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Graduate Assistantships

The Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies (CPACS) provides professional conflict resolution services to the community both as community service and as a way to provide real-world experience for our students. Our faculty members actively seek grants and contracts to provide services which also supply employment in the conflict resolution field to our graduate students. This is a unique aspect of the Fresno Pacific University experience. We have several positions which are filled by or available to graduate students in our peacemaking and conflict studies program.

Graduate students Noelle Daoudian, who started as a grad assistant and is now a full time employee in the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program, and Donald Fisher, our grad assistant in the court annexed civil mediation program.

Application process

Graduate assistants are selected through an application and faculty review process. All of the assistantships below are part-time paid positions open to students in our Master of Arts program. In addition to positions listed below there are opportunities for volunteer assistantships. To apply for one of the positions listed below request an application form from:

Holly Mattos, CPACS Administrative Director
Telephone Number:  559-453-3418
E-mail Address:  Holly.Mattos@fresno.edu
Office Address:  4882 E Townsend (Do not send mail to this address)
Mailing Address:  1717 S. Chestnut, Fresno, CA  93702

Our typical graduate assistantships include the following:

There are no current openings.

Court-annexed civil mediation Graduate Assistant – This position is funded by a contract under the Dispute Resolution Program Act. This graduate student works approximately 15-20 hours per week. The work is focused on mediation of cases referred by the Fresno Superior Court civil division in which one of the parties is not represented by an attorney and has filed in forma pauperis, or any other case deemed appropriate for referral by the Court ADR Administrator. The graduate assistant is expected to work for the program for two years and the terms of graduate assistants are intended to be staggered so that one has a year of experience. This is an unparalleled opportunity for someone who wants to become a mediator in civil cases.

FPU Campus Mediation Graduate Assistant – The graduate assistant works approximately 20 hours per week. The work is focused on providing mediation for students on the FPU Campus and providing conflict resolution training for Student Leaders. The cases are coordinated with Student Life. Case referrals are received by written referral, telephone, and drop in visits. The case is entered into a case management system and assigned to a mediator or mediator team, usually including the graduate assistant. The case is followed until it is completed, with follow-up meetings, and a report is made to the referral source when appropriate.

VORP Graduate Assistant - The graduate assistant works approximately 15 hours per week. The work is focused on case management for the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program with an emphasis on cases taken by FPU students in the graduate and undergraduate practicum courses. The assigned cases are entered into the VORP case management system. The students are given training, supervision and assistance as needed to successfully complete the case, including a follow-up meeting. Reports are provided for VORP records and for referral sources as requested. The graduate assistant also serves as a mediator.

CPACS Office Assistant – The graduate students works 15 - 20 hours per week covering the front desk, assisting in manual preparation, library maintenance, special requests by faculty, and other miscellaneous work as needed. This position is supervised by the CPACS Administrative Director.

School Student Mediation Trainer/Coordinator – The graduate student will work 20 hours per week on the school site. The primary responsibilities will be to train student mediators, to coordinate the student mediation program, to supervise the student mediations, and to provide teach/student mediation as requested.