Respect, responsibility, fairness, integrity and empathy are the values both guiding Victoria University of Wellington and underpinning the practice of restorative justice that are helping Diana Unwin Chair in Restorative Justice, Professor Chris Marshall bring to life the aim of becoming a ‘restorative university’.
A model for creating a more peaceful, supportive and productive study and working environment, restorative institutions are those that use restorative justice practices to resolve conflicts and deal with student misconduct.
“Restorative justice is a process whereby all the parties with a stake in a particular offence or conflict come together with trained facilitators to have a conversation about what’s happened, what the impact has been and how things can be repaired,” explains Professor Marshall.
“It’s a new lens for looking at the problem of human justice, conflict and wrongdoing, based on a relational understanding of justice.”
Restorative universities also proactively use such practices to “foster inclusive, equitable and empathetic relationships between those who live, work and study together”.
“It is not enough to respond to negative events in a restorative way, as valuable as that often is. It must be accompanied by a corresponding effort to invest in practices that forge respectful and caring connections between people, and that create a meaningful sense of belonging in the university community.”
Professor Marshall has been steering the University’s transition towards a restorative approach that is unique in the New Zealand tertiary sector, and significant steps have already been taken.
Restorative values and practices are now used to handle student misconduct and conflict in Halls of Residence, and discussions are underway around the potential for these practices in addressing workplace and employment relations issues.
“Restorative Justice began as an initiative within the criminal justice system. The principles, values and priorities were then extended into schools as a disciplinary measure, but it was quickly realised that it is necessary to create a ‘restorative community’ to which everyone in the school is a part of,” Professor Marshall says.
“Restorative processes have an important role to play in student disciplinary regimes, but they also have an important role to play in improving student and staff wellbeing, generally.”
The success of this innovative approach to justice on campus also led Professor Marshall to work with colleagues from the office of the Diana Unwin Chair in Restorative Justice, Dr Tom Noakes-Duncan and Haley Farrar, to develop the world’s first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the subject.
Restorative Justice and Practice: Emergence of a Social Movement introduces the theory and practice of restorative justice, and Aotearoa New Zealand’s pioneering role in this social movement for change.
The highly successful online course ran for six weeks in May and June this year and attracted more than 1,800 participants from 108 countries.