Ethical Code for Religious and Spiritual Life

Wellesley College recognizes the importance of religious and spiritual life in fostering healthy and whole community members. Wellesley College believes that religious and spiritual life involves respect for all religions and traditions as well as considerate interaction with and learning from one another.The College has entrusted the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life with oversight of religious and spiritual life on campus. All religious and spiritual groups must agree to abide by this Ethical Code. Failure to do so may result in termination of the group’s recognition at the discretion of the Dean of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life.

Religious and Spiritual Life Group Recognition

All religious and spiritual groups wishing to be active on the Wellesley College campus must comply with Wellesley College policies governing registered student organizations, including having active and engaged student sponsors for their activities, and must be recognized by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life. Applications for recognition are reviewed and approved by the Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life.

All persons associated with religious and spiritual student organizations are expected to abide by the Wellesley College Honor Code of honesty, integrity, and respect; and to adhere to all Wellesley College policies. Religious and spiritual student organizations, like all other student organizations, may not discriminate with respect to membership, leadership or other organizational opportunities. 

Use of College Space

Only recognized spiritual and religious student organizations may use college space for meetings and worship. Room reservations must be made through the Office of Student Involvement and approved by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life. Religious and spiritual groups may not formally meet in public spaces within residence halls.  All religious and spiritual groups must comply with the College’s poster policy in publicizing events on campus.

Third-Party Religious Advisors and Guests

Staff or members of third-party religious or spiritual groups may only come on the Wellesley College campus as invited guests of students or student organizations and must identify themselves to the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life and to the Office of Student Involvement in advance and must comply with this Ethical Code and Wellesley College policies.

Multifaith Campus Community

Wellesley College is committed to fostering a vibrant multifaith community on campus that welcomes, affirms, and recognizes the participation of students from diverse faith and non-faith traditions. All religious and spiritual life groups must work in a collegial and collaborative, inter-religious way with other religious, spiritual, and philosophical student organizations on campus, ensuring that programming is not duplicated and does not conflict/overlap in time or spirit with other similar organizations' programming and outreach. 

All religious and spiritual life groups and their advisors or third-party guests should cultivate respect for, and understanding of the range of world religions and non-religious thought. Such respect will be strengthened by open dialogue and discussion among groups. Religious and spiritual groups should share their beliefs with others in a manner that avoids harassing, demeaning, or disregarding the integrity and freedom of other persons in making their own decisions in matters of religious faith and identity. 

Actions on the part of religious and spiritual groups, individuals in the group, their advisors or their third-party guests that violate these principles may be grounds for loss of recognition at the discretion of the Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life.

Healthy Religious and Spiritual Life

Wellesley College seeks to nurture healthy religious and spiritual life that improves the student experience through individual and group gatherings and practices. All religious and spiritual life groups are expected to refrain from unhealthy religious practices. 

All religious and spiritual life groups must respect the confidentiality and privacy of students.  When desiring to share their faith commitment with students, groups should avoid invading or intruding upon the privacy of those students - whether through personal visit, telephone, email, texting, messaging, or mail. Religious and spiritual groups may not solicit students in residence halls or in public spaces. All conversations regarding religious and spiritual life must be invited conversations and all involved must clearly understand the religious purpose of the  conversation. A student must be able to freely participate in or to leave a group without being subject to harassment or procedures that compromise the student’s autonomy. 

Actions on the part of religious and spiritual groups, individuals in the group, their advisors or their third-party guests that violate these principles or that are deemed to be coercive, either physically or emotionally, or that significantly damage any student’s academic pursuits, financial status, or relationship with family and peers, may be grounds for loss of recognition at the discretion of the Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life.