Academic Catalog 2023-2024

Negotiation&Conflict Res (NCR)

NCR 190.  Seminar: Negotiation Theory.  (3 Units)  

Negotiation Theory will be presented through consideration of the game and other theories used in bargaining at all levels of society, so that the student will understand why negotiation is the underlying art in human affairs. Students will acquire the ability to appropriately select and apply tools of negotiation to conflict resolution and peacebuilding in order to achieve personal, community, national and international goals.

Offered As needed

NCR 289.  Key Issues in Peacebuilding.  (3 Units)  

Introduction to theories of peace, conflict and violence. Emphasis is on interdisciplinary character of peacebuilding and application of theories and methods. Students gain understanding of nature of social conflict, causes of violence and the meanings of peacebuilding at all levels.

Offered Fall

NCR 290.  Intro to Negotiation Theory.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisites: Sophomore standing and instructor approval. Consideration of theories used in bargaining at all levels of society to understand why negotiation is the underlying art in human affairs. Students will acquire ability to appropriately select and apply tools on negotiation to conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

Offered Infrequent

NCR 291.  Psychology of Peacebuilding.  (3 Units)  

Examinies how psychological processes, cognitive and emotional, individual and collective, combine with external factors in causing violence. How these psychological insights can help prevent and resolve violent conflicts is examined through consideration of peacebuilding approaches.

Offered Spring

NCR 294.  Independent Study in NCR.  (1-3 Units)  

Prerequisites: Consent of the instructor Independent study of particular topics in the subject area under the direction of a member of the subject department faculty. Repeatable course.

Offered Infrequent

NCR 296.  Undergraduate Internship: Peacebuilding I.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor, restricted to majors. Under the direction of the internship faculty associate, students work in various approved internship opportunities.

Offered Infrequent

NCR 387.  Enviornment and Peacebuilding.  (3 Units)  

Peacebuilding and conflict transformation combine with ecology in an effort to reconsider the human relationship system as it combines with our environment. Explores how society might foster environmental improvements and sustainable development to achieve successful peacebuilding goals.

Offered Fall

NCR 390.  Fundamentals of Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: NCR 290. Introduction to fundamentals involved with interdisciplinary conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Emphasis on ways the arts and humanities shape and form its ethics and methods. Issues like truth and cultural perspective-taking will be explored along with storytelling narrative; creativity/imagination.

Offered Infrequent

NCR 391.  Restorative Justice.  (3 Units)  

Restorative arts and healing within conflict resolution encourages those who have harmed another to repair their harm. Victims, including affected community, receive opportunity to encounter offender, ask questions and share how they have been harmed. Restorative Discipline included.

Offered Fall

NCR 394.  Independent Study in NCRP.  (1-3 Units)  

Prerequisites: Consent of the instructor Independent study of particular topics in the subject area under the direction of a member of the subject department faculty. Repeatable course.

Offered Infrequent

NCR 396.  Undergraduate Internship: Peacebuilding II.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor, restricted to majors. Under the direction of the internship faculty associate, students work in various approved internship opportunities.

Offered Infrequent

NCR 405.  Research Methods: NCRP.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisites: NCR 290 and NCR 390. Instructs in strategic research approaches used to develop new tools, methods or projects for analysis emphasizing theoretical, analytical, research and practical skills in writing and critical thinking in the field of negotiation, conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

Offered Fall

NCR 410.  NCRP Pedagogy.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Requires approval of program director. Addresses emerging practice of conflict resolution in cyberspace. ODR utilizes online resources as the fourth party collaborating with the traditional third party in resolving conflicts more efficiently and less expensively.

Offered Spring

NCR 490.  Capstone Course: NCRP.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisites: NCR 290, NCR 390, NCR 405 and NCR 410. Community service learning utilizing outside internships (120 hours) plus weekly class sessions (75 minutes each). Internship will include successful completion of 25-hour mediation skills and techniques training. Requires demonstration of ability to negotiate and resolve disputes.

Offered Spring

NCR 494S.  Independent Study in NCRP.  (1-3 Units)  

Prerequisites: Consent of the instructor Independent study of particular topics in the subject area under the direction of a member of the subject department faculty. Repeatable course.

Offered Infrequent

NCR 495.  Special Topics in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Approval of Program Director. Intensive study of an issue, concept, theme or method in Negotiation, Confilct Resolution & Peacebuilding. May be taken for credit only once for the major. Repeatable course.

Offered As needed

NCR 496.  Undergraduate Intern: Peacebuilding III.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor, restricted to majors. Under the direction of the internship faculty associate, students work in various approved internship opportunities.

Offered Infrequent

NCR 500.  NCRP Skills Concepts & Tools.  (3 Units)  

Determining specific purpose and key issues when negotiating, resolving conflict, and building peace. Effective application when reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Questioning information, conclusions, and points of view with clarity, accuracy, precision and relevance. Thinking beyond the box with fairness and logic.

