Student-conduct administrators around the country are hailing restorative justice as the next big thing. A blend of mediation and restitution, it seeks to resolve a conflict by identifying the harms caused and devising, with suggestions from both victims and offenders, an agreement to repair them. Restorative justice not only offers an alternative…

Campus police and other college officials believe the 16,237 alcohol arrests and 7,060 drug arrests on college campuses in 1996 reflect tougher enforcement, not increased usage among students. This is particularly true in states such as Michigan, where state law concerning underage drinking has changed, and in communities where enforcement is…