Indigenous St. Lawrence College is committed to cultivating an institutional culture that values, supports, and promotes belonging, equity, human rights, respect, and accountability among faculty, staff, and students. The College has identified “Belonging” as its fifth core value and mandate as an educational institution.
Do you have feedback, questions, or an experience to share? We want to hear from you. Email Carmen Law, Director, Belonging, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Belonging@sl.on.ca.
Religious Observance and Spiritual Care
Some of these religious observances may require that the practicing student, staff, or faculty member fast, abstain from work or study, or participate in all-day or fixed time activities, such as congregational prayer. As with any type of belief, there are followers who are more strict and active in their involvement than others. If you require information and advice about the accommodation of religious observances, please contact Student Wellness and Accessibility and/or consult the Ontario Human Rights Commission website.
As part of the value of Belonging, SLC supports an inclusive teaching and learning environment that respects and values the diversity of our students. In fall 2021, Policy AC836: Academic Accommodations for Religious, Indigenous and Spiritual Observances Policy was introduced. Under the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC), SLC faculty and employees are required to accommodate students’ rights to practice their individual faith observances. As the diversity of our student population grows, it becomes critical that we understand students’ rights and work to set up our programs to accommodate individual spiritual practices.
This student-focused policy provides consistent structure and practice for accommodations resulting from a conflict between academic obligations and religious, Indigenous, and spiritual observances, ensuring (as per OHRC), every individual has the right to be "treated equally based on creed, and to freely hold and practice creed beliefs of their choosing". Like accommodations under other OHRC grounds, such as disability, we have a duty to accommodate to the point of undue hardship.
The Student Wellness and Accessibility team includes a Spiritual Care Facilitator, who focuses on spirituality as a key foundational component of overall health and well-being. Through direct support and/or linkages to community faith groups, the College’s Spiritual Care Facilitator builds an ongoing safe and healthy community for all students on all campuses, regardless of denomination, faith tradition, or spiritual conviction.
Resources:
- Policy AC836: Academic Accommodations for Religious, Indigenous and Spiritual Observances Policy
- Accommodation for Observance Student Request Form
- Policy Overview Presentation
Contacts:
Caryn Langstaff, M.Sc., SLP (she/her)
Director of Health, Wellness & Accessibility
clangstaff@sl.on.ca
Kathy Doering, M.Ed. (Counselling) (she/her)
Spiritual Care Facilitator (tri-campus)
kdoering@sl.on.ca
spiritualcare@sl.on.ca
The Kingston Multi-Faith Prayer/Reflection Spaces are located in rooms 22233 and 22232.
SLC's Spiritual Care Facilitator, Kathy Doering, offers one-on-one and group support to students, particularly those who are looking to address life’s challenges through a spiritual and/or faith-based lens. Connect with the Spiritual Care Facilitator at SpiritualCare@sl.on.ca
