Restorative Practice

As part of Dartmouth's Toward Equity and Commitment to Care strategic plans to strengthen our community of care, students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate in facilitated circles to address a wide range of community needs, from proactive community-building to coordinated situational response.

Programs

Winter 2025 Term

Community of Care, Restorative Practice Facilitator Training: Jan. 13-15, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Courtyard/Marriott Hanover Lebanon. Open to all students, faculty, and staff.

Fall 2024 Term

Democratic Listening Circle: Nov. 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Collis 221. In the wake of our recent election, our Post-Election Listening Circle will provide a safe, structured space where progressive voices can be heard and respected. Open to faculty, staff, and students.
Republican Listening Circle: Nov. 14, 5:30-7:30 p.m., South Fairbanks 104 (Tucker Center). In the wake of our recent election, our Post-Election Listening Circle will provide a safe, structured space where conservative voices can be heard and respected. Open to faculty, staff, and students.
Bipartisan Listening Circle: Nov. 15, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Collis 212. In the wake of our recent election, our Post-Election Listening Circle will offer a structured, respectful space where people across the political spectrum can share their hopes, concerns, and experiences. Open to faculty, staff, and students.

What is Restorative Practice?

Restorative practice is a tool that is used for building and strengthening relationships, as well as addressing harm in a community. Through facilitated listening circles and other specific approaches, individuals engage in a structured framework that creates space for all participants to share their perspectives and hear others' experiences.

In proactive community-building sessions, participants find ways to build positive connections and avenues for interaction. When restorative practice is used to respond to a situation where harm has been caused, community members have the equal opportunity to address the harm and express their feelings.

Rooted in native and indigenous community traditions, restoratice practice is a social science field that focuses on relationships and community, and the methods have been widely implemented in education (from elementary to higher education), community health, organizational leadership, criminal justice, counseling, social work, and other areas.

How do "circles" work?

The listening circle is a restorative practice facilitation technique that builds and restores relationship through equal opportunity sharing and listening.

Communities may engage in different kinds of circles depending on their needs, including proactive circles for relationship-building, responsive circles to address a situation of harm, and impact circles for those who were directly affected by a situation.

In response to a harmful incident, responsive circles, which are managed by a facilitator following a predetermined script, may create an opportunity for accountability and restitution and acknowledgement of harm caused.

Circles are effective because they create a structure where every participant is heard and also listens to what others have to say. Participants take turns to speak and express their concerns, feelings, and personal experiences.

Community Outreach

The principles of restorative practices are now currently used in various ways in departments and offices across campus, including staff and student meetings, one-on-one supervisory meetings, conduct procedures, and student-employee trainings.

In addition, issues-related circles have been facilitated on the topics of grief and election anxiety.

A pilot program is underway at the Native American House to introduce the training for community-building to students living in this campus residence.

Faciltator Training

Currently, Dartmouth has 72 active facilitators from 10 divisions across 37 departments, offices, and centers. They received training from Emerging Leadership Consultants, LLC, led by Dr. Stacey Miller.

Facilitators participate in a 3-day training in "Introduction to Restorative Practices for Leadership and Community Development." Thus far, there have been three training sessions in February and June 2024 and January 2025.

If you are interested in learning more, contact Dayrene Pittelli, administrative assistant for the Office of Community Life and Inclusivity in Community and Campus Life.

Steering Committee

Housed in the Division of Community and Campus Life, the Restorative Practice Steering Committee includes staff and student representatives:

Co-chair: La-Tarri Canty, associate dean for community life and inclusivity, Community and Campus Life

Co-chair: Miguel Ramirez, director of programs and community engagement, Institutional Equity and Diversity

Adria Brown, director of the Native American Program

Ymani Hawkins, director of culture and employee belonging, Campus Services

Adam Knowlton-Young, deputy director, Community Standards and Accountability

Stacey Millard, associate dean, Residential Life

Jonathan Pazen '25, vice-president, Dartmouth Student Government

Amanda Wong, assistant dean and associate director, Office of Pluralism and Leadership