Student Clubs
Student Services is proud to announce Student Clubs at Pacifica!
This will be an opportunity for students to connect with one another, across cohorts and programs, around shared interests (professional, personal, academic) and identities. We hope Student Clubs will help foster a culture of belonging and care for all students.
STUDENT CLUBS AT PACIFICA
We encourage students to explore and further their interests at the Institute and outside the classroom that contribute to their development as members of the Pacifica and global communities. Student Clubs provide an opportunity to voluntarily connect with one another to create meaningful connections that may enrich the student experience. Please be in touch directly with the club(s) that pique your interest.
Nigredo Nights Club – explores dream work: teaming up to voice, pattern, and giving narrative to both our personal and collective unconscious whispers of the soul with a focus on depth psychology and astrological themes.
Club Email: nigredonightsclub@my.pacifica.edu
Multicultural Explorations Club – provides a collaborative space to learn about and dialogue with multiculturalism. It aims to explore how depth psychology is practiced culturally and philosophically across the world. All are welcome to join. Our core activities include infusing multicultural perspectives in the new generation of depth practitioners while creating communities of practice and opportunities for educational advancement and professional development.
Club Email: multiculturalexplorationsclub@my.pacifica.edu
Circling and Surrendered Leadership Club – cultivates the practice of circling — a mindful, non-hierarchical dialogue method fostering deep listening, vulnerability, and mutual presence — paired with the principles of surrendered leadership, where leadership emerges organically through collective trust rather than control. It is not a therapeutic modality but a shared inquiry. Participants will engage in facilitated circles designed to cultivate authentic connection, self-awareness, and compassionate leadership. Club leader(s) will offer a brief introduction to Circling and Surrendered Leadership, followed by experiential practice.
Club Email: circlingclub@my.pacifica.edu
Archetypal Astrology Club – focuses on depth psychology and astrological themes.
Club Email: ArchetypalAstrologyClub@my.pacifica.edu
The Mythic Poet’s Department – The mission of The Mythic Poets Department is to immerse ourselves fully in the exploration of our creative and imaginative side. The hope is that the club will not just hold space for this exploration of creativity and imagination but will actively encourage students to take time to pursue their creative passions.
Club Email: MythicPoetsDept@my.pacifica.edu
The Art Club – enriches the appreciation for visual arts and enhances Pacifica community’s engagement with the art world through discussions and lectures.
Club Email: ArtClub@my.pacifica.edu
The Community Club – aims to foster and strengthen the local Pacifica community by creating opportunities for meaningful connection. Our primary mission is to organize on-campus events that bring together local students, cultivating a sense of belonging and togetherness. By listening to the needs and interests of the community, we strive to host events that resonate with students and nurture a vibrant local atmosphere focused on building community.
Club Email: CommunityClub@my.pacifica.edu
Cognitive Function Cult – seeks to convene in the collective analysis and intellectual advancement of Carl Jung’s Cognitive Function Theory of Psychological Types, and to more deeply understand their role in consciousness, shadow, archetypal application, and the process of individuation on an individual and collective level.
Club Email: CognitiveFunctionCult@my.pacifica.edu
Pop-Culture & Games Club (INACTIVE) – The Pop-Culture & Games Club is a collaborative space for students, faculty, and staff to explore the intersection of therapeutic practices and pop culture, including fanfic, and other media, and games. We aim to harness the power of pop culture and games as a tool for engagement and healing within therapeutic environments for adolescents and adults.
Club Email: PopCultureGamesClub@my.pacifica.edu (This club is currently inactive at Pacifica. If you are interested in reactivating this club, please reach out to StudentServices@pacifica.edu for next steps.)
HOW TO START A STUDENT CLUB?
The creation of a Student Club is a five-step process with instructions found in our Student Clubs Manual. The process includes: Application, Application Review, Interview, Agreement, On-boarding Meeting. Pacifica Graduate Institute encourages students to explore and further their interests at the Institute and outside the classroom that contribute to their development as members of the Pacifica and global communities. This policy sets forth students’ rights and responsibilities, as well as Institute expectations, regarding the establishment and conduct of Student Clubs and their activities. Due to our unique residential model, it can be difficult to connect with students from other cohorts and programs around shared interests, whether they are academic, professional, or personal in nature, as well as shared identities. Student Clubs provide an opportunity to voluntarily connect with one another to create meaningful connections that may enrich the student experience.
For more details, please refer to our Student Clubs Manual.
All Student Club activities must be done in consistency with the Student Conduct Policy (as outlined in the Student Handbook), through orderly means and must not disrupt the learning environment or Institutional functions/operations. Clubs should be open to all students without discrimination. Members of student clubs are responsible for their actions and must conduct themselves in accordance with the policies, procedures, and regulations of the Institute. Further details of all guidelines and provisions for student clubs can be found in our Student Clubs Manual.
