THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS

Course Syllabus

COURSE INFORMATION:
PA 4345 -- Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
Fall 2006 Semester

PROFESSOR CONTACT INFORMATION:

Jerome Levy
Attorney-Mediator
Suite 700
100 Crescent Court
Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 459-6440
FAX: (214) 459-6441
www.levymediator@aol.com
Campus office location: 3.406 in Green
Office hours: every Monday following class session
other dates and times as warranted
appointment required

COURSE PRE-REQUISITES:
Minimum of sixty hours of college credit

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will introduce students to the theory and
practice of conflict pre-emption, negotiation and
resolution. Students will learn to analyze the parties,
the issues and appropriate strategies in negotiations,
and will take part in many negotiation simulations in
order to develop their skills in issue identification and
problem resolution. The course will begin with the study
of two-party negotiation and progress to multi-party,
multi-issue negotiation situations.

STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES:

It has frequently been stated that we live in a world of
ever greater and more frequent conflict. While conflict
cannot be avoided, the basic objective of the class is to
discuss recognition of potential conflict situations,
negotiation and mode of non-violent conflict resolution.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:
(1) “The Heart and Mind of the Negotiator” Third Edition by
Leigh L. Thompson published by Pearson/Prentice Hall
(2) “Getting to Yes” Second Edition by Roger Fisher and William
Ury, published by Penguin Books

READING ASSIGNMENTS AND ACADEMIC CALENDAR:

August 28, 2006:

 “Getting to Yes” – Section One (“The Problem”)

September 4, 2006 – Labor Day – no class

September 11, 2006:

“Getting to Yes” – Section Two, Chapters 2 to 5 (“The Method”)

September 18, 2006:

“Getting to Yes” – Section Three, Chapters 6 to 8 (“Yes, but”)

September 25, 2006:

“Getting to Yes” – Sections Four, Five and Questions 1 to 10.

October 2, 2006:
“Heart and Mind” – Chapters One and Two

October 9, 2006:
“Heart and Mind” – Chapter Three

October 16, 2006:

“Heart and Mind” – Chapters Four and Five

October 23, 2006:

“Heart and Mind” – Chapters Six and Seven

October 30, 2006:

“Heart and Mind” – Chapter Eight and Nine

November 6, 2006:
“Heart and Mind” – Chapter Ten

November 13, 2006:

“Heart and Mind” – Chapter Eleven

November 20, 2006:

“Heart and Mind” – Chapter Twelve

November 27, 2006:

“Heart and Mind” – Appendix One, Two, Three and Four

GRADING POLICY:
One-third each from: class participation, mid-term (take-home
exam) and final exam.

SEMESTER COURSE OUTLINE (subject to being periodically revised):

August 21, 2006: First class session

Lecture – Logistical issues: introduction of the instructor;
class overview; instructor’s expectations; attendance; grades
(fifteen minutes)

Lecture – Definition of terms; background of conflict;

 preventative steps; damage control; revealed/hidden/unknown
agendas, prophylactic measures; overview of negotiation
techniques and methodology in dispute resolution; respect;
choices; modes of communication (two hours and fifteen
minutes)

August 28, 2006: Second class session

Discussion of the reading materials for this class - “Getting
to Yes” – Section One (twenty minutes)

Lecture – Recognition/anticipation of an evolving conflict;

“chess gaming” the issue; options; thinking outside the
proverbial box; timing; brainstorming; body language; right
brain versus left brain thought patterns and strategies (two
hours)

September 11, 2006: Third class session

Discussion of the reading materials for this class - “Getting
to Yes” – Section Two (twenty minutes)

Lecture – Polymorphic aspect of negotiation; sensitivity to

the needs of one’s potential or real opponent; objectivity;
effective communication, all the way from effective dialogue
to “talking past” each other; physical setting; brainstorming
(one and a half hours)

Conflict resolution exercise – class (thirty minutes)

September 18, 2006: Fourth class session

Discussion of the reading materials for this class - “Getting
to Yes” – Section Three (twenty minutes)

Lecture – Real versus perceived problems; negotiation styles

and personality considerations; risk tolerant versus risk
adverse people; aggressive listening (one and a half hours)

