Higher Education

Addressing sexual and gender-based harm on campus and walking the path toward healing with students.

Marti McCaleb is Associate Vice Chancellor for Equal Opportunity and Title IX Coordinator at the University of Denver, where she is responsible for the university's response to reports of discrimination, harassment, and gender-based violence. In her role, she develops and administers policies and procedures and supervises investigations into incidents of alleged misconduct. She is actively working to build sustainable, restorative-informed practices for community building, campus engagement, and response and reconciliation in the aftermath of gender-based harm.

The IIRP Graduate School’s Collaborative Center for Restorative Practices in Higher Education is pleased to announce the inaugural Restorative Practices in Higher Education Virtual Forum on December 5 – 6, 2024.

The forum aims to build connections and capacity for the integration of restorative practices into the field of higher education. This experience will provide an opportunity for dialogue, learning, sharing experiences, and discussion about restorative practices and restorative justice research and practice.

Look forward to engaging breakout sessions, discussions around best practices, highlights of current research, and meaningful networking opportunities! Learn more on the event website.

Develop and advance your conference facilitation skills and competencies with this collaborative online professional learning community.

Incidents of conflict, wrongdoing, and harm occur everywhere, every day in schools, workplaces, college campuses, neighborhoods, and families. The restorative justice conference provides a way to engage with those who cause and experience harm, along with the affected community.

Through the professional learning community, participants will improve their facilitation competencies. They will utilize a process of self-reflection as they explore important considerations and context around the conflict being addressed. Participants will define what is needed to be successful in their specific setting as they contemplate the conference process as a responsive tool and its importance in building communities.

The professional learning community meets four times via video conferencing. The two-hour weekly sessions engage

Effect real change in your community or organization.

This certificate will be available beginning Spring 2025. Grounded in the field of restorative practices, students earning this certificate will focus on the human side of change, emphasizing the centrality of relationships and group dynamics in the change process. Through this series of four courses, students will expand their knowledge and skills in implementing change initiatives in varied contexts, such as workplaces across industries, educational settings, and community organizations. Theoretical and practical learning in this certificate focuses on key areas, including change management and leadership; implementation science and practices; models of personal and social change; systems thinking; human capital theory; and ethical and cultural considerations. 

Make an impact on your community and facilitate the healing process.

This certificate is designed for individuals who work in the fields of crisis intervention, counseling, social services, criminal justice, and settings where stakeholders have been affected by specific traumatic experiences.The series of four restorative practices-informed facilitation courses equip students with practical

Delve deeper into restorative practices and go beyond training with a graduate credential.

This program will help learners develop an in-depth understanding of the foundations of relational engagement and practical frameworks to apply restorative practices appropriately in their own settings. The certificate is customizable with electives geared to different interests and practices. Learners will apply conceptual and analytical skills in evaluating the links among practice, systems, and policy issues.

Trailblaze and expand the field of restorative practices by adding the thesis option to the master’s degree.

Students — as well as our alumni — who wish to conduct original research may choose to pursue the Thesis Option. A faculty chair will provide guidance as students design relevant research that can be completed within a one-year time frame. By completing the Thesis Option, students gain research experience and develop advanced competencies in scholarly writing. The Thesis Option may be a desirable choice for those considering a research-intensive career or are interested in pursuing doctoral-level study.

Build community and influence change through relational skills.

Restorative practices honors the existing strengths in a community and helps to increase personal and collective efficacy. The community engagement specialization focuses on creating adaptive solutions built on an understanding of the relational and social needs of a community.

Within the degree specialization, students can trailblaze their own path and expand the field of restorative practices by adding the thesis option to their master’s degree.

Become a compassionate leader, empathetic listener, and community builder.

Graduate students at the IIRP are catalysts for change, putting what they’ve learned into practice across professional settings. The study of restorative practices draws from a range of disciplines. Our graduates problem-solve in a way that fosters cohesion and creates conditions for collaborative teamwork. The coursework of this program allows learners to develop skills in emotional intelligence, self-reflection, and conflict management, equipping them to proactively build more effective relationships and positive community culture.

Within the degree, students can concentrate on specific fields, as well as trailblaze their own path and expand the field of restorative practices by adding the thesis option to their master’s degree.

The IIRP Graduate School is excited to announce the debut of our Restorative Works! podcast, hosted by Claire de Mézerville López, M.Ed., M.S..

