Formative Programs
Sanctions imposed by the student Code of Conduct system serve as opportunities for students to grow
and mature to be positive members of the Fairfield University community. Formative Programs are used
in conjunction or instead of other sanctions to hold students accountable for their behavior. All
formative programs provide a venue for follow-up conversations and personal reflections. The Office of
the Dean of Students aims to be intentional and educational in all of our formative programs. Students
should learn not only about themselves but also how they contribute to living in community.
Stag Explorers
Stag Explorers is a program to provide an opportunity for first-year students to connect with a peer after
a first offense of non-serious policy violation in their first 12 weeks.
Students who participate in this program will have the opportunity for non-judgmental, candid dialogue
intended to glean the types of decisions they are making in their lives and challenge them to better
understand their needs, the needs of the Fairfield community, and implications of further conflicts with
policy on their lives within this community and beyond.
Restorative Mentoring Program
Restorative Mentoring Program: Restorative Mentoring is a disciplinary sanction program that
encourages and provides an opportunity for dialogue, reflection, and conversation in the areas
of student behavior, moral development, responsible community participation, and our Jesuit
Mission.
Students will meet with the Director of Restorative Mentoring on a regular basis to reflect
intentionally about their choices. Students will be encouraged and learn how to make decisions
more aligned with our Jesuit mission and their personal values.
The Gathering: The Gathering will take place once a month for those students enrolled in the
Restorative Mentoring Program. It will be an opportunity to discuss the program, share
experiences, and seek a means for developing.
The Breakfast Club: The Breakfast Club is an opportunity for students in the Restorative
Mentoring Program to get the weekend off to a good start. Students will be assigned to have
morning breakfast with the Director of Restorative Mentoring a minimum of once per semester
on weekend mornings. It will be an opportunity to discuss within this select group new ways to
plan healthy social and academic experiences at Fairfield. The time for these breakfasts will be
8:30 a.m. on several Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Stag Smart
Stag Smart is a program that provides an opportunity for students living in an upperclass environment to
develop the skills and techniques they need to host smart parties on campus and intervene in situations
where their peers are misusing alcohol.
This program is offered to each upperclass residential unit once and is completely voluntary. This
program is in lieu of a meeting with the Dean of Students office.
Crossroads Retreat
Crossroads Retreat is a disciplinary sanction program that is offered once a semester. The Retreat is
designed for students who have violated a number of community standards and find themselves at risk
of losing their opportunity to be members of the Fairfield community.
This retreat has been designed to empower students to reflect on their behavior and to make respectful
and responsible decisions in regards to their personal lives, and as members of the Fairfield University.
There is a $100 fee associated with this program.
Peer Mediation
Peer Mediation is a voluntary option for students who make informal complaints to the Dean of
Students office. The program offers trained student mediators who help other students resolve
conflicts. The mediator facilitates communication and helps explore new ideas. The parties to the
conflict make all final decisions about the outcome. Students create their own solutions with the
mediator’s guidance.
Discovering Your Strengths
This sanction utilizes a strengths-based assessment that is designed for the student to identify,
understand, reflect upon, and leverage their talents, passions, and strengths. Students will receive a
personal code to access the StrengthQuest website and complete the StrengthQuest assessment. After
they complete the assessment, they will answer a set of reflection questions and attend a follow-up
meeting with their Area Coordinator. Students will be able to identify their top five strengths and how to
utilize them in their personal, academic, and professional environments. There will be a $25 fee
associated with this assessment to pay for the materials and administration of this sanction.