Offered Fall

NCR 503.  Ethics of NCRP.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: NCR 500. Examines individual group values and perspectives in relation to negotiation, conflict resolution and peacebuilding processes, with special emphasis on analyzing third party intervener's ethical responsibilities and dilemmas. Case studies used to examine and formulate ethical approaches to critical issues.

Offered Spring

NCR 504.  Theories of Conflict.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: NCR 500. Critical analysis of conflict theories and models among individuals, organizations and governments; exploring causes, functions and effects. Perspectives from anthropology, archaeology, biology, communications, economics, gender studies, geography, history,

Offered Fall

NCR 507.  Sem. Res Desig/Intrepret.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: NCR 500, 503 and 504. Considers various research methods to be used in negotiation, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Covers research design and the tools needed to conduct basic independent research. Students develop a compelling research proposal addressing questions of importance to them.

Offered Spring

NCR 508.  Communication and Conflict.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: NCR 500, 503 and 504. Emphasizes human communication in context of conflict. Addresses challenges to effective communication caused by interpersonal, intrapersonal, intergroup or intragroup conflict, and role of communication in resolving such conflicts. Concentrates on methods of communication most effective in dealing with differences.

Offered Fall

NCR 522.  Negotiation Tactics.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: NCR 500, 503 and 504. Tactics used in negotiations among individuals, institutions, and societies. Planning and conducting personal, corporate, labor, hostage, and diplomatic negotiations. Cross-cultural, ethical, and historical dimensions.

Offered Spring

NCR 525.  Mediation.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisites: NCR 500, 503, 504, NCR 508, and NCR 522. Theory and skills including requirements for certification under the California Dispute Resolution Programs Act, especially agreement procedures, case development, consensus building, issue framing and prioritizing, orientations toward conflict, and record keeping.

Offered Spring

NCR 527.  Arbitration.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisites: Approval of program director. Compulsory and noncompulsory arbitration of grievances in public, private, corporate, labor, and international disputes. Case studies explore the arbitration role in unique settings.

Offered Fall

NCR 529.  Conflict Res Internship.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisites Requires approval of program director. Students will work as interns in agencies in negotiation, conflict resolution and/or peacebuilding, and will consult weekly with a faculty supervisor. A total of 120 hours of agency internship experience will be required to successfully complete the course. An internship for the Post-NCRP MA Certificate may not be the same as the internship used by the student for NCR 529 as part of the NCRP MA Degree Program.

Offered Infrequent

NCR 530.  Online Dispute Resolution.  (3 Units)  

Examines cases of health care providers who may find that they are involved in disputes related to their profession. Considers potential categories of legal conflict in the health caare industry from three sources of conflict: providers, payers, and producers.

Offered Fall

NCR 531.  Marital & Family Mediation.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Requires approval of program director. Separation problems in traditional and nontraditional relationships such as property division and child custody. Legal, tax, and financial aspects. The mediation process. Written and oral agreements.

Offered Fall

NCR 532.  Dispute Resolution Clinic.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Requires approval of program director. Provides a forum in which all students, staff, and faculty can creatively process and resolve conflict rather than allowing hostilities to build toward violence or adjudication. Each semester, conducts a basic mediation skills training for campus and surrounding communities.

Offered Infrequent

NCR 533.  Labor Conflict.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Requires approval of program director. Case and historical studies in selected industries. Past, present, and pending court decisions or national and state labor laws. Strategic planning for labor organizations. The process of negotiating a labor contract. Grievance and arbitration procedures.

Offered Fall

NCR 535.  Organizational Conflict.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Approval of program director. Origin and types of conflicts which arise within and between complex organizations. Positive and negative effects of Organizational conflict. Exploiting, preventing, containing, escalating, and resolving conflict.

Offered Fall

NCR 536.  Dispute Resolution for Sports.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Approval of program director. Examines sports law and dispute resolution utilizing particularly the processes of arbitration and mediation. Focuses on players, owners, agents and unions, as well as other areas of conflict such as free agency and player attitude and disloyalty.

Offered Spring

NCR 537.  International NCRP.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Approval of program director. ?Study of selected international conflicts involving complex issues such as culture, ethnicity, politics and religion. Considers common misconceptions concerning diplomacy. Encourages students to appreciate approaches to negotiation, conflict resolution and peacebuilding as vehicles for successful grassroots impact on peace efforts.

Offered Spring

NCR 538.  Sem: Public Policy Conflict.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisites: NCR 504, NCR 507, NCR 508, NCR 522, NCR 525 and NCR 544. Considers constructive and timely approaches to resolving conflicts arising over use, conservation, and restoration of environment, natural resources, and public lands. Examines basic principles, mechanisms and strategies for engaging federal agencies in effective environmental conflict resolution and collaborative problem solving.

Offered Spring

NCR 540.  Sem: Community Conflict.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Requires approval of program director. The impact of system dynamics on conflict management in communities from neighborhoods to nations. Implications of system dynamics for specifying goals and planning interventions to achieve them, from pre-emptive to corrective. Implications for training and organization.

