Don’t burn bridges — rebuild them.

Difficult colleagues. Defiant roommates. Dreadful breakups. Student life isn’t easy—we get it.

That’s why we started the Dispute Resolution Clinic (DRC): a free, confidential service to help you constructively work through conflict.

Two women converse on a pale pink couch. On the left, a woman with light blonde hair in a ponytail and red glasses wearing a white blouse gestures with her right hand. On the right, a dark-haired woman wearing red nail polish holds an iPhone in her left hand.

The minds behind the DRC are now being recognized with Humber College’s League 2020 Innovation of the Year Award which acknowledges programs that have brought about notable improvements in the lives of Humber and University of Guelph-Humber students.

The story

Students enrolled in Humber College’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) graduate program wanted to find a way to practically apply their academic skills and improve your life on campus. So, in 2019, they partnered with IGNITE. The result was the DRC—it’s been helping you solve problems at both the North and Lakeshore campus ever since.

The Dispute Resolution Clinic (DRC) at Humber College North campus.

Two men sit across a table, talking.

The DRC is innovative thanks to its mutual benefits. Moderators are ADR students who gain valuable experience working at the DRC. When you use the service, you’re given practical advice on how to approach your everyday problems.

The DRC has worked with students to overcome everything from landlord disputes to classmate conflicts to academic appeals. And, it does it all at IGNITE—because you are our top priority.

The award goes to 

Mary Lee, ADR program co-ordinator, and Sieu Moi Ly, director of Student Services at IGNITE, will be receiving Humber’s Innovation of the Year Award on behalf of the DRC and the dedicated students involved.

Here’s what they had to say:

Sieu Moi Ly, director of student success at IGNITE, smiles at the camera.
Sieu Moi Ly, Director, Student Success, IGNITE.

“IGNITE takes pride in advocating for students and the DRC is a wonderful vehicle that is used to educate students about their rights, and for staff and faculty to support students in their academic pursuits. As a platform, we hope the DRC will continue to grow in terms of increased collaboration with administrators, faculty, staff, and students to elevate the post-secondary experience.” —Sieu Moi Ly, Director, Student Success, IGNITE.

Mary Lee, program co-ordinator for Humber College's Alternative Dispute Resolution program, holds a red folder and smiles at the camera.
Mary Lee, Program Coordinator, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Humber College.

“The Dispute Resolution Clinic is a testament to the hard work and dedication of a number of people. Equally important is the fact that this partnership has established a clinic where the students and the broader Etobicoke community can take advantage of services to resolve any type of interpersonal dispute at no cost.  It’s amazing how successful we are at resolving our disputes when we take that first step and reach out like the community is doing with the Dispute Resolution Clinic.” —Mary Lee, Program Coordinator, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Humber College.

IGNITE extends a huge congratulations to ADR students, IGNITE student staff, Ly and Lee for this remarkable accomplishment.

The DRC is here to stay—just like our commitment to enhancing your student experience.

What else is IGNITE doing for you? For starters, here are five on-campus services you can access from home.

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