The RIT Restorative Conferencing (RC) process provides an alternative response to violations of the RIT Code of Conduct. Restorative Conferencing seeks to resolve violations of community expectations in a manner that satisfactorily meets the needs of all parties affected by an incident through a facilitated “conference”.

• The conference is attended by those parties both directly and indirectly involved in an incident and is facilitated by a staff member from the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Management Services (SCCMS) and other trained professional staff members.
• The conference process provides an opportunity for all parties to discuss the incident, how they and others were affected and to determine appropriate actions to make amends to the individuals and the community.
• Participants in a conference are invited to bring support persons with them to the conference. Support persons must be RIT students, faculty and/or staff.

The RC process will be offered for specific types of incidents in which an individual(s) accepts responsibility for the policy violation(s) and both the responsible party and those affected are willing to participate in a conference. Participation in the conference is voluntary. Students who are accused of misconduct but do not accept responsibility and/or are unwilling to participate in the conference will be referred back to the Student Conduct Hearing process.

When a situation is deemed appropriate for the Restorative Conferencing process the following procedure will be ensue:

1. The Center for Student Conduct and Conflict Management Services will contact the students involved to provide information regarding the RC process.
2. An intake meeting will be scheduled for the responsible party to explain the process, obtain their consent to participate and determine other appropriate conference participants.
3. Other participants will be contacted and a conference date, time and location will be confirmed.
4. The Restorative Conference will be facilitated by professional staff members. These facilitators do not have a decision making role in the process. The goal of the conference is to create a Conference Agreement for appropriately repairing the harm caused by the incident in question. Conferences do not result in official RIT sanctions.
5. The Conference Agreement will be monitored by professional staff members in either SCCMS or Residence Life. Failure to comply with the agreement may result in charges of misconduct and referral to the student conduct hearing process.
   
   

The Center for Student Conduct and Conflict Management Services reserves the right to determine appropriate incidents for referral to the Restorative Conferencing process and to approve all conference participants. The Restorative Conferencing process will not be offered as a response for repeat behaviors.

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