It would be easy to assume that Brent Ericson, Assistant Dean and Director of Student Conduct, spends his days thinking about how to discipline students who have broken university rules and regulations. However, Ericson instead focuses much of his time and effort on impacting student success and helping return students to the right path for their future. That goal has led Ericson and his team to revisit history when looking for a new way forward in the realm of correcting student behavior. This fall the office led a Restorative Justice pilot program that features non-punitive measures to repair harm that is inflicted through destructive or inappropriate acts.
Ericson explains that Restorative Justice, which dates back to indigenous groups, brings together students who have caused harm to the community with those who were impacted to find the best course of resolution and restoration for the wrongdoing. “If I caused the harm, the question becomes how do I make it as right as possible,” Ericson said. “Is it an apology, restitution, community service or an educational program about what I did wrong? “It’s not just about discipline, it’s about taking ownership of the harm brought to a person or to a group and understanding how it affected them. The opportunity to learn is really high and the potential for personal growth is great.” The process also gives the impacted party(ies) a chance to address the perpetrator to express their feelings and work through the harm. “This gives a voice to the person who was harmed,” Ericson said. “It helps them feel whole again.”
Potential examples of how the conduct office would use the Restorative Justice program include theft, property damage and vandalism, among others, Ericson said. In a hypothetical scenario, if a student damaged a residence hall common area, the Restorative Justice process could include a representative from the facilities and housing departments as well as students who were affected by being unable to use the space. The process would also involve a supportive advisor for the student who initiated the wrongdoing who could help advocate for them. “It intentionally brings together all of those who have an interest,” Ericson said. “It’s not about ganging up on somebody. The point is to help them understand, and the purpose is to heal a community.” Research shows that restorative practices provide students with the ability to self-regulate their behavior because they are more conscious of how their actions can inflict harm. Simply handing down a sanction may offer little to no benefits for the harmed party; this doesn’t necessarily make
it right in the victim’s eyes and does nothing to improve the community at-large. Recidivism is rare among subjects who are granted Restorative Justice treatment, Ericson said. The pilot project started small with only Ericson and one member of his staff trained to manage the dialogue process. The aspiration is for Restorative Justice to gather wider use on campus as more people can be educated as leaders in this practice. Mason’s Restorative Justice reach could also expand to cover other acts of impropriety, including academic misconduct such as cheating on an exam or inappropriately using artificial intelligence for class assignments.
Ericson is encouraged by the level of support he has received from Mason’s administration in adopting the ideas behind Restorative Justice. During the University Life summer 2024 Student Success Symposium he had the opportunity to share about the Restorative Justice thought process with colleagues – he found many ready to embrace its use. “We’re evolving (as a university and a society) and our practices are evolving,” he said. “We are looking at different ways of doing things that have the potential for greater impact. It says that we are willing to try to do our business in an exciting new way.”