Offered Fall

NCR 541.  Restorative Justice&Peacbldng.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Requires approval of program director. Addresses respective needs of crime victims and offenders ignored by criminal justice system and international community. Retribution abandoned in favor of restorative model based on needs of victims, offenders and community, achieved through application of conflict resolution and peacebuilding processes.

Offered Fall

NCR 542.  Collaborative Law.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Requires approval of program director. Lawyers' and clients' cooperative voluntary conflict resolution process. Emphasizes shared belief that it is in best interest of parties to avoid adversarial proceedings. Commitment to resolving differences with minimal conflict and working together to create shared solutions to the issues.

Offered Spring

NCR 543.  Conflict Resolution in Schools.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Requires approval of program director. Practical strategies to teach students to be peacemakers to reduce violence in schools. Discusses how schools can create cooperative learning environment where students learn how to negotiate and mediate peer conflicts and teachers use academic controversies to enhance learning.

Offered Fall

NCR 544.  ADR Processes.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisites: NCR 500, NCR 503 and NCR 504. Surveys a variety of process choices in dispute resolution. Recognizing that litigation may not be appropriate in many cases. Course examines alternatives such as negotiation, mini-trial, mediation, panel evaluation, summary jury trial, private judging, arbitration, and use of special masters.

Offered Spring

NCR 545.  Intercultural Conflict.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Requires approval of program director. Presents overview of intercultural communication negotiation and conflict resolution. Emphasizes understanding of values of intercultural as well as interreligious diversity in our increasingly interdependent world, nation and local communities. Encourages awareness of cultural perspective and socialization.

Offered Fall

NCR 546.  Conflict and the Media.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Requires approval program director. Examines the role of mass media in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, and its influence on world's most intractable conflicts as well as support of peace initiatives. Considers how media can serve as part of the problem or part of the solution.

Offered Infrequent

NCR 547.  Negotiation International Ethnic Conflict.  (3 Units)  

Examines basic considerations regarding negotiating ethnic conflict that present a challenge to those involved in negotiation, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Explores relevance of negotiation theory to improvement, mangement, and resolution of these disputes by studying selected international conflicts.

Offered Fall, Spring

NCR 548.  Health Care Dispute Resolution.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisite: 6 units in LD Philosophy or department consent. An introduction to philosophical methods, research and dialogue in order to improve students' skills at writing and analysis. Topics to be covered will address some central area or areas of philosophy and will vary from year to year.

Offered Spring

NCR 549.  Critical Peacebuilding.  (3 Units)  

Considers the many and profound interconnections between conflict, development and peace. Examines high levels of violent protracted conflict and inexcusable and rising levels of poverty and inequality - two phenomena that are often found together intermingling in complex ways.

Offered Fall

NCR 591.  Seminar: NCR Capstone Course.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisites: All required and elective courses. Course is designed to enable students to demonstrate integration of knowledge of the field and critical and independent thinking. Preparation and delivery (oral and written) of culminating event under supervision of instructor. Faculty approval of written portfolio and successful oral defense required for graduation. CR grade insufficient by itself. CR/NC grading. Repeatable for six units.

Offered Spring

NCR 594.  Independent Study.  (1-4 Units)  

Prerequisites: Consent of Department Chair. Independent study undertaken under the supervision of a faculty member. Repeatable course.

Offered As needed

NCR 595.  Special Topics.  (1-3 Units)  

Prerequisite: Requires approval of program director. Study of a current topic in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding. Repeatable for total of six units.

Offered Fall, Spring

NCR 597.  Directed Reading in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding.  (3 Units)  

In consultation with a faculty member, completion of readings for orientation to a little known topic; or as background for writing a thesis proposal (the concept for which has previously been approved by the NCR program director). CR/NC grading. Repeatable for a total of six units.

Offered Fall, Spring

NCR 598.  Directed Research.  (3 Units)  

Prerequisites: Requires approval of program director. Conduct of pilot studies, development of research instruments, or similar independent research in preparation for the thesis, under the supervision of a faculty member in any area of Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding. CR/NC grading.

Offered Fall, Spring

NCR 599.  Thesis or Project.  (1-3 Units)  

Prerequisites: Requires approval of program director. In consultation with a faculty member, writing of a master's thesis in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding that has previously been approved by the NCR program director. Then, if thesis approved by faculty and oral defense successful, three units replace NCR 591 as culminating event. CR grade insufficient by itself. Choice of area requires prior approval of NCR program director. CR/NC grading.

Offered Fall, Spring

NCR 600S.  Grad Continuation Course.  (1 Units)  

Graduate students who have completed their course work but not their culminating event or who have other requirements remaining for the completion of their degree, may maintain continuous attendance by enrolling in this course. Signature of graduate program director required.

Offered Fall, Spring