Claire is a licensed psychologist from UCR (Universidad de Costa Rica). She holds a Master in Education with an emphasis on cognitive development from ITESM (Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, México). She also earned a Master of Science in Restorative Practices from the IIRP Graduate School. She is an associate professor at Universidad de Costa Rica, and has experience as a therapist, researcher, and consultant. Claire has published papers on adolescence, restorative practices, resilience and educational psychology.

Higher education is changing in ways the COVID-19 crisis has exposed and accelerated.

Higher education institutions are faced with financial demands, the need to adapt to online learning, social and political unrest in the culture and on campus. Only by harnessing the power of relationships can these institutions successfully navigate their educational, business and community needs.

Developing strong online relationships is more important than ever in higher education.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created disconnection everywhere, and we are increasingly turning to technologies that can help foster strong relationships and a sense of community. College campuses are particularly impacted. This 60-minute webinar explores the use of technology in relationship-building. Across campuses, restorative practices is playing a crucial role even when we cannot gather in person.

Advanced Training and Essential Skills for Facilitators

What is a listening circle?

Listening circles are a specific type of circle designed to help people process an event or issue that poses a challenge or harm to their communities or has impacted people in a significant way. They are voluntary, community-oriented forums aimed at providing an equitable opportunity for all attendees to have voice. Listening circles can be used in a variety of settings, including communities, workplaces, schools, organizations, neighborhoods, universities, and within families. They have roots in indigenous cultures and are backed by research in interdisciplinary studies.

Develop and advance circle facilitation skills and competencies through self-reflection and practice.

Sharpen your skills for the facilitation of all circles, including proactive community building circles and responsive circles that address tensions and conflict.

This collaborative online professional learning community explores what works, what doesn’t, how and why.

Four live weekly Zoom sessions provide opportunities to practice the full range of restorative practices:

• Session 1 — Examine the dynamic competencies of circle facilitators and self-reflect on current facilitation competencies.
• Session 2 — Effectively use circles to build and advance relationships, team, and communities, including using circles to manage conflict and tensions.
• Session 3 — Explore applications of circle approaches in various aspects of work, such as projects, programs, procedures, and

Cultivate change and improve well-being across your higher education setting. 

We recognize that every campus is unique. In-person, off-campus and virtual academic life is vast and diverse. Encouraging deeper relationships between individuals and promoting social connections within the campus community strengthens equity, belonging, and collective efficacy. This leads to happier, healthier, and more productive campus communities. 

In this professional development event, you will learn ways to foster and facilitate engagement and build positive relationships, whatever your sphere of influence on campus. This event is applicable to all members of the higher education community, including academic affairs, student life, faculty, staff, and students. 

Learning Outcomes

• Describe restorative practices concepts and principles. 
• Describe how restorative practices can improve leadership and interpersonal

Prepare your team to teach others the key concepts of restorative practices designed for their professional development by completing our Fundamentals of Restorative Practices training and/or our Restorative Conferencing training. Learn how to assist in the sustainable implementation of restorative practices in your school or organization.

This interactive event teaches experienced restorative practitioners how to deliver the training modules to their own colleagues, using our materials to provide training either in person or online.

*For those interested in attending the Restorative Conferencing Training of Trainers, the specific expectation is that you facilitated, participated in, or at a minimum observed a restorative conference using the IIRP model.

**These books are available through the IIRP Bookstore.

This article is second in a series featuring sponsors of Strengthening the Spirit of Community, the IIRP World Conference in Detroit, MI, October 24-26, 2018.University of Michigan-Dearborn is a Champion Sponsor, providing scholarships for Detroit community members and bringing a new level of connection and engagement to the conference.

In this interview, Tracy S. Hall, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Office of Metropolitan Impact, and Amy Finley, Ph.D., Dean of Students, explain the importance of restorative practices to their campus and why they would like you to join them at the conference in Detroit!

Via Boston Public Library.Columbia Teachers College has made a commitment to offering restorative conflict resolution practices to master's-level students at its New York City Summer Principals Academy (SPA). For the past two summers, IIRP President John Bailie, Ph.D., and Provost Craig Adamson, Ph.D., who are now adjunct faculty at Columbia, have co-taught “Basic Practicum in Conflict Resolution.” This three-credit course is geared to help aspiring school administrators primarily serving diverse urban populations communicate effectively, build relationships and meet the needs of their

Radical changes are coming to higher education, explains IIRP President John W. Bailie, Ph.D., as he reflects on his experience at the New York Times Higher Ed Leaders Forum. He says that smaller, nimble institutions - like the IIRP Graduate School - will be best positioned to provide 21st century students the kinds of useful skills and experiences they will want and need.