![](/-/media/feature/micrositesnewsandevents/staffnews/suzanne-chambers-460px.jpg)
Innovation in practice
News 24 JulyA message from Executive Dean of Health Sciences Professor Suzanne Chambers: Winter has so far been a season of future-thinking and action for the Faculty of Health Sciences.
06 May 2016
Share
ACU’s Professor Laurence Boulle has been instrumental in forming a special volunteer group of mediation experts that focuses on helping volunteers and volunteer managers resolve conflict.
More than 1 million Australians volunteer with Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and Not-For-Profit groups (NFP) each year, and sometimes disputes between volunteers and management arise.
Professor Boulle, who is one Australia’s top mediators and Professor of Law at the Thomas More Law School, said the Voluntas program is a free service which provides mediation professionals to the volunteering sector.
Dr Boulle said conflict was part of everyday life and most people and organisations resolve disputes themselves, however unresolved conflicts and badly managed disputes give rise to risks and costs that damage volunteers and their organisations.
“The Centre for Volunteering and other organisations have told us that volunteers and volunteer managers often don’t know where to get help if they are experiencing ongoing conflict in their organisation,” he said.
“Plus volunteers and NFPs generally have little or no budget for professional mediation services.
“Voluntas believe that early assistance in transforming conflict through constructive conversations can prevent conflict from escalating and can resolve conflicts more quickly.
“This can help everyone get on with the task of contributing through their valuable volunteer work.”
Dr Boulle said volunteers willingly give their time for the common good and without financial gain but sometimes can develop a sense of entitlement and this can trigger disputes when volunteer organisations change policies regarding allowances, travel, uniforms or reimbursement.
“We believe that constructive, timely conversations with an impartial person guiding the discussion will make a difference in the volunteering sector to improve dignity, respect and fairness for anyone experiencing conflict,” he said.
The Voluntas trial service is expected to run for six months to August 2016 and the need for this type of service will be evaluated. Common themes or issues that cause conflict for volunteers and volunteer organisations will also be examined.
Professor Boulle practiced law for five years before becoming an academic and since then has held academic positions at four Australian law schools and has taught at universities in New Zealand, the Pacific, Africa and Europe.
He was a foundation staff member at the Bond University Law School where he established the Dispute Resolution Centre which continues to provide extensive training and continuing professional development after two decades.
He has practised for more than 20 years as a mediator and as consultant to governments on conflict management and dispute systems design.
He was chair of the National Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Council for two terms and Chair of the Mediator Standards Board. He has also served on the National Native Title Tribunal as a part-time member.
A message from Executive Dean of Health Sciences Professor Suzanne Chambers: Winter has so far been a season of future-thinking and action for the Faculty of Health Sciences.
From Monday 22 July to Friday 9 August, Service Central will be available for extended hours to support staff.
A message from Vice President Father Anthony Casamento csma: From 5 – 9 August we will celebrate Mission Week across our campuses. This is an opportunity for us to come together as a community to cele...
Are you going to be a grandparent soon? Did you know ACU offers personal leave for staff to care for their child or grandchild after birth or adoption?
Discover the learning and career development opportunities that are available online, including the brand-new leadership development program, 'The Edge Series'.
Join ASCILITE and become a member of one of Australasia’s most vibrant professional technology enhanced learning communities, with more than 2200 members from tertiary institutions across Australia an...
Phones will be removed from all classrooms over the mid-semester break, from 23 September to 27 September.
Include an additional survey item in the Student Evaluation of Learning and Teaching (SELT) survey for units that are offered in Professional Term 5 (202455).
Australia’s first five-time diving Olympian, a Kiwi gymnast and the woman who taught actor Chris Hemsworth to row will be among 15 ACU students and alumni to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Para...
A message from acting Executive Dean of Theology and Philosophy Associate Professor Richard Colledge: Recently, the faculty has hosted opportunities for reflection on the possibilities for reconcilia...
Are you on your parenthood journey? A practical guide is now available to support staff, and their supervisors, through the stages of becoming a parent and transitioning back to work.
Embark on an exhilarating journey into the mysterious world of enrolments. Register to attend an enrolment information session for Semester 2, 2024.
Join upcoming online workshops in preparation for Semester 2. Secure your spot today to learn how you can utilise Canvas and its features to enhance your teaching practices.
A limitless professional horizon awaits ACU students after its three IT programs were awarded certification by the nation’s most trustworthy player in the tech sector, the Australian Computer Society.
Following evaluation and voting by a panel of ACU judges, Co-Lab is delighted to announce Thomas Clark and Xavier Chalkley as the winners of the $1000 prize for the ACU Co-Lab Social Enterprise Pitch ...
ACU Library staff will participate in professional development activities on Thursday 18 July. While away from their usual posts, they'll be working together across three locations to plan our future ...
Applications for 2024 Teaching Development Grants, Citations and Awards are open. Explore guidelines and resources to enhance your teaching project’s impact or gain recognition for your contributions.
As we sit in this small window of the winter break gearing up for Semester 2, it's important to recognise that not everyone experiences this period as downtime. For many, workloads and busy lifestyles...
This week is NAIDOC Week, an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
ACU staff who are also members with UniSuper can now access free expert medical advice and services to support their health and wellbeing through MetLife 360Health.
Visit Service Central to access Corporate Services.