The purpose of a conduct policy is to respect and safeguard the intention of the faculty, administration, staff, and students to create an atmosphere where learning and dialogue can flourish. Whenever engaged in any activity related to being a student – whether in the classroom, offices, campus, residential areas, on shuttles, or in any form of correspondence with other students, staff, or faculty – students are expected to maintain themselves and behave in an orderly and respectful, professional manner and in a sober, drug free, and capable condition. Orderly behavior means behavior that does not disrupt regular academic life and complies with school policies. For more details, please refer to our Student Clubs Manual.
As a student and as a professional, you are expected to maintain civil and professional behavior befitting your pursuit of advanced degrees and future professional positions. Whereas many fields offer guidelines and professional standards of behavior expected of students pursuing these fields, we additionally require the following student commitments to civility, regarding in-person, online, phone, Zoom, and other forms of communication as well as in any setting where they represent themselves as a student at Pacifica (i.e., practicum or research sites). For more details, please refer to our Student Clubs Manual.
All student clubs at Pacifica Graduate Institute are committed to fostering an inclusive environment that is accessible to all members, including those with disabilities. Clubs are required to ensure that all activities, communications, and meetings are accessible and accommodating to students with disabilities, in compliance with Title IX, ADA and the broader inclusion policies of Pacifica. For more details, please refer to our Student Clubs Manual.
Student clubs at Pacifica enjoy privileges including the ability to recruit new members, use campus resources and branding, access funding, and receive support from the Student Club Committee. For more details, please refer to our Student Clubs Manual.
The role of student leaders is rooted in building good working relationships and mutual respect with club members, student peers, faculty, and staff. All club leaders will be expected to complete training provided by the Institute as determined by the Student Club Committee. Knowing the various roles and responsibilities of student leaders will help in creating productive interactions and positive impact for the club. For more details, please refer to our Student Clubs Manual.
Student Clubs are allowed up to $150/quarter for approved expenses ($600 maximum annually). Student Clubs are required to follow all financial rules, regulations, and policies outlined by Pacifica and the Student Services department. Proper fiscal management is taken seriously and failure to uphold institutional policies could result in disciplinary action. For more details, please refer to our Student Clubs Manual.
Institutional financial support is not guaranteed and is dependent upon the fiscal health of the Institute.
It is important that clubs develop events, programs, workshops that enhance the educational and overall experience of members and the Pacifica community. The Student Club Committee must approve all activities. For more details, please refer to our Student Clubs Manual.
WHO CAN I CONTACT WITH QUESTIONS?
You will find below the name and contact information of people who are your main contacts for any questions or information on Student Clubs.
General questions: studentservices@pacifica.edu
Student Club Committee Members
Lauren Lastra, M.P.A.
Lauren Lastra, MPA, Dean of Students and Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO), brings a mission-centered approach to organizational life. While at Pacifica, she has supported three successful WSCUC accreditation cycles spanning more than sixteen years, founded the Student Life Department in 2018—which she continues to oversee—and has served on numerous institutional councils and committees. In 2020, Lauren was nominated by her colleagues and appointed by the President to serve a two-year term as the inaugural staff representative on Pacifica’s Board of Trustees.
Prior to joining Pacifica, she lived in Chile’s Valparaíso region, where she worked as an Educator with the United Nations Development Programme, developing curriculum and teaching grades 6–12. Lauren is the President and a Founding Board Member of Santa Ynez Valley Pride and also serves as a Local Chapter Lead for Moms Demand Action.
Geovany “Geo” Lucero
Geovany “Geo” Lucero is the Student Life Coordinator at Pacifica. They are committed to serving students as a resource and amplifying DEI practices on campuses. Geo has over five years of experience in student affairs and enjoys being a part of people’s academic journey. Prior to working at Pacifica, they studied feminist studies (B.A.) at University of California, Santa Barbara. While attending UCSB, they were involved in student organizing, advocacy, and leadership throughout various campus organizations such as the Multicultural Center, Hermanas Unidas de UCSB, Associated Students and more. Their leadership as the 2021-22 Student Advocate General tackled areas such as: return-to-campus guidelines/COVID-19 policies, student housing crises, academic policy/procedure accountability, and student casework. They developed a passion for helping students navigate through their campus resources, programs, and policies in hopes of alleviating any pressures or roadblocks. Geo has worked in student affairs, event programming, public speaking, community advocacy/organizing, as well as dabbling into their barista skills at Starbucks. They enjoy exploring restaurant recommendations, attending live shows/concerts, and adventuring nature with their two dogs, Sage and Gansito.
