Key Terms You Should Know

Understanding key terms is essential in helping you know when the Office of Conflict Resolution is the right support for you. Explore our definitions to learn what we mean and when we can help.

• Bias

  Conduct, speech, images or expression that demonstrate conscious and unconscious prejudice which targets individuals or groups based on any protected status (see definition below). 

  Learn more about Concerns and Reporting on CSUSM's Office of Inclusive Excellence page. 

• Bullying
  Any unwanted, aggressive behavior with the intent of controlling or harming other individuals. Bullying includes, but is not limited to, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, or excluding someone from a group on purpose. This also includes cyberbullying. 
• Conflict
  A serious disagreement, argument or condition that is incompatible and/or opposes needs, drives, wishes or external or internal demands that affect learning, living and working environments.
• Conflict Resolution
  A formal or informal process used to mitigate or find a peaceful resolution to a dispute, a serious disagreement, a conflict or condition, or conduct and behavior misaligned and/or incongruous with the values of CSUSM and CSU, that negatively impacts learning, living and working environments.
• Cultural Humility
  A continual process of self-exploration and self-critique, combined with a willingness to learn from others. Interpersonal engagement is intentional in honoring beliefs, customs and values of others while recognizing the limits of one’s own knowledge and continually striving to expand one’s cultural awareness. 
• Culture of Care
  Kind, considerate and intentional actions to highlight behaviors that demonstrate genuine care, respect, support and well-being of others. The overall well-being of CSUSM is kept in mind, as we hold the campus community accountable for actions and behavior counter to care. 
• Harassment

  Unwelcome conduct based on any protected status that affects one’s ability to participate in or benefit from services, activities or opportunities offered by CSUSM. 

  Learn more about Harassment on CSUSM's Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation page. 

• Inappropriate Behavior
  Conduct and actions that may be viewed as abusive, concerning or that materially disrupt the learning, living or working environment of CSUSM. These actions can be experienced as egregious, unprofessional or traumatizing to those who experience them. The behavior does not meet the criteria for a potential policy violation and may not warrant disciplinary action, but can be experienced as harmful or disturbing to those on the receiving end of such behavior. 
• Intimidation
  The act of frightening or threatening someone, usually to persuade them to do something that someone else wants them to do. It also means coercing, threatening or interfering with someone in the exercise or enjoyment of their rights.
• Microaggression

  Verbal, behavioral or environmental slights, whether intentional or unintentional, or conscious and unconscious acts that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative attitudes toward members of minoritized and marginalized groups. Microaggressions are often brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to someone because of their group membership and are forms of prejudice. 

  Learn about strategies to address microaggression.

• Other Conduct of Concern

  Conduct that does not violate CSU or CSUSM policies, or local, state or federal laws. This conduct alone does not usually warrant disciplinary action, but can negatively affect the learning, living and working environments of members of the CSUSM community. Other Conduct of Concern (OCC) may not rise to the level of a policy violation or warrant a formal investigation; it may warrant intervention to address the impact, curb the behavior and prevent recurrence. Left unaddressed, OCC can jeopardize campus well-being and erode a culture of care, respect, support, belonging and peaceful resolution. 

  For more information, read CSU’s systemwide guidance on OCC. 

• Protected Status

  A set of categories associated with someone’s identity, including age, disability (physical, intellectual, mental), ethnicity or race (including skin color or ancestry), gender (or sex), genetic information, gender identity (including transgender), gender expression, marital status, medical condition, nationality, religion or religious creed, sexual orientation, and veteran or military status. 

  For more information, read “The CSU prohibits” section of CSUSM's Title IX website. 

• Relational-Cultural Paradigm
  A psychological framework that emphasizes the primacy of relationships and highlights connection and mutuality for human development, well-being and peaceful coexistence. The goal is to create and maintain mutually growth-producing relationships in which both parties feel they matter. 
• Resolution
  A firm decision, action or process to do or not to do something related to a conflict.
• Trauma-Informed
  A way of engaging with people that demonstrates understanding of the effect of trauma on the individual, as well as the impact of trauma on the community. Some of the key principles of trauma-informed practices include safety (i.e., emotionally, psychologically and physically), trustworthiness and transparency, cultural humility and responsiveness, and collaboration.