The Reflection Center at the Quarry will officially open its doors on Monday 9/30/2019. The Center, located in the Bay Tree Building room 106, will be open daily from 6:00 am until 9:00 pm. As noted in an earlier campus announcement, this space in Quarry Plaza offers students, staff, and faculty a quiet space to pursue spiritual well-being through prayer, meditation, and contemplative practices.
The opening of the center follows a series of dialogues in Spring 2019 with an array of campus stakeholders, including the University Interfaith Council and leaders of multiple student organizations focusing on religion, spirituality, faith, and meaning-making. These dialogues informed initial preparations of the space which took place during the spring and summer.
The Dean of Students Office will convene a representative group of UCSC community members with whom to collaborate in ongoing decision-making about the use and oversight of this new campus resource. If you are interested in joining such a group, please contact Brian Arao, Associate Dean of Students and Chief of Staff (barao@ucsc.edu | 831.459.3793).
Additionally, the Politics Department hosts a quiet space for students, staff, and faculty on the first floor of the Merrill Academic Building. Merrill 7B is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm for prayer, reflection, meditation, and silence.
These spaces represent significant steps forward for our campus in more fully living out our Principles of Community. Even so, we acknowledge such work never reaches an endpoint. While we celebrate this moment and these spaces, we also recommit ourselves to the continuing work of promoting equity and inclusion for every member of our diverse campus community.
