From Tension to Teamwork: Ombuds-Led Conflict Resolution in Experiential Engineering Education
Institutional Affiliation
St. Mary's University of San Antonio
Start Date
January 2026
End Date
January 2026
Proposal Type
Presentation
Proposal Format
On-campus
Proposal Description
/="/">/="/">/="/">/="/">/="/">We explore the pivotal role of the University Ombuds in addressing and mitigating interpersonal conflicts within internship-based Engineering Senior Design Projects at St. Mary’s University. These capstone experiences, which integrate academic rigor with real-world industry collaboration, often encounter challenges such as cultural misunderstandings, communication breakdowns, and imbalanced team contributions. Drawing on qualitative case studies and anonymized narratives, this research highlights how the Ombuds’s neutral, confidential, and informal mediation services provided a structured yet flexible approach to conflict resolution. Through practitioner-based reflections and empirical examples, we demonstrate how the Ombuds’s interventions not only salvaged at-risk projects but also fostered healthier team dynamics, enhanced faculty mentorship, and preserved critical relationships with industry sponsors.
The Ombuds’s approach aligns with Kaizen principles of continuous improvement and supports ABET accreditation criteria, particularly in fostering professional skills such as teamwork, ethical responsibility, and effective communication. By intervening early and impartially, the Ombuds helped student teams navigate interpersonal tensions, clarify expectations, and reestablish collaborative norms. These efforts contributed to improved project outcomes, increased student professionalism, and greater sponsor satisfaction.
This paper contributes to the broader literature on peace and conflict resolution by presenting a scalable, replicable model for integrating ombuds services into project-based learning environments. It is particularly relevant for interdisciplinary and cross-cultural educational settings, where diverse perspectives can both enrich and complicate collaboration. The findings underscore the value of embedding conflict resolution frameworks within experiential learning programs and offer actionable recommendations for institutions that lack a formal Ombuds Office. By bridging the gap between organizational conflict management and higher education, this study provides a compelling case for the strategic inclusion of ombuds practices in engineering education and beyond.
From Tension to Teamwork: Ombuds-Led Conflict Resolution in Experiential Engineering Education
/="/">/="/">/="/">/="/">/="/">We explore the pivotal role of the University Ombuds in addressing and mitigating interpersonal conflicts within internship-based Engineering Senior Design Projects at St. Mary’s University. These capstone experiences, which integrate academic rigor with real-world industry collaboration, often encounter challenges such as cultural misunderstandings, communication breakdowns, and imbalanced team contributions. Drawing on qualitative case studies and anonymized narratives, this research highlights how the Ombuds’s neutral, confidential, and informal mediation services provided a structured yet flexible approach to conflict resolution. Through practitioner-based reflections and empirical examples, we demonstrate how the Ombuds’s interventions not only salvaged at-risk projects but also fostered healthier team dynamics, enhanced faculty mentorship, and preserved critical relationships with industry sponsors.
The Ombuds’s approach aligns with Kaizen principles of continuous improvement and supports ABET accreditation criteria, particularly in fostering professional skills such as teamwork, ethical responsibility, and effective communication. By intervening early and impartially, the Ombuds helped student teams navigate interpersonal tensions, clarify expectations, and reestablish collaborative norms. These efforts contributed to improved project outcomes, increased student professionalism, and greater sponsor satisfaction.
This paper contributes to the broader literature on peace and conflict resolution by presenting a scalable, replicable model for integrating ombuds services into project-based learning environments. It is particularly relevant for interdisciplinary and cross-cultural educational settings, where diverse perspectives can both enrich and complicate collaboration. The findings underscore the value of embedding conflict resolution frameworks within experiential learning programs and offer actionable recommendations for institutions that lack a formal Ombuds Office. By bridging the gap between organizational conflict management and higher education, this study provides a compelling case for the strategic inclusion of ombuds practices in engineering education and beyond.