SNHU Agents of Change Podcast · SNHU Social Sciences

Season 3 Episode 9 Demystifying and Applying Restorative Approaches in Higher Education

·37 min·2 clips

LeBlanc says restorative work is expanding "without adequate acknowledgement" of Indigenous roots.

Laman Tash opens the episode by noting that restorative approaches can be hard to pin down neatly. Sheila LeBlanc joins as the guest and carries most of the substance. The conversation starts with the idea that restorative approaches can mean different things. It also notes that they coexist with formal justice and legal systems in an ongoing debate. From there, the episode turns to the deeper history of restorative practices in Indigenous communities. Those practices are presented as long-standing tools for conflict resolution and community building communication for centuries. The discussion then shifts to higher education. The focus is on how campuses can use restorative approaches to support diverse and inclusive communities. LeBlanc explains the role of an external facilitator. That person, in her account, helps regulate the room and create the conditions for a real conversation. She describes conflict as physiological as much as intellectual. People may know what they think and feel, yet still lose ground once they are in the room together. The episode spends time on that disconnect. It shows how good intentions can still lead to escalation, emotional dysregulation, and a breakdown in communication. LeBlanc emphasizes that facilitators do not magically solve conflict. They hold a gentle container. They help people ground, settle, and distill what matters. When the timing is right, they create a structured space for necessary conversation. That structure matters because it gives people an anchor. It also gives the room a cooling voice when the discussion starts to heat up. The episode returns several times to the idea that pause is not avoidance. It is often what makes repair possible. Tash closes by drawing the lesson back toward everyday life and broad applicability. The conversation lands as a patient explanation of how restorative practice can move from concept to campus use.

As heard by us

A grounded campus conversation that makes restorative approaches feel practical and usable.

Restorative approaches sit at the center of this episode, where Laman Tash and Sheila LeBlanc connect a long Indigenous history to practical campus use.

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Why you'd press play

If you want a calm, concrete look at restorative approaches in higher education, start here.

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