Interfaith Meditation and Prayer Room
Monday, February 20, 2017
Last week, we had the opportunity to share with our Board of Trustees the result of a compelling conversation they shared with students last Fall.
At their meeting last October, Board members met with students, who represent the rich tapestry of diversity across our campus, about the need for more space devoted to interfaith prayer, meditation, and reflection on campus.
The idea was to enhance a sense of belonging on campus. We must, after all, be a campus that supports not just students, but also faculty and staff from all backgrounds, perspectives, identities, and faith traditions.
The realization of this idea area was celebrated as Board members and the campus community gathered on Thursday to tour the new meditation and prayer space located in room 76 of McVey Hall.
This room will be the short-term home of the meditation and prayer room until permanent space can be located in the new UK Student Center next year.
Through engaging conversation, our students brought their concerns to our Board, and we were able to efficiently and effectively address those needs. This process exemplifies our commitment to working with you, the UK family, to best support your needs.
This also represents our efforts to support students across all four pillars of student success—academic success, financial stability, wellness, and belonging. This initiative supports students’ emotional and spiritual wellness, as well as their sense of belonging.
Of course, all of our efforts center upon building community. We do so by providing a range of programs, initiatives, and spaces that promote rich, diversity-related experiences for the entire UK family.
We are appreciative to our Board for its leadership on this initiative, to our students for recognizing and communicating this need on our campus, and to our university officials in facilities; student and academic life; and diversity and inclusivity who worked to create a centrally located place of respite.
This spirit of partnership and collaboration is how we continue to grow—together—as a community.
Eric N. Monday
@UKYMonday
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