Contact Information
Location: Campus Center, 3rd Floor
Phone: (814) 332-2800
Email: srl@allegheny.edu
Website
Services
The Office of Spiritual and Religious Life (SRL) provides a number of resources to support students of any religion, or of none, and works with other campus groups and offices to explore larger questions of meaning and life goals. Please note that physical distancing required by the coronavirus may mean that some programs, services, and spaces may be altered or discontinued during the 2020-21 academic year. Our office can answer questions that you or your advisees have about alternative arrangements.
Programs for Religious Students
Religious clubs and services are offered on campus for many religions (see list below), and the SRL office can help connect students with religious communities in the area. The Prayer and Meditation (PAM) Retreat (red house next to Arter) offers dedicated rooms for Muslim prayer, Hindu prayer, and meditation. Students who want access should contact the SRL Office for the door code. An inter-religious group, MOSAIC, is a resource for students of all religions, as well as those who want to discuss religious ideas, but have no personal faith commitments. The annual SRL Week offers coordinated programming to the campus community, around a theme. Many students go through religious transitions while they are in college, which may include questions about sexuality and other identities as they relate to religious beliefs. Please assure them that SRL offers safe space for them to raise any questions that they are struggling with. If students feel more comfortable talking with their academic advisors, SRL can be a resource for that conversation.
Religious Holidays
A calendar of religious holidays is posted on the SRL website, with guidelines for faculty, athletics, and programming units on how to facilitate and support students’ religious observance. Please note that the Islamic month of Ramadan now falls during the academic calendar (it moves forward about 12 days each year). During this time, Muslims fast from food and drink from sunup to sundown, so fasting students may need accommodations in order to perform their best on exams. Please contact the SRL Office if you have advisees who need assistance.
All Students
Students who are not active in a religious tradition still seek places to connect and to talk about questions of meaning, purpose, and vocation. The SRL office is available for non-religious students, or those who consider themselves “spiritual but not religious,” and it offers programs about the spiritual aspect of nature, music, and other experiences. SRL welcomes nonreligious students who need someone to talk to and will refer students to the Counseling Center if it seems appropriate.
Mindfulness
As a part of campus wellness programs, SRL helps to provide opportunities for mindfulness practice, including workshops, to equip students with techniques to improve focus and balance in their busy schedules.
Vocation
Through membership with NetVUE (Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education), the SRL office works with Career Education to help students explore the idea of being called to some life’s work. While SRL offers specific resources for students considering religious vocation, students may feel drawn to other types of work, and the SRL office has a number of general resources on vocation. NetVUE offers workshops and conferences for its member schools, to help identify and nurture students’ sense of call, including resources to assist faculty advisors.
On Campus Religious Services
- Sun, 6:30 pm Roman Catholic Mass, Ford Chapel
- Fri, 12:30 pm, Lunch and Jum’ah prayers for Muslim community, Prayer and Meditation (PAM) Retreat
- Fri, 5 pm Shabbat Service and/or Dinner, Jewish Community Center or Hillel House
Religious Clubs
Contact SRL or visit the website for meeting times and places.
- Allegheny Christian Outreach (ACO)
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)
- Hillel (Jewish)
- Islamic Cultural Association (ICA)
- MOSAIC (Inter-religious)
- Newman Catholic Campus Ministry
- Sojourners Christian Fellowship
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