A huge thank you to all at Herzing College/Kompass Professional Development for the past 12 wonderful weeks I spent toward mediator qualification! Admittedly, I was reluctant going into this program, having never done an online program before, and with limited available time on account of a busy legal practise. However, my concerns were quickly alleviated, once I discovered that I could manage all the reading (3 mediation text books), the 4 hours of classes each week, the discussion posts, and the assignments, all of which work was indeed challenging and time-intensive, but the volume and pace were manageable.

Connecting into the online sessions worked without a glitch, with the instructors and students all managing to remotely collaborate as required. The material covered in the program was broad in scope and most relevant, with the various topics all nicely integrating, such that, by the end of the program, all students had a solid knowledge of various areas of law and processes to which conflict mediation skills apply. The instructors were stupendous, teaching all required materials – through lectures, great visual aids, role play sessions, and discussions to which all students contributed – in a manner that was as practical as it was academic, and, more importantly, fun, with good doses of humour throughout. I was extremely impressed with how, while teaching all the theory and concepts, the instructors generously provided us with invaluable practical advice drawn from their real world experience as mediators, which will certainly assist any students planning to become mediators, such as myself.

Each of the 3 instructors to whom I was exposed were frequently and reliably accessible, taking the time to respond to my inquiries outside class time; I have no doubt whatsoever that these instructors genuinely care about the students learning the materials, and providing practical advice on how to apply it in our various assignments, and, of course, later on in practise. As I definitely now feel well-equipped to mediate disputes for clients, I believe that the value of the education I have earned — from this top notch learning facility, and its terrific, enthusiastic instructors — more than justifies the tuition fee, which was reasonably modest in any event.

I also thoroughly enjoyed meeting all my wonderful colleagues, and their feedback throughout; while the courses were online, I believe I have made some genuine friends, all of whom share a keen interest in becoming mediators. I even met up with one colleague in Manitoba — I am in Ontario — and we had a grand time, sharing life experiences, with lots of laughs. I will really miss this course and all the great people I met. In summary, then, this course was wonderful in all respects — indeed, priceless — and I would not hesitate for a moment to recommend it to anyone likewise interested in embracing the challenge. Thanks again to everyone at Herzing/Kompass for providing me with this enjoyable, enriching experience!”