Season 1, Episode 2: Co-opting Restorative Justice in Higher Education w/Dr. Desiree Anderson

The Restorative Lens

In this episode, hosts LTomay Douglas and Alanna Ojibway speak with Dr. Desiree Anderson, who authored the chapter in Colorizing Restorative Justice titled “Co-opting Restorative Justice in Higher Education.” Desiree earned her Ph.D. from the University of New Orleans (UNO) and focused her research on the use of campus-based restorative justice approaches as a response to racially-motivated bias incidents. She currently serves as the Associate Dean of Diversity and Student Affairs at UNO. In this conversation, Desiree shares her journey for how she got involved as an RJ practitioner in higher education, and through that work experienced first-hand what she describes as a “conflict of ethos” in terms of higher institutions offering a restorative program, yet still attempting to make it fit within the mold of traditional conduct codes. Desiree offers insightful and practical suggestions for ways that educational institutions can move towards a more restorative model of functioning; one that is centered around compassion, vulnerability, empathy, and intentionality.