Resources

Spiritual Life E-Newsletter "The Sacred Squirrel" and Social Media

Get updates every other week on spiritual life events, religious holidays, resources, and job opportunities by subscribing to “The Sacred Squirrel” here.

You can also follow @albioncollegespirituallife on Instagram for more frequent updates and meditations.

Calendar of Religious Holidays and Observances

Find a detailed calendar of religious holidays, observances, and other relevant dates here.

Contact the assistant director for spiritual wellness at ltodd@albion.edu for guidance about religious holidays that are most observed on Albion’s campus.

Albion College Spiritual Life Guidebook - Communities and Education

Since 2003, the Assistant Director for Spiritual Wellness – Office of Integrated Wellness (OIW) has offered the Albion College community a comprehensive directory of area religious, spiritual, and philosophical communities. View the 2023-2024 directory here. Some of these communities offer mentorship opportunities.

The Assistant Director for Spiritual Wellness maintains strong relations with most religious, spiritual, and philosophical communities in the area region. These include Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islam, Jain, Jewish, Native American, Pagan, Quaker, Sikh, Spiritual/Not Religious, and Unitarian-Universalist friends, as well as non-religious philosophical communities. Most of these affiliations are included in the Albion College Spiritual Life Guidebook.

Spiritual Care Conversations

The Assistant Director for Spiritual Wellness is here to listen, reflect, ask helpful questions, and recommend resources and practices. Students are welcome to make an appointment to have a spiritual care conversation or stop by during weekly office hours, which are advertised regularly in the Albion Today newsletter and on Instagram (@albioncollegespirituallife). She can also help direct you to other local religious and spiritual mentors.

Common topics of discussion:

Grief and navigating loss and change (including changing beliefs)
Making decisions
Theological and spiritual ideas, questions, and concerns
Questions of meaning and purpose
Identity exploration

Email ltodd@albion.edu to set up a conversation appointment.

Please note that the Assistant Director for Spiritual Wellness is a mandatory reporter, meaning they must report to relevant campus contacts disclosures of abuse or sexual misconduct. Learn more about reporting and Title IX here.

Interfaith Ambassadors Program

The Interfaith Ambassadors are students who work directly with the Assistant Director for Spiritual Wellness. Last semester’s cohort projects have focused on educating the community about minoritized religious traditions, workshopping policies, and facilitating interfaith dialogue. We are now taking applications for the next cohort.

Email ltodd@albion.edu for more information.

Climate Change and Eco-Spirituality Resources

Email the assistant director for spiritual wellness at ltodd@albion.edu to join our next climate change resilience support group and receive resources related to climate change and the connection between nature and spirituality. These resources include guides to spiritual practices for resilience in the face of climate change, simple rituals for connecting with nature, and opportunities for one-on-one counseling.

The Whitehouse Nature Center bulletin boards and hall cabinet contain several resources, including books about the connection between nature and religion, links to guided meditations and nature practices to try, and supplies for meditation.

"The Spiritual Playground" Virtual World in Topia

The assistant director for spiritual wellness has created a new way to explore religions and spiritual life with an interactive virtual world called The Spiritual Playground in Topia. Students can stroll the playground individually or with others, and areas can be customized based on students’ questions and needs. Email ltodd@albion.edu for more information.

Candle and Incense Policy for Boyd Meditation Chapel

Boyd Meditation Chapel is an open space for people who practice all faiths and spiritualities.
Lighting candles is a time-honored and meaningful part of many religious and spiritual practices.

The assistant director for spiritual wellness (chaplain) supports students’ ability to practice in Boyd as they choose, provided that they take care not to damage the space or put others in danger. Boyd is equipped with a smoke detector and an ABC fire extinguisher, located to the right side of the door as you are walking out. A placard is above the extinguisher to help you locate it.

Candle and incense privileges will be approved on a case-by-case basis. Students who wish to light candles or use incense in Boyd Meditation Chapel must take specific precautions to mitigate the risk of fire or other damage (safety guidelines are also posted in Boyd).

Please read the policy, fill out the risk mitigation form, and return it to the assistant director for spiritual wellness. It will be reviewed and kept on file with the spiritual life office and campus safety. Get a hard copy of the policy outside Boyd to fill out or view it online here.

Resources for Identifying Mind-Control Groups and Cults

Tufts University chaplaincy has created a basic set of guidelines for recognizing and avoiding cults and mind-control groups that can be accessed here.

The International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) maintains resources on a variety of related topics for former members, families, religious leaders, and other interested parties.

If you are concerned that a religious or philosophical group on Albion’s campus may be a mind-control group or need help leaving one, contact the assistant director for spiritual wellness.