Spiritual Care and Supports

Inclusive Spiritual Supports

The Office of the AVP: EDI hosts spiritual care services, led by the team’s spiritual care and support coordinator. Spiritual Care services at Laurier support students in meeting spiritual and faith-based needs; advocate for continued creed-related inclusion in academic and non-academic life; and support students from diverse genders and sexual identities in navigating spiritual services and resources.

The spiritual support coordinator offers the following services and supports:

• Direct spiritual and faith-based support:
  • Provide non-clinical, culturally grounded, and trauma-informed spiritual care to students, staff, and faculty.
  • Offer inclusive and affirming spiritual and faith support and resources for diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions.
  • Respond to individual and collective needs arising from global crises with safe spaces, healing circles, and reflection gatherings.
• Religious accommodation advocacy:
  • Serve as an advocate for equitable creed-related inclusion across academic and non-academic settings.
  • Co-chair the Religious Accommodations Working Group (RAWG) to advise on policy, raise awareness, and promote accountability in upholding Ontario Human Rights Code standards.
  • Conduct administrative research and focus groups to identify successes, barriers, and gaps in faith-based inclusion.
• Multi-faith space oversight:
  • Support members of the Laurier community in accessing prayer and multi-faith spaces across campuses.
  • Communicate usage guidelines and maintenance needs related to these spaces.
  • Coordinate space use for sacred practices, ensuring accessibility, inclusivity, and cultural responsiveness.
• Educational and cultural programming:
  • Develop and deliver workshops and training on inclusive spiritual practices and cultural competence.
  • Facilitate opportunities for students, staff, and faculty to research, reflect on, and discuss ethical and theological issues.
  • Support faith- and spirituality-based student clubs and association with education and programming.
  • Lead and coordinate interfaith and spirituality-related observances.
  • Facilitate spiritually integrated wellness activities for graduate and undergraduate students in partnership with other campus services and student-led organization.
• Multi-faith Resource Team (MFRT) coordination:
  • Meet with MFRT members on a regular basis and assist their orientation and integration to MFRT and Laurier.
  • Coordinate with MFRT chaplains and partners to plan programming, share resources, and promote interfaith awareness.
  • Support MFRT-led services and events, including Thrive Week, Spiritual Health Awareness Week, Interfaith Harmony Week, Blue Holidays, and holistic wellness activities.
  • Develop resources on religious observances and faith-related inclusion for campus communications.
  • Assess, document, and communicate needs of different faith-based communities to university administration.
• Community engagement and crisis response:
  • Build partnerships with student clubs, cultural associations, and community organizations to strengthen faith-informed support and wellness initiatives.
  • Lead community-driven projects such as the Multifaith Support Fund and Ramadan Iftar Initiative, addressing student food insecurity while fostering belonging and connection.

These services are complementary to those offered by the Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (CSEDI), to information for students about religious and spiritual accommodations, and to the services offered by the Muslim Students’ Association.

Students who would like support with accessing prayer spaces on campus, connecting with religious communities on and off campus, or information about where to find dining and grocery options on and near campus that meet religious dietary restrictions, can email avpedi@wlu.ca.

To disclose incidents of faith and spirituality related exclusion and discrimination, use the Reporting Incidents to Support Equity (RISE) form.

We encourage students of all faith backgrounds and spiritualities to complete the Student Self-Identification Form. Doing so helps our team understand what the Laurier community needs and where gaps in resources and support exist.

Religious Accommodations Working Group

Co-chaired by the director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and the spiritual support coordinator, the Religious Accommodations Working Group (RAWG) promotes an inclusive and respectful environment where students, faculty, and staff can practice their faith traditions freely and without discrimination. Established in 2022 in response to the growing number of religious accommodation requests and concerns from various campus community members, the working group works to ensure that the university's policies, structures, and practices are equitable and sensitive to the diverse religious needs of its community.

Through its advisory, educational, and advocacy roles, the RAWG provides expert guidance on religious accommodation requests and policy development. It raises awareness about the rights of individuals to observe their faith practices and advocates for equitable, accessible, and consistent accommodation processes across the university. The RAWG also monitors and evaluates existing practices to address emerging needs.

Interfaith Programming and Supports

The spiritual support coordinator runs programming that fosters interfaith dialogue, sharing, and exchange. These include the Wholistic Spiritual Supports Series, Kintsugi: Golden Repair through Spirituality workshops, sessions of Mindfulness through Mandalas, From Soil to Soul nature-based reflection sessions, Multi-faith Bagel Breakfast, Inter-faith Harmony Week events, and interfaith Iftar gatherings and events held in collaboration with the Multi-faith Resource Team and faith-based students clubs and associations.

Contact avpedi@wlu.ca for more information and to register for upcoming programming, or view the Laurier calendar.