In 2009, leaders representing two professional associations in student affairs, the American College Personnel Association (ACPA-College Student Educators International) and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education), came together in a joint task force to establish professional competencies for student affairs professionals. This task force report outlines ten competency areas for the student affairs profession. Each area begins with a general definition of the competency and provides related knowledge, skills, and attitudes that student affairs practitioners are expected to demonstrate in their roles (ACPA/NASPA, 2010, p. 5). The largest, and perhaps most significant, of the ten competencies outlined is Human and Organizational Resources, which encompasses recruitment, selection, supervision, and evaluation of staff; conflict resolution and management of the politics of organizational discourse; and strategies for resource allocation. Specifically stated in the skill areas for this competency are key opportunities for success for student affairs practitioners at every level of an organization. Middle managers, defined here as individuals who hold professional positions between frontline professionals and senior leaders, often play a particularly precarious and important role in managing challenging workplace situations. Successfully mediating conflict can boost middle managers' confidence, thereby making them more effective as leaders in student affairs. Providing middle managers with the appropriate training opportunities, resources, and support will allow them to function at a higher level professionally for the betterment of students, staff, and the institution. The goal of this chapter is to discuss the key issues facing middle managers in higher education when coping with conflict.