UPR Mayagüez creates dialogue committee to deal with student strikes.

University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez Campus officials said the multi-sector initiative was established after guidance from the UPR president and is intended to create formal spaces for dialogue, listening and problem-solving across the university community.

By THE STAR STAFF

The University of Puerto Rico’s (UPR) Mayagüez Campus has created a multi-sector dialogue forum -- including a representative committee and a certified conflict mediator -- following recent events tied to student strikes, the campus announced.

Campus officials said the initiative was established after guidance from UPR President Zayira Jordán Conde and is intended to create formal spaces for dialogue, listening and problem-solving across the university community.

The committee includes representatives from faculty, staff and students, including the Association of Professors of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, non-tenured faculty, the Association of Supervisors and Managers, the Brotherhood of Exempt Non-Teaching Employees, the Labor Federation of University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez Employees, the Bonafide Union of Security Officers, the Workers’ Union, the General Student Council, the Student Movement, graduate students, and the chancellor’s office.

Interim Chancellor Dr. Miguel A. Muñoz Muñoz said the university “remains committed to dialogue as the means to address the concerns of our community,” adding that the committee is meant to ensure “different voices can be heard” and to develop alternatives responsibly.

As part of the process, officials said a duly certified conflict mediator will be brought in to help structure the discussions and promote a respectful, orderly and productive exchange among the sectors represented.

Muñoz said he hopes the forum will help the campus identify solutions and build agreements that support institutional stability and the well-being of students, faculty and non-teaching staff.