Building Campus Community: Restorative Practices in Residential Life

University of Vermont (UVM) director of residential life Stacey Miller, a student affairs practitioner for more than 17 years, spent much of her career looking for a “magic potion” that would enable university students to form congenial, mutually respectful residential communities. In restorative practices, Miller found her magic potion. Building Campus Community shares that “magic potion”: effective strategies and a guiding philosophy that enable college and universities to foster positive relationships, respond to conflicts and problems and raise consciousness about bias, alcohol abuse and other critical campus issues. The International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) Graduate School, a leading provider of restorative practices education and professional development, has adapted these practices—employed in schools and organizations worldwide—for use on university campuses. A practical handbook on the use of restorative practices in campus residential life, Building Campus Community includes comprehensive implementation guidelines as well as numerous true stories—some enlightening, some comical, some poignant — about how the practices are being applied in higher education.