Equal Opportunity Statement
The International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) is an equal opportunity entity that employs individuals, admits students, and provides educational services, programs, scholarship and loan programs without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation), disability, age, national origin, military service, limited English proficiency, genetic information, or other legally protected category.
Non-discrimination Statement
The International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) does not discriminate against any person based on actual or perceived race, color, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ancestry, genetic information, national origin, familial status, marital status, age, veteran status, HIV status, mental or physical disability – or any other basis – in administration of its educational policies, employment policies, scholarship or loan programs, or other education related programs administered by the Institute.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Dignity manifests in relationships when all people have voice, agency, and a sense of belonging. Members of our learning community have insights gained from aspects of their personal stories such as geographic location, age, ethnicity, religion, parental status, family and relationship structure, formal educational attainment, physical and mental health, socioeconomic status, gender identity and gender expression, and political affiliation. All people experience harm; we know that by attending to the needs created by that harm, we may be able to restore trust and repair relationships. As curious learners, we also must be cognizant of systemic harm and be humble as we examine our own biases, their impacts, and our actions to create a more compassionate and just future.
The IIRP draws knowledge from many sources, including Indigenous cultures from around the world, and we recognize that we have not always done this in partnership with those cultures. Cultural appropriation creates an epistemic injustice, silencing people’s voice and limiting knowledge creation to those who are legitimatized by the dominant culture. It erases people’s contributions and heritage, especially of diasporic and marginalized communities, perpetuating these patterns of appropriation.
To fully realize our mission, we must embrace diversity, promote equity, model inclusion, and nurture a sense of belonging. We strive to intentionally amplify the voices of marginalized people who have been silenced – including Indigenous, Black, Asian, and other people of color, women, LGBTQIA+ people, disabled people, neurodiverse people, and many other communities. We recognize and celebrate the efforts of those whose contributions have been historically hidden or forgotten.
Our Reparative Actions
- Faculty and staff create learning environments that value the many ways of knowing and producing knowledge and embed the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into our graduate curricula.
- We cultivate welcoming, supportive, curious, and bold spaces where we respectfully listen to every voice. Faculty, staff, trustees, and learners honor the similarities and differences that are represented in our diverse shared space and challenge our communities to have authentic conversations around difficult topics.
- We recognize our responsibility to provide accessible educational programs. We will also expand the capacity of our Impact Scholarships and explore other ways to minimize financial barriers for our graduate students.
- We forge a reciprocal partnership with the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, upon whose traditional lands our school is located, referred to as Bethlehem, PA.
- We commit to equitable hiring processes and supporting the development of all our employees through the cultivation of defined competencies that fortify our commitment to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Americans with Disabilities Act
The IIRP adheres to the principles and mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. A disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the individual’s major life activities, even if the student uses a mitigating measure such as glasses, medication, prostheses, or a hearing aid. Major life activities are functions such as breathing, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, learning, exercising cognitive abilities, sitting, standing, lifting, reaching, and working. The IIRP will voluntarily provide reasonable accommodations, upon request, to a student whose condition meets the legal definition of a disability under the ADA and who is considered otherwise qualified for IIRP admission.
Special classroom set-ups, alternate testing, and other accommodations for students with documented disabilities are available on a case-by-case basis. The IIRP is not required by law to change the “fundamental nature or essential curricular components of its programs in order to accommodate the needs of disabled students.” It is the responsibility of students with disabilities to identify themselves and request accommodations through the office of the Associate Dean of Administration well in advance of need in order to give the IIRP a reasonable amount of time to evaluate the request and, if possible, implement the accommodation.