Upaya 2026 is on the Horizon!

Fresh Perspectives,
Deeper Connections.

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The Buddhism & Psychology Student Union (BPSU) is a recognized student-run organization that represents students in the Buddhism, Psychology, and Mental Health (BPMH) Program at the University of Toronto.

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BPSU is dedicated to promoting ongoing dialogue between Buddhism and the mind sciences. We aim to offer an open and respectful forum to discuss the implications of integrating Buddhist and other spiritual practices with Western psychology. BPSU hopes to  build a network and provide opportunities that encourage academic, social, and cultural development and support and enhance students’ academic careers. We welcome students in the BPMH Program and others help build community to create a deep sense of interconnectedness and belonging.

Statement from BPSU President

Dear students,

We are the Buddhism & Psychology Student Union (BPSU). We represent students in the Buddhism, Psychology, and Mental Health (BPMH) program. As some of you may know, there is a proposal to close our program. Without proper consultation with students or faculty, the administration suspended enrollment into the minor in November 2023, and then officially in January 2024. Without new students, BPMH enrollment will dwindle, and it seems like their goal is to phase us out.

Before I continue, let me clarify a common misconception: BPMH is not simply a program that can be boxed into religion or psychology. The program’s name was assigned 17 years ago, but BPMH has changed significantly over the last decade. (As an aside, we haven’t been allowed to update the name because we’ve been stuck in an external review process for the last 4 years due to the pandemic). The program investigates interdisciplinary interactions within an emerging research field called Contemplative Science. You might not know it now, but I promise you will. I encourage you to look it up.

We need your help. But why should you care? Well, I’m willing to bet that someone here knows a friend or a classmate or someone they care about who has struggled with their mental health. Maybe you’ve been experiencing these struggles yourself. BPMH is one of the few programs that places mental health support at the center of its teachings. While you may not be familiar with contemplative science, you’ve likely heard of mindfulness and meditation—practices that have been commercialized and commodified in North America. BPMH addresses this issue. It’s one of the few programs that studies science from a non-European-centric perspective, recognizing mindfulness’s East and South Asian roots without cultural appropriation. Instead of just learning how anxiety and depression affect the brain, we are learning how to be mindful and compassionate to improve our overall well-being. The BPMH program provides reflective and experience-based learning directly focused on student well-being in its courses, not just student referrals to clinic offices or one-off wellness workshops. And don’t get me started on accessibility services. BPMH isn’t just an academic program. To many students, it’s a lifeline. And I’ve seen this firsthand.

The University once promoted BPMH as part of its commitment to fighting the mental health crisis. So, for an institution that claims to care about mental health, why are they trying to shut down one of the few programs that directly addresses it? Is it all just talk?

For those who think this is hopeless, let me share some insight. The faculty of Latin American Studies came up and told me that they faced similar program closure proposals twice, but students fought back. The Cognitive Science program also faced something similar when it was still a minor. But thanks to the voices of determined students, it was saved, and is now a major.

In the last 11 years, only 10 academic programs have been closed by Arts & Science, but these programs were almost always ones with just 1 or 2 students enrolled. With over 300 students, BPMH is one of the largest and most in-demand interdisciplinary programs housed in our colleges. The move to try to shut down a program with our profile is unprecedented.

Right now, our cross-appointed faculty are not allowed to speak in defense of the program in department meetings, including in religion and psychology. Student voices matter now more than ever. Let’s protect a program that has been a lifeline to thousands of students over the last two decades, and will continue to be for students in the future. We need your support to ensure that mental health is truly cared for at UofT, not just in words but in action.

With love,

BPSU <3