Date of Award

Spring 5-2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Dr. Rhonda Bishop

Second Advisor

Dr. Sherry DeVore

Third Advisor

Dr. Andrea Weaver

Abstract

Student conduct officers have the ability to provide learning and growth opportunities for every student with whom they interact (Hyde, 2014; Jackson, 2014). It is important that student conduct officers be willing and able to utilize an array of tools, including alternative dispute resolution techniques to provide learning experiences (Bennett, Gregory, Loschiavo, & Waller, 2014; Clark, 2014; Hyde, 2014; Waryold & Lancaster, 2008). The educational and professional experiences of the student conduct officer vary, as many institutions employ conduct officers with an educational background and others employ conduct officers with a more formal legal background (Hyde, 2014; Jackson, 2014). In this study, the intent was to investigate differences in the perception of restorative practices based on the educational and professional backgrounds of student conduct officers. Additionally, exploration to find out if differences in the propensity of student conduct officers to implement restorative practices in both Title IX and non-Title cases based on the conduct officers’ varying educational and professional backgrounds was investigated. In this qualitative study, eight student conduct officers from public institutions in the Midwest were interviewed. Four participants had an educational background, and the other four participants had a formal legal education. Four themes emerged from the research: educational experience counts; professional experience counts, too; informal resolutions are widely accepted, up to a point; and relationships matter. Based on the findings of this study, student conduct officers should engage in a variety of educational and professional learning opportunities, and areas such as alternative dispute resolution should be heavily focused on in the student conduct officers’ preparation for practice.

Rights

Copyright 2019

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