University leaders cultivate community with restorative justice

Conflict resolution comes in several styles — and at least one shape. Peace circles, as Virginia Tech leaders learned at a restorative justice training in June, can be effective in managing the challenges of collaboration within their teams.

The Foundations of Restorative Justice, a three-day educational session, introduced participants to restorative justice principles and practices, equipping the group with tools to engage in difficult conversations that arise in the workplace and the university setting.

The training was provided through partnership between the Office for Equity and Accessibility (OEA), Office for Inclusion and Diversity, University Ombuds Office, Student Affairs, Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention, and Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies.

“As someone who works with some of the university’s most sensitive conflicts on a day-to-day basis, I believe it is critical to address not only what we are talking about, but how we are having the conversations,” said Henry Yampolsky, OEA’s assistant director for education, outreach, and conflict resolution.

“Introducing our leaders to restorative justice is an important step in creating space in our community for responding to conflict with strength, clarity, and compassion rather than reacting to it with fear, avoidance, or aggression,” he said.

Experienced practitioners Katherine Evans and Jonathan Swartz from the Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice and Eddy Smart and Donna Chewning from the Bridge Institute in Roanoke led the training, which focused on facilitated dialogues known as peace circles.

Rooted in Native American tradition, peace circles are designed to restore relationships within communities. These discussions enable participants — including the individuals involved in a conflict, supporters, and mediators — to work toward a shared understanding of an issue and a consensus-based resolution that helps the community avoid similar conflicts in the future.

Employing this restorative justice strategy can be valuable in higher education, an environment in which teams may work with limited resources, unclear roles, and systemic changes. Add in newer trends of rising costs for students, expanded alternatives to college, and growing political volatility, and the potential for clashes in the academic landscape multiplies.

According to Yampolsky, leaders who proactively use conflict resolution methods to support their employees and students are better positioned to protect relationships and maintain morale.

“The training was a powerful and clear reminder of how important relationship-building and community connection is, not just in addressing conflict, but in creating the connections that are necessary to address conflict in a restorative way,” said Chelsea Cleary, sexual violence prevention specialist with Hokie Wellness. “We wrestled with really difficult questions about justice, equity, accountability, and healing to discover that the way to answering these issues is first and foremost built on how connected and strong our relationships are to each other.”

Alongside department heads and managers, undergraduate leaders participated in order to extend peacemaking into the student population.

“The training was structured to build a community from which members can draw support and inspiration as we move forward in building interconnection at Virginia Tech. I felt incredibly lucky to be afforded the opportunity to interact with university leaders on a peer-to-peer basis. My presence in the conversation was not only welcomed but actively encouraged by the discussion leaders and my fellow trainees,” said Ainsley Cragin, vice president for issues and policy with the Undergraduate Student Senate.

In addition to aiding in the resolution of conflicts that affect individual and organizational performance, restorative work can play an important role in reducing the experience of loneliness that nearly half of U.S. adults have reported. The methods may be especially helpful for the nation’s undergraduates for whom documented rates of depression and anxiety have never been higher.

The training was opportune for Cragin, who believes the restorative justice concepts she learned are “vastly applicable to the student experience.” She is confident that practicing restorative justice will create a stronger sense of belonging at the university.

Anthony Scott, chief inclusion and belonging officer for Student Affairs, agrees. “With each member of our community engaging in this relevant work, we unlock the potential for positive change and lasting impact. Together, we forge a path toward a campus where every individual's voice is heard, respected, and valued. I hope we embrace the power of restorative justice to build a community where everyone finds a home and a place to thrive.”

Later this year, members of the inaugural Foundations of Restorative Justice training cohort will host their own peace circles and participate in advanced workshops on responding to harm, engaging in difficult conversations, and “showing up” in a restorative way.

“I was humbled and inspired by the amazing cohort of individuals from all parts of Virginia Tech who allowed their paradigm of community, conflict, and harm to be expanded by considering restorative justice,” said Smart, executive director for the Bridge Institute. “I am excited to see how this group leads the way in strengthening an already vibrant community.”

Yampolsky is equally eager to see how approaching conflict and collaboration with peace shapes Virginia Tech’s future. He hopes to offer the training to new cohorts annually.

“Having partners from across the university ensures that the lessons from this training can be implemented in areas which deal directly with some of the most challenging conversations on campus,” Yampolsky said. “The campus partners who brought this training together are all committed to building a community of practitioners committed to living in a restorative way.”