Office of the Chancellor

PFW Launching Second Phase of Pathways to Conflict Resolution Initiative

January 23, 2023

Dear Faculty and Staff,

In October, Purdue University Fort Wayne launched a new website and awareness campaign on pathways to conflict resolution. At our town hall to announce the initiative, we indicated that a second phase would begin in the new year. 

To help university leaders better understand the experience of our employees with PFW’s reporting pathways—and to help introduce new approaches to increase utilization and trust—I have invited two commissioners from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, Carrie Foster and Steve Perala, to spend some time on campus in February talking to employees. Carrie and Steve have extensive experience helping organizations assess and improve their conflict resolution processes, and we look forward to the positive steps that they can help our university take.

Please join the university’s senior leadership team at a virtual open forum on Tuesday, January 31, at noon via Zoom to hear more about our work with FMCS. Carrie and Steve will be on hand to introduce themselves, talk about their process, and take questions from employees. This open forum will be recorded for anyone who cannot attend live. You can also learn more about their process here.

Any employee interested in talking with FMCS will have the opportunity to sign up to participate in a focus group. More information on how to engage will be shared after the open forum on January 31.

After they have had an opportunity to speak with our employees, Carrie and Steve will draft a set of recommendations for the university that will inform the next steps in our pathways to conflict resolution initiative, that will be shared with the university community for its consideration and discussion.

If you have questions about the open forum or about the university’s work with FMCS, please reach out to Jeff Malanson, special assistant to the chancellor for strategic initiatives, at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Ron Elsenbaumer
Chancellor