Restorative processes

As a restorative university, all students and staff at Victoria University of Wellington are part of a community that promotes positive relationships.

These positive relationships are based on the University’s core ethical values of respect, responsibility, fairness, integrity, and empathy.

Being a restorative university

Restorative Universities prioritise creating a community based on respectful relationships, in which all students and staff members are valued and feel that they belong. Meaningful connections between people allow for a deeper sense of community. Victoria University of Wellington strives to support a respectful, supportive, and productive study and work environment.

Being a restorative university means that restorative approaches that promote accountability and repair are used to resolve conflict, repair harm and respond to student misconduct. If conflict, harm or misconduct occurs, a restorative approach is considered as an initial option for responding to the harm.

Choosing a restorative meeting to address harm

A restorative meeting requires the student responsible for the harm to accept responsibility for their actions and seeks to make amends. It provides the harmed party with a clear voice in the process, and input into the outcome. The group works together to reach an agreement about what must be done to repair the harm and restore relationships.

Through a restorative approach, those involved in the incident meet together to discuss with the support of a facilitator:

• What happened?
• Who has been affected?
• What can be done to make things right?
• What can be learned for the future?