Carleton’s Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) will have to wait for a needs assessment before finding out if they can get a bigger prayer space. The current prayer space, located on the second floor of University Center, only has room to accommodate 70 people, according to the CBC.
Smita Bharadia, Carleton’s equity services advisor, said the university has been working with Muslim students on campus since 2004 on a variety of different issues. Bharadia said they began looking at the possibility of getting a bigger prayer space for the students last year.
“Because it’s a [Carleton University Students’ Association] club, CUSA has the responsibility for the prayer space,” Bharadia said. She said equity services met with the MSA and are in the beginning steps of working with CUSA and the MSA to do a needs assessment concerning the prayer space.
Erik Sorensen, president of the Carleton University Roman Catholic Community, said they would welcome the idea of a multi-faith space on campus.
Catholic students currently have a prayer room that is located in the tunnels by the Tory building, but the room can only accommodate 10 people, Sorensen said.
“[We] tried several years ago to petition the university to develop a multi-faith prayer space on campus,” Sorensen said.
He said the bid was unsuccessful, but they are still interested in getting a bigger space and welcome the efforts made by Muslim students on campus.
“It’s important that the spiritual needs of students and staff are cared for,” Sorenson said. “The current space provided by the university makes this a challenge for us.”
