA%20-%20Org%20Com%20Final%20Cas
e%20Study%20-%20Erin.pdf
(17) Moore, A. S. (2010, July 24). Failure to Communicate. Retrieved May 17, 2017, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/education/edlife/25roommate-t.html
(18) Otani, A., & Diamond, J. S. (2015, June 5). Every Time a Fraternity or Sorority Got in
Trouble This Year. Retrieved May 19, 2017, from
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-frat-sorority-offenses/
(19) Alcohol and aggression. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2017, from
https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/alcohol-facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/mental-health/alcohol-and-
aggression/
(20) Holmes, R. (2016, March 1). University of Oregon External Review of Fraternity / Sorority
34

Life. Retrieved May 20, 2017, from
https://around.uoregon.edu/sites/around2.uoregon.edu/files/oregon_external_review_final_report
.pdf
(21) University of Oregon School Of Law. (n.d.). About the Conflict & Dispute Resolution
Program | University of Oregon School of Law. Retrieved May 20, 2017, from
https://law.uoregon.edu/explore/about-CRES

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1

Conflict Resolution Services

Public Relations Plan

J 453: Strategic Planning and Cases

Emerging Trends or Issues

Center for Dialogue and Resolution

Harvard Case Study of Conflict Management and Negotiation

Illinois State University Case Study in Conflict Resolution

Fraternity and Sorority Life students

Conflict & Dispute Resolution Program (CRES)

Goal #1:​ Increase awareness of CRS services, programs and resources.

Justification​: When targeting a specific audience like first-year students, especially in a

Tactic #1: SOSer Informational Session

Tactic #2: SOSer Presentation

Tactic #1: RA Training

Tactic #2: Permanent Fliers

Tactic #1: CRS Dorm Storm

Tactic #2: Facebook Contest

Justification:​ First-year students are actively engaged on social media, specifically on

Goal #2:​ Increase usage of CRS services, programs and resources.

Tactic #1: Executive Board Trainings

Tactic #2: Recruitment Training

Tactic #3: New Member Orientation

Tactic #1: Class Presentations

Tactic #2: Flyers and Brochures

Tactic #1: Book Fair

Tactic #2: Book of the Week

Tactic #3: Lending Library Office Hours

Tactic #1: Website Redesign

Tactic #2: Promotional Materials

Sample Apology Response from Director of CRS:

Dear Ms. Johnson,

The timeline is representative of a realistic approach to a long-term campaign. The campaign

Conflict Resolution Services PR Campaign Budget: Deliverables

Strategy Tactic 1.1.1.1 Brochures: 11 X 8.5 $1.23 30 $36.90 Campus Copy

Coffee Coffee $1.24 36 $44.64 Starbucks

Tactic 1.1.1.2 SOSer SOSers skit $0.00 25 $0.00 University of

Muffins Fresh baked $0.67 200 $134 Safeway

Coffee Coffee $1.24 204 $252.96 Starbucks

Corn Hole Set Standard $0.00 1 0.00 Borrow

Brochures: 11 X 8.5 $1.23 800 $984 Campus Copy

Tactic 1.1.3.2 Facebook Post boost $50.00 1 $50 Facebook

Pizza Party Pizza $0.63 200 $126 Little

Fidget Custom CRS $1.74 200 $348 Idea Stage

Strategy Tactic 2.1.1.1 Brochures: 11 X 8.5 $1.23 58 $71.34 Campus Copy

Tactic 2.1.1.2 Brochures: 11 X 8.5 $1.23 30 $36.90 Campus Copy

Muffins Fresh baked $0.67 30 $20.10 Safeway

Tactic 2.1.1.3 Powerpoit Basics of $0.00 1 $0.00 CRS

Strategy Tactic 2.2.1.1 Powerpoint Basics of $0.00 1 $0.00 CRS

Brochures: 11 X 8.5 $1.23 200 $246.0 Campus Copy

Strategy Tactic 2.2.2.1 Gift Card Local $0.00 1 $0.00 Tracktown,

Strategy Tactic 2.2.2.2 Social media Facebook $5.00 30 $150.00 Facebook

Tactic 2.2.2.3 Staffed office Muffins $0.67 10 $300.00 Safeway

Tactic 2.2.2.3 Staffed office Coffee $1.24 12 $14.88 Starbucks

Strategy Tactic 2.3.1.1 Static Computer $250.00 1 $250.00 Student

Tactic 2.3.1.2 Website on included in $0.00 $0.00 Campus

Total Cost: $4,842.08

Tactic 2 (Permanent Fliers)

Tactic 2 (Facebook Contest)

Goal #2:​ Increase usage of CRS services, programs and resources.

Tactic 2 (Recruitment Training)

Tactic 3 (New Member Orientation)

Tactic 2 (Flyers and Brochures)

Goal #1: Increase awareness of CRS services, programs and resources.

Justification: When targeting a specific audience like first-year students, especially in a

Justification: First-year students are actively engaged on social media, specifically on

Goal #2: Increase usage of CRS services, programs and resources.

Goal #2: Increase usage of CRS services, programs and resources.

2 Office of the Dean of Students. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://dos.uoregon.edu/crs

5 BiskEducation [University of Notre Dame]. (n.d.). The Five Styles of Conflict

States Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Conflict Prevention and

7 Center for Dialogue and Resolution. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.lanecdr.org/

Ombuds Program. (n.d.). About the Ombuds Program. Retrieved

9 McCorkle,S., & Mason, S. G. (2009, November 1). Confict in Residence Halls: A

10 Conflict Resolution. (2015, December 15). Retrieved from

12 WorkplaceConflict Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from

14 University of Oregon students protest Trump's election. (n.d.). Retrieved from

15 About Us [Fraternity & Sorority Life]. (n.d.). Retrieved