At 11amCST/12pmEST: Join us for a thoughtful discussion of dignity and conflict resolution led by Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, Brooke Wichmann, and Duren Thompson from the Ombuds Office at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. We all have an inherent value (dignity) that drives our need to matter and belong. Attending to feelings and experiences of dignity is crucial to building relationships of trust and mutual understanding. Violations of dignity are often the root cause of anger, resentment, mistrust, and destructive conflict. In this session, you will explore the importance of dignity in workplace relationships; discuss how to honor dignity & avoid violations; and strategize ways to uphold the dignity of yourself and others. This 90-minute interactive workshop includes self-reflection, breakout discussion, and action planning activities.
Objectives:
o Understand human dignity as an inherent value and vulnerability at the core of how we find a sense of mattering and belonging in a community.
o Examine beliefs and behaviors that honor dignity as well as those that can harm our own dignity and that of others.
o Apply these concepts to university workplace scenarios.
o Create an action plan for increasing dignity-consciousness to your own workplace interactions.
1.5 hours of CME/CLE pending
Speaker Bios:
Lisa Yamagata-Lynch
University Ombudsperson and Director
Lisa is the University Ombudsperson and Director for the Office of Ombuds Services. Lisa joined the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT) as a faculty in 2011. In 2019 she was appointed as the ombudsperson and was promoted to director in 2021. Lisa is a Certified Organizational Ombudsman Practitioner® (CO-OP) and a certified trainer in Crucial Conversations and Crucial Accountability. Additionally, she is a Tennessee Rule 31 General Civil and Family Mediator. As a faculty Lisa holds the rank of Professor in the Educational Psychology and Counseling Department, where she served as a program coordinator, associate department head, and director of graduate studies. Prior to joining the faculty at UT, Lisa was a faculty at the University of Utah from 2001 to 2004 as an Assistant Professor and Northern Illinois University from 2004 to 2011 as an Assistant and Associate Professor. Lisa received her doctoral degree in Educational Psychology as well as Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University, Bloomington. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from 聖心女子大学—The University of Sacred Heart in Tokyo, Japan.
Brooke Wichmann
Associate Ombudsperson
Brooke is the Associate Ombudsperson at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT). Having worked in the alternative dispute resolution field for more than a decade, she has extensive experience assisting with wide variety of interpersonal, procedural, and organizational challenges. Prior to joining UT, Brooke served as the Associate Director of Conflict Resolution Services at Colorado State University. She is a Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner® (CO-OP), a Cinergy Conflict Management Coach, a Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), an MTI Workplace Mediator and Trainer, a trainer in Crucial Conversations, and an administrator of the Conflict Dynamics Profile. She also has in-depth practice and training in Social Justice Mediation and Non-Violent Communication. Brooke obtained an M.A. in Peace Education from the United Nations Mandated University for Peace and is working on a doctorate in Education and Human Resource Studies.
Duren Thompson
Educational Program Coordinator
As an instructional designer focused on systems-change initiatives, Duren has supported educators in K-12, adult literacy, and higher education to improve learner experiences and outcomes for over 20 years. Through state, regional, and nationally-funded projects, she has designed, lead, and supported educator professional development as a content expert in a wide variety of research-based topics focused on respectful, inclusive, engaging, and technology-enhanced learning experiences delivered via in-person, hybrid, and online modalities. An advocate for extended, job-embedded, and evidenced-based professional development, Duren is currently pursuing a doctorate in Learning, Design, and Technology and a Qualitative Research Certification at the University of Tennessee. She also holds both an MS in Education for Instructional Technology and an MS in Education –for Special Education from UTK, and a Certificate in Cognitive Coaching Foundations from the Thinking Collaborative. Her research explores experiences and support needs of professional developers for educators in adult foundational education.