Restorative Practices

Restorative practices focus on building and repairing relationships, promoting open communication, and addressing conflicts in a healthy and constructive way. In Student Inclusion and Belonging, we hope to foster meaningful connections, nurture empathy, and build resilient communities through the restorative practices. Whether you're seeking conflict resolution tools, community-building resources, or personal growth strategies, you've come to the right place.

What We Offer:

Community Building: We offer a range of tools and resources designed to help our campus communities strengthen their bonds, fostering an environment of trust and collaboration.
Conflict Resolution: We offer options for resolving conflicts in a way that promotes understanding and paves the way for healing.
Workshops and Training: Join our workshops to learn effective communication, active listening, and conflict resolution skills that will serve you well in your academic and personal journey.
Peer Mediation Program: Become a part of our peer mediation team and help your fellow students navigate conflicts in a supportive and unbiased manner.
Restorative Circles: Engage in open and respectful dialogues through our restorative circle sessions, fostering understanding and healing within our campus community.
Restorative Justice (RJ) Conferences: We offer RJ Conferences in collaboration with Student Conduct. RJ Conferences are a structured and facilitated dialogue process that brings together individuals who have been directly affected by a harm or conflict, along with any relevant support people and community members. The primary goal of a restorative justice conference is to address the harm that has been caused, promote understanding, and work toward repairing the harm in a way that involves all stakeholders.

Benefits of Restorative Justice

Restorative Justice allows students to:	Restorative Justice allows those who were impacted to:
Tell their story Repair harm that was caused to the community. Have an input into the outcome of their conduct case.	Help students understand the impacts of their behavior. Improve relationships with students. Build a stronger community on and off campus.

Frequently Asked Questions

I was referred to Restorative Practices, what should I do?

There are lots of reasons someone could refer you for restorative practicesI If you've received a referral, please schedule an appointment with Dr. Jennifer Graham for an intake meeting. During this meeting you'll discuss the referral and any steps moving forward. This will be a great time to ask any questions you have and make sure you understand what restorative practices look like at GCSU.

How does a restorative Circle work?

Circles are a structured conversation. There are many types of Circles, and depending on the type of Circle, they may also be referred to as a "Conference," During a Restorative Circle, participants sit in a circle together and are guided through a structured conversation by a team of trained facilitators. Circles can be used for community building, conflict resolution, student conduct concerns, healing or support circles, or talking circles.