The Collaborative Center for Restorative Practices in Higher Education was established in 2022 at the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP). It was born from the Restorative Practices in Higher Education Learning Collaborative, an ongoing study started in 2019, that examined (1) restorative practices as a prevention strategy in higher education and (2) the opportunities and challenges to adopting this approach.
Strategic Leadership
Under the leadership of Principal Investigator Dr. Gina Baral Abrams, IIRP Director of Research and Program Evaluation and Associate Professor, the Learning Collaborative brought together thirty higher education professionals from across the U.S. and Jamaica. Participants came from diverse functional work areas and also represented different institutional types and characteristics. As part of the Learning Collaborative experience, participants developed their own restorative practices skills and competencies and implemented restorative practices in their campus settings.
Dissertation research by Associate Director Dr. Kaleigh Mrowka furthered this work by examining Learning Collaborative participants’ perceptions of the value and potential of restorative practices in the higher education setting. This research helped to collect reflections and stories from participants and suggested that restorative practices has the potential to impact overall culture change in higher education.
Gina Baral Abrams, Dr.P.H., Ed.M., LSW
Director of Research and Program Evaluation / Associate Professor
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Kaleigh A. Mrowka, Ph.D., M.S.
Associate Director, Collaborative Center for Restorative Practices in Higher Education
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Founding Partner Spotlights
Spotlight Interviews tell the stories of professionals doing restorative practices work in higher education. These interviews are sponsored by the Collaborative Center for Restorative Practices in Higher Education. The Collaborative Center is an online higher education community that serves as a launchpad for change toward more relational, equitable, and just cultures in higher education through the use of restorative practices.
Robin Riley-Casey
Christine Wilson
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Greg Meyer
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