The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 45, No. 2 - 21

Evolution of Alternative Dispute Resolution Practices

several individual or representatives who were
harmed. This process is also open for more interpretation by the facilitator(s). A trained facilitator asks the group one question at a time,
and each person gives their answers in turn
(Karp, 2015). A recent residence hall issue that

Proactive restorative justice
processes are frequently used
in developing initial roommate
contracts and residential
community standards agreements.

had begun to escalate into a range of student
conduct concerns and alleged violations resulted in an RJ circle. In this example, floormates
in an all-female-identified residence community took offense at a shirt worn by a first-year
student that featured support for a controversial politician and decided not to speak to that
student. As her floormates continued to ostracize her, the first-year student began driving
home (out of state) every weekend and started
to explore transferring to another university.
The resident assistant held individual meetings with everyone on the floor and discovered
that, although feeling vulnerable and upset,
floormates expressed remorse and were open
to participating in a group meeting.
The graduate hall director and a residential
conduct professional, both trained in restorative justice techniques, led the subsequent RJ
circle. In this case, a community member apologized to the first-year student and explained

why the shirt was offensive to her; the first-year
student acknowledged the floormate's feelings
and explained why she wore the shirt. Similar
interactions followed, and by the end of the
circle all participants were on speaking terms.
By the end of the semester, no one had transferred to a different residence area (or a different university), and the resident assistant and
hall director described the deep connections
and friendships that the residents had made
(A. Arrington, personal communication, November 14, 2017).
Finally, a restorative justice board is a standing group of trained faculty, staff, and/or students who are themselves not directly harmed
by a situation but serve to represent the
harmed parties; an RJ board can include the
harmed parties, but their presence is not required (Karp, 2015). In the program Academic
Integrity Matters (AIM), begun in 2015 at the
University of Minnesota, restorative justice
boards are available to students who accept
responsibility for academic integrity violations
in lieu of traditional adjudication (Regents of
the University of Minnesota, 2018). Through
dialogue facilitated by a trained professional,
Student participants explain what happened
and how their actions impacted others.
University volunteers/community members
discuss the impact of scholastic dishonesty
on the University of Minnesota and the
broader community. Student participants
and community members then create a plan
for the student to repair the harm that their
actions caused . . . Students must complete
all components of the program in order for
their record to be considered non-disciplinary.
(Regents of the University of Minnesota, 2018,
para. 2)

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 45, No. 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 45, No. 2