ASPIRE strives for the highest standards of inclusiveness, respect and civility in support of all students, faculty and staff. Please join us on October 29 and 30, to learn how a Restorative Practices (RPs) program at UMW can promote these values to address differences and conflict through guided collaborative communication and exploration.
What are Restorative Practices?
RPs include various processes derived from the principles of Restorative Justice to promote community by building connections, fostering empathy and facilitating meaningful conversations.
In the Little Book of Restorative Discipline for Schools, Amstutz and Mullet write, “Restorative justice promotes values and principles that use inclusive, collaborative approaches for being in community. These approaches validate the experiences and needs of everyone within the community, particularly those who have been marginalized, oppressed, or harmed. These approaches allow us to act and respond in ways that are healing rather than alienating or coercive.” We hope to use these practices to promote a more restorative campus community.
Learn More and Become Involved
Join sessions led by the James Madison University’s Restorative Practices staff to learn how restorative practices create safe spaces for parties to address the impact of conflict and injurious behavior with guided support towards the best possible outcomes for them.
About the JMU program and staff:
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- JMU began formally started using restorative practices to address student behavior in 2011 and have since grown the program into a robust offering of various services and resources to our community. Visit our website for more information on Restorative Practices at JMU.
- Robby Smith is the Assistant Director in the Office of Student Accountability & Restorative Practices (OSARP) at JMU. He is a Double Duke, getting his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from JMU, and has worked in OSARP since 2017. He has been trained in the use of restorative practices and has facilitated numerous cases throughout his time at JMU.
- This training will also include several other JMU staff members who work specifically with Restorative Practices.
More about Restorative Practices in Higher Ed:
Restorative Practices Overview
9am -12:30 pm, Thursday, October 29
Preview the Restorative Practices Facilitation Process
1-5 pm, Friday, October 30
Restorative Practices Facilitator Training (practical skills of facilitation and case conceptualizations)
9am-12:30pm, Tuesday, November 10