Conflict resolution exercise – class (thirty minutes)

September 25, 2006: Fifth class session

Discussion of the reading materials for this class - “Getting
to Yes” – Section Four and balance of the text (twenty
minutes)
Lecture – Anticipation of sequential positioning; magic words
(i.e., when, how, who and why/why not); decision tree analysis
(including BATNA and WATNA); intelligent reasoning versus
“petulant child” (one hour)

Conflict resolution exercise – class (one hour)

October 2, 2006: Sixth class session

Discussion of the reading materials for this class – “Heart
and Mind” – Chapters One and Two (twenty minutes)

Lecture – Tangibles and intangibles; delineating what can be

 negotiated and what (as a practical matter) cannot be
negotiated; considering conflict as a recurring item to be
expected versus the “Kleenex approach” (one hour)

Conflict resolution exercise – class (one hour)

October 9, 2006: Seventh class session

Discussion of the reading materials for this class – “Heart
and Mind” – Chapter Three (twenty minutes)

Hand out take-home mid-term exam

Lecture – Bargaining points versus “throw-away” items;

successful conflict methods versus counterproductive styles;
distinguishing between certainty and probability (one hour)

Conflict resolution exercise – class (one hour)

October 16, 2006: Eighth class session
Pick up mid-term exam

Discussion of the reading materials for this class – “Heart

and Mind” – Chapters Four and Five (twenty minutes)

Lecture – Gamesmanship (both productive and destructive);

level of response; aggressive listening; advanced
consideration of body language; presentation; appearance (one
hour)

Conflict resolution exercise – class (one hour)

October 23, 2006: Ninth class session

Dr. Marie Chevrier – guest lecturer

October 30, 2006: Tenth class session

Discussion of the reading materials for this both this class
and last week’s class – “Heart and Mind” – Chapters Six
through Nine (thirty minutes)

Lecture – Closure; stacking “BB’s”; knowing the distinction

between an impasse and an avoidable impasse; “muscle
negotiation” (one hour)

Conflict resolution exercise – class (one hour)

November 6, 2006: Eleventh class session

Discussion of the reading materials for this class – “Heart
and Mind” – Chapter Ten (twenty minutes)

Lecture – “Peace versus War” dichotomy; nuances and subtle

messages; gamesmanship; ethics; cultural differences (one
hour)
 Conflict resolution exercise – class (one hour)

November 13, 2006: Twelfth class session

Discussion of the reading materials for this class – “Heart
and Mind” – Chapter Eleven (twenty minutes)

Lecture – social/gender/ethnic/cultural issues; stages of the

negotiation process (thirty minutes)

Conflict resolution exercise – class (one and a half hours)

November 20, 2006: Thirteenth class session

Discussion of the reading materials for this class – “Heart
and Mind” – Chapter Twelve (twenty minutes)

Lecture – Dishonest and/or recalcitrant parties; when to “cut

and run” (i.e., damage control); fungible versus non-fungible
issues; litigation (thirty minutes)
Conflict resolution exercise – class (one and a half hours)

November 27, 2006: Fourteenth and last regular class

Discussion of the reading materials for this class – “Heart
and Mind” – Appendix One, Two, Three and Four - and then an
overview of all of the semester’s reading materials (thirty
minutes)

Lecture - Advanced conflict resolution techniques;

advanced discussion of personalities, all the way from
passive/aggressive negotiators to “Rambo” types; conflagration
(forty minutes)

Lecture – Listing of sources of information and publications

on the subject of conflict, including the best of the Internet
web sites (ten minutes)

Conflict resolution exercise – class (one hour)

Candid critique of the class (ten minutes)

December 4, 2006: Final Exam

COURSE AND INSTRUCTOR POLICIES:

It is expected and required that all students come to each
class session prepared to discuss, question and negotiate.
The instructor will discuss and answer questions about the
assigned reading for each class, but will not summarize the
assigned readings; it will always be assumed that all members
of the class have read and familiarized themselves with the
text. Class attendance is critical because negotiating skills
cannot be mastered solely by reading; each class builds upon
the information that was discussed in the previous class.
RELATED MATTERS – see the attached pages.