Handling Conflict Within Societies at SMU

Written by Natasha Fernandes

Thumbnail Photo by Akson on Unsplash

Societies on campus are a great way to foster student companionship and fellowship. Students can learn to hone their leadership skills and to explore different future career paths. For some, societies are possibly one of the most important aspects of student life. Numerous students can testify that societies have helped them increase their self-confidence. Societies give students unique skills, talents, and experiences that typically are not offered in a classroom setting. For example, by being active in societies and meeting new people who have similar thoughts, students have a chance to be more collaborative and increase their networking opportunities. My previous two articles give a sneak peek into how societies have benefited student life in a positive way (Catholic Christian Society (CCO): A Society that Raises Future Leaders, A Glimpse into the Health of Societies during the Pandemic: An interview with Salma Maliha Maisha). Additionally, Saint Mary’s University has numerous student societies for students to take part in- currently, SMU has 25 active societies for the year 2020-2021. If none of the current societies interest you, SMU also offers the flexibility and opportunity to start your own society as well.  

Photo by Obie Fernandez on Unsplash

Although societies are mostly positive and beneficial, there are still both pros and cons, as it is with any institution. While most societies are doing a great job at keeping students happy and engaged, they can sometimes be tough to control, especially if leadership lands in the wrong hands. Internal conflicts amongst society members are unavoidable. Like in any social group, problems arise, especially when problems don’t get discussed, and issues start to stew. This can affect relationships with student executives in any society. Further, handling student conflicts (problem-solving) is it’s own unique skill, especially when people are deeply invested in the society and emotions are involved. Societies do have students from different countries and different backgrounds and all students have their own sets of values that they like to uphold. When a student’s values are compromised this can lead to an argument or unsettling feelings. Often, if these problems aren't effectively resolved, it can taint the experience a student might have within the society.

Personal Experiences

The societies that I have been part of have been very cordial experiences, but I know that this is not the case for everyone. To add some insight into this issue, I spoke to someone who has been a part of many societies and could offer some details on the hidden political sides of societies which usually aren’t publicized or discussed with all members. 

Salman Sadib is a 4th-year SMU student who has been a part of various societies including Enactus, Conflict Resolution Society, Toastmasters, Debate Society, Habitat for Humanity, Accounting, Commerce, SMU Queer Society. He is currently the coordinator for Sexual Violence Prevention & Education at Saint Mary's University. The link above is where students can receive more updates about sexual violence prevention and bystander training. You can also email svpi@smu.ca for immediate assistance with your concerns. Salman shared a lot of useful information with me including his personal experiences with different societies. He explained that conflict resolution can be dealt with in various ways, and successful problem solving depends a lot on leadership. For instance, some leaders try a direct approach which can get quite confrontational, and other leaders avoid problems altogether. Some leaders feel that imposing a decision, whether another society member likes it or not, is the right way to deal with issues. However, other leaders want to openly communicate with their members and make decisions using a unanimous vote. This approach may manifest happiness unanimously but will slow their project’s momentum as waiting for each member to agree can be time consuming. When dealing with conflict, leaders should remember to always remain calm and composed and strive to be an active listener. Other than leadership issues, academic stress can also affect emotions which can escalate conflicts within a society. Salman shared with me a few pointers about conflicts within a society and his own personal views on his experience dealing with them. 

Salman Sadib, Coordinator for Sexual Violence Prevention at SMU

Below is an excerpt from our conversation: 

“I’ll share a personal experience with you. I’ve been part of student politics once with SMUSA but one of my colleagues and I did not get along which is why I did not enjoy that experience, even though I was more excited to be part of it. I think it’s important to learn about the people who you are going to be working with because when you’re working or volunteering for societies [or] organizations, you’re hoping to accomplish better results, but it can be difficult to achieve positive outcomes if your values don’t align with your fellow co-workers, which can cause additional stress and take a toll on your mental health.”

It is evident that politics within societies can affect students’ relationships with each other if not handled correctly. Another individual that I spoke to (who wishes to stay anonymous) confided in me that they once had to quit a society due to too much conflict within the executive members.

Another issue is that the sudden switch to a virtual platform has societies in a paradoxical space. Societies have been benefiting in some ways by having more flexibility, but also have been at a disadvantage in other ways, such as communication through online platforms where it is easier to ignore messages. Student motivation is quite low as there are less face-to-face meetings which tend to have an adverse effect on participation in societies. 

When it comes to conflict resolution, the virtual shift has led to fewer conflicts. This seems great at face value, but it might also be because there aren’t enough members to have any conflict in the first place. When I asked Salman if this virtual shift has led to an increase or decrease in conflicts amongst societies he said, 

“I personally think the effectiveness of all the societies reduces while shifting to virtual operations because there are very few people involved in most of the societies. Interaction among students was the best part of the societies before the pandemic. There are few conflicts among societies and almost no conflicts among members due to lack of members in the first place.” 

I agree with this sentiment. Although virtual operations might have made handling conflict easier as there aren’t many members, it has stolen the natural glow of societies. What I mean by that is the aura of fellowship and constant engagement not just between members within a society but with students at large on campus through face to face events. At the same time, I do not want to take away from the efforts of many societies at SMU who have tried so hard to maintain their positivity and still organize events when they can.

Conflicts among societies are something that one can not erase but one should not be afraid of either. When dealing with conflicts it is important to separate the person from the problem so that one can still maintain their relationship with each other. It is important to accept conflict as it is and to remember that conflict is natural and should not be something that stops you from stepping out of your comfort zone and joining a society. Dealing with conflicts within a society can be an experience to learn from when one has to deal with them on a much larger scale, whether that be within a family or in the corporate world. 

Although conflicts are a part and parcel of our everyday life, they seldom happen within societies. Before joining a society ensure that the people who you will be working with are allowed to have their own opinions but should also respect the ones you have. From what I have seen and heard, the benefits that a society provides definitely outweigh the risks that they impose. Resolving conflicts within a society will speak for your leadership and mediation skills which will prove to be influential weapons to use during a difficult time. As the famous saying goes “when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade!”