WALLACE STEGNER CENTER
ENVIRONMENTAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROGRAM
As of July 1, 2026, the EDR Program will join the School of Social Sciences at Utah State University as a partner of the Heravi Peace Institute.
As the EDR Program leaves the University of Utah, this website will be retired. Click here to visit the new EDR Program website at USU.
COLLABORATION CERTIFICATE COURSE
Every year, the Environmental Dispute Resolution (EDR) Program offers our flagship Collaboration Certificate Course (CCC). The 7-session online course teaches the "art and science" of collaborative problem-solving and conflict resolution through lectures, case studies, peer-to-peer sharing, discussion, and simulation exercises.
The CCC aims to advance our mission of fostering a culture of collaboration and building collaborative capacity within the Mountain West. In line with this, we give admission preference to qualified mid- and upper-level professionals working on environmental, natural resource, and public policy issues in the Mountain West, although candidates working on these issues in other regions are encouraged to apply.
Course participants acquire:
- Awareness and skills to help them harness the co-creative potential of conflict and participate in multi-party collaborative processes;
- Techniques for identifying opportunities for collaborative problem-solving, as well as skills for convening, facilitating, and sustaining collaborative efforts; and
- Experience assessing whether a situation is ready for a collaborative approach.
Graduates of the CCC have the opportunity to join the Collaborative Leadership Network, which provides opportunities for continued education, coaching, and peer-to-peer support.
Please note that federal agency employees working on Western natural resource and public policy issues are welcome in the CCC and are encouraged to apply for this course. We also offer a similar but separate course specifically for federal agency employees (the Federal Collaboration Certificate Course, or FCCC). The FCCC offers additional learning support and has different course dates and a different application deadline than the CCC.
Course Dates
The CCC consists of a 1-day introductory session, five 2-day instruction sessions, and a 1-day final session. Course dates for the 2026 CCC are listed below. All sessions are highly interactive and delivered virtually via Zoom from 10am-5pm MT. Participants are expected to complete ~2-4 hours of preparation work before each session.
| Session | Dates | Content |
| Session 1 | Sept. 17, 2026 | Introductions, expectations, and core skills |
| Session 2 | Sept. 30, 2026 Oct. 1, 2026 |
Introduction to collaboration and key concepts |
| Session 3 | Oct. 14, 2026 Oct 15, 2026 |
Interest-based negotiation and other key skills for collaborative problem solving |
| Session 4 | Oct. 28, 2026 Oct. 29, 2026 |
Assessing opportunities for collaboration |
| Session 5 | Nov. 18, 2026 Nov. 19, 2026 |
Formal collaborative processes and collaborative process design |
| Session 6 | Dec. 9, 2026 Dec. 10, 2026 |
Facilitation skills, adaptive leadership, and self-leadership |
| Session 7 | Dec. 17, 2026 | Facilitation exercise and wrap-up |
Course Instructors
Danya Rumore, Director of the EDR Program, is the primary instructor for this course. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Policy and Planning and has over 15 years of experience in stakeholder engagement, consensus building, and collaborative process design in the context of environmental, natural resource, and public policy issues.
Emily Gaines-Crockett, Associate Director of the EDR Program, is the co-instructor and course coordinator. Emily is a mediator with a master's degree in Environmental Science.
Continuing Education Units
The 2026 Collaboration Certificate Course will be administered in partnership with Utah State University Continuing Education. Participants who successfully complete the course - which includes participating in all sessions, completing all pre-work assignments, completing a situation assessment project, and demonstrating sufficient mastery of the concepts - will receive 8 non-academic continuing education units (CEUs).
Course Cost
Tuition for the 2026 Collaboration Certificate Course is $2,000.
Thanks to the generosity of the I.J. and Jeanné Wagner Charitable Foundation, we anticipate being able to offer a limited number of scholarships for CCC participants. We receive far more requests for scholarship funding than we can accommodate. Priority consideration for scholarships is given to candidates who meet our selection criteria (which appear in the Application Information section below), and who also: 1) work for small NGOs, small local government agencies, and/or tribal organizations; and 2) do not have access to training funds.
Application Information
APPLY NOW
Click the button above to complete our brief online application.
Although applications for the 2026 CCC were due May 15, 2026, late applications will be considered for the wait list. If you are interested in the course, we encourage you to apply.
Preference will be given to candidates who are:
- Mid-to-upper career level professionals in environmental, natural resource, and/or public policy sectors
- Working in Utah and/or the Mountain West
- Positioned to exercise leadership within their organizations/communities
- Positioned to benefit from the CCC training (e.g., they do not have extensive prior training in ADR, conflict resolution, etc.)
- Representative of different interests, backgrounds, organizations, perspectives, etc.
- Able to attend all class sessions
What Our Graduates Have to Say:
More Information
For additional information about the CCC, contact edrprogram@law.utah.edu.