{"640120":{"#nid":"640120","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Assistant Vice Provost Offers Strategies, Resources for Conflict Resolution ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArticle by Autumn Siebold\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERevised on Nov. 10, 2023\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhether the issue is being credited in a study or disagreeing over grade policies, Kyla Ross knows academic issues are best solved by people familiar with academia. That\u2019s one of the reasons why she applied to be the assistant vice provost for Advocacy and Conflict Resolution.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSince I\u2019ve held faculty positions at multiple institutions and was previously a postdoctoral fellow and graduate student myself, I can approach each conflict I\u2019m working through with empathy,\u201d Ross said. \u201cI find it motivating to not only help faculty, postdocs, and students with their current challenges, but also to equip them with helpful strategies for future conflicts they may experience. I welcome the opportunity to consult with them so that more in our community learn how to leverage the positives while limiting the negatives of conflict.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERoss completed her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University in 2006. Next, she served as a postdoctoral fellow in the National Institutes of Health-funded Fellowships in Research and Science Teaching (FIRST) Program. In 2008, Ross\u0026nbsp;joined the faculty at Georgia State University,\u0026nbsp;and then returned to Tech in 2016 as the director of graduate training in Biomedical Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy diverse experiences\u0026nbsp;have helped me gain perspective as an administrator, teacher, and coach,\u0022 Ross said. \u0022I\u0027ve helped students and faculty navigate advisor\/advisee relationships. And over time, I\u0027ve developed an appreciation for the ways that people communicate. I\u0026nbsp;wanted to teach others how to connect even in difficult situations, so when I saw this job ad, it felt like it was written for me.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWe asked Ross about how she helps students, postdocs, and faculty, and how people can work through conflict in their own lives. Here\u2019s what she said.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EWho do you work with on campus, and what are some of the most common inquiries you receive?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI serve faculty, postdocs, and graduate and undergraduate students. When it comes to students, a lot of grievances that I receive are about course concerns like grading or class policies.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECommon concerns reported by graduate students and postdocs include communication challenges with their advisors and disputes regarding authorship and publication. For example, graduate students and postdocs might need to clarify authorship order when working on a research project.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, faculty often come to me requesting strategies for how to maintain positive work relationships with their advisees and colleagues.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is the process for a student to submit an academic grievance? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EStudents may file an academic grievance through an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/contact.gatech.edu\/academicgrievance\u0022\u003Eonline form\u003C\/a\u003E. Once submitted, I investigate and seek resolution on the case. The first step is to get curious about the perspective of each individual involved and talk with them. I often also connect and consult with campus units, like the Office of Disability Services or the Dean of Students, to investigate further and to ensure that the solution adheres to campus policy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EDescribe what your day-to-day job entails.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMost of my days involve some combination of consulting, coaching, interviewing, and writing. Even if an individual doesn\u2019t want to file a formal complaint, people can email me about any concerns. I host sessions on how people can navigate challenging conversations and manage conflict, as well as consultations to teach communication and conflict resolution skills. When people do choose to file a complaint, I\u2019m available to investigate the concerns and mediate when needed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is the most satisfying part of your job?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI like knowing that I can help the people who\u0026nbsp;come to me. Sometimes, the conflicts I\u2019m dealing with are quite challenging and individuals are entrenched in their own positions. When that happens, it\u2019s very satisfying to detangle the problem and help everyone involved find closure.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is the most challenging part of your job, and how do you deal with it?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAt times, it can be challenging for all parties to achieve closure. For example, we might have found a resolution that all have agreed to, and then one party shares information that changes the best way forward. To avoid getting frustrated myself, I try not to get attached to one party\u2019s needs, so that it\u0027s easier to determine what will help everyone involved. I also remain focused on my own emotions, particularly when it\u0027s\u0026nbsp;clear that others\u2019 emotions are running strong. Even if the solution we come up with doesn\u2019t totally solve things for all parties, I seek the best possible outcome for all involved. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003ECan you provide a couple of strategies for handling conflict?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFirst, check out the resources we have to offer, which include\u0026nbsp;workshops on active listening and effective communication. These can help you manage conflict if and when it arises. Students can reach out to me by email to ask about attending these workshops.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen it comes to working through conflicts, maintaining open communication with people goes a long way. It\u2019s healthy to disagree but being mindful of how you\u2019re coming across will help you to avoid confrontation. This mostly comes down to being self-aware. It\u0027s important to remember that the only person that you can control is you\u003Cem\u003E.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nFor more information, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/provost.gatech.edu\/reporting-units\/conflict-resolution-ombuds\u0022\u003Eprovost.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFind out how Kyla Ross, the assistant vice provost for advocacy and conflict resolution, can help members of the academic campus community deal with conflict.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Find out how Kyla Ross, the assistant vice provost for Advocacy and Conflict Resolution, can help members of the academic campus community deal with conflict.\u00a0"}],"uid":"34838","created_gmt":"2020-10-12 17:58:51","changed_gmt":"2023-11-10 15:34:43","author":"asiebold3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-10-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-10-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"640121":{"id":"640121","type":"image","title":"Kyla Ross","body":null,"created":"1602525832","gmt_created":"2020-10-12 18:03:52","changed":"1602525832","gmt_changed":"2020-10-12 18:03:52","alt":"","file":{"fid":"243331","name":"VPGEFD_kyla.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/VPGEFD_kyla.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/VPGEFD_kyla.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":942333,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/VPGEFD_kyla.jpg?itok=eQE_wL7k"}}},"media_ids":["640121"],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"},{"id":"249231","name":"Postdoctoral Services"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1808","name":"graduate students"},{"id":"1506","name":"faculty"},{"id":"69901","name":"Postdocs"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kyla.ross@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKyla Ross\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAssistant Vice Provost for Advocacy and Conflict Resolution\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}