Associate Director, Restorative Practices

Location: Swarthmore

Associate Director, Restorative Practices

Apply now Job no: 495922

Work type:
Full Time

Location:

Swarthmore

Categories:
Staff, Salary (Exempt), On Campus

Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation's finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world.

The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

Swarthmore College launched a new institutional strategic plan, Swarthmore Forward, in January 2024 that deepens the College's commitment to creating a community that welcomes differences and prepares students for life in a multiracial, multicultural democracy leading to the creation of The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Led by the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, who serves on the President's senior leadership team, the office provides strategic vision, expertise, and coordination for institutional work that supports a campus culture of inclusion, trust, and belonging for all members of the Swarthmore community.

We know that an individual's ability to meaningfully, authentically and fully participate in a community is dependent upon that community being intentionally built and committed to the ideals of curiosity, resilience, empathy, inclusivity and accountability. We contribute to our intentional community by educating community members in inclusive practices, supporting dialogue across differences, and ensuring fair and free access to all opportunities offered at Swarthmore.

The opportunity:

The Associate Director of Restorative Practices supports the development and implementation of restorative approaches that strengthen community, address harm, and promote accountability across the College. Working within the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, this role will facilitate restorative processes with students, staff, and faculty, deliver training and educational programming to all campus constituencies, and collaborate with campus partners to integrate restorative practices into campus culture.

The Associate Director plays a central role in operationalizing restorative initiatives and supporting the College's commitment to inclusion, belonging, equity, and community wellbeing.

Reporting to the Director of Equity and Inclusion/Equal Opportunity Officer and collaborating with the Title IX Coordinator, and the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the Associate Director will build campus awareness, understanding, and capacity in restorative practices by designing and facilitating regular training sessions tailored to various campus constituencies. This position will work with campus partners across Academic and Student Affairs as well as Human Resources to promote proactive use of restorative practices for community building.

They will also organize and host proactive community building circles and dialogue opportunities for the campus community.

The Associate Director will develop reference and resource materials to support application of restorative practices for conflict resolution. This position will serve as a critical resource working with campus partners to develop appropriate restorative interventions to complex cases of individual and collective harm, particularly those related to bias, discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, or retaliation connected to a protected identity. The Associate Director will offer restorative practices, when appropriate, as an option available to students, faculty, and staff within the Title IX and Equal Opportunity policies as well.

The Associate Director will identify and maintain a list of competent internal or external facilitators who are trained in restorative and/or alternative dispute resolution practices to perform these services, when needed, for students, faculty, and staff. The position will lead preparation meetings with participants and facilitate restorative circles, conferences, mediations, and facilitated dialogues with students, staff, and faculty. This position will also contribute to documentation and assessment of restorative practices work, especially as it responds to and addresses identity-based harm at the College.

Essential Responsibilities

Facilitation & Case Support

* Support conflict resolution pathways for students, staff, and faculty by facilitating restorative circles and conferences, and integrating restorative options with other resolution frameworks (mediation, facilitated dialogue) to repair harm, support…