Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Saint Francis University Debuts Sensory Room

  • By Matt Jones
  • 12/02/21

Saint Francis University in Loretto, Penn., recently debuted a sensory room as space for students with neurodiverse sensory needs. A news release calls Saint Francis one of a “handful of universities” in the U.S. with a specifically dedicated such space.

Saint Francis University Sensory Room
Photo courtesy of Saint Francis University

The room is located in the campus library and includes a variety of equipment and activities—along with instructions and information regarding their benefits—for all aspects of the student population’s sensory needs. Between classrooms, residence halls, dining halls, shared bathrooms and more, a university environment may overwhelm students’ eyes, ears, noses and general sense of wellbeing. Added to potential mental health issues related to being away from home for the first time (not to mention the backdrop of the pandemic), the space is intended to be a soothing, calming environment.

The effort was spearheaded by four fifth-year graduate occupational therapy students as a project for their “Role Emerging Level II Fieldwork Experience” on campus. Working with the university, Centers for Academic Success, the Occupational Therapy Department and the library, the students said that they noticed a student need and planned the sensory room as a problem-solving solution.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Harvard Announces Replacement Facility for Native American Program

    Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced that construction will begin this spring on a new home for its Native American Program, according to university news. The 6,500-square-foot, all-electric building will stand three stories and serve as the central hub for the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP).

  • Illinois State University Breaks Ground on College of Fine Arts Transformation

    Illinois State University in Normal, Ill., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts transformation project, according to university news. The series of new constructions and renovations will upgrade spaces in Centennial East, the Center for the Visual Arts, and the Center for the Performing Arts, as well as replace the existing Centennial West facility with a new Commons Building.

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.