Reinstate Pacifica Graduate Institute's Counseling Psychology Department Co-Chairs

We, the undersigned students, faculty, alumni, and prospective students of Pacifica Graduate Institute (PGI), are deeply committed to the progressive evolution of our institution. It is with great concern that we address the unsettling resignations of Professor Jemma Elliot and Dr. Matthew Bennett, co-chairs of PGI’s Counseling Psychology Departments. The absence of competent successors leads us to fear for the stability and future of each program.

We petition for the PGI's Board of Trustees and Executive Leadership Team to take immediate and necessary actions to address the underlying issues that led to the resignations of Professor Jemma Elliot and Dr. Matthew Bennett so that they may amicably retain their positions as department co-chairs of PGI’s Counseling Psychology programs, should they wish to do so.

We petition for executive leadership to consider the expertise, depth, and rare soul-tending containment Professor Elliot and Dr. Bennett provide to the students they serve. Their awareness of the academic, psychological, and soul demands of each student undergoing the programs is reflected in their relational presence and support. The continuity of students’ education depends on the expertise of capable department chairs who will skillfully manage and adhere to the depth-focused curriculum promised to every student who invests in Pacifica’s distinguished programs. We are concerned that without these essential leadership qualities, PGI’s Counseling Psychology Departments will fail to deliver the quality education that students deserve.

We care deeply for the vitality of Pacifica’s Counseling Psychology programs and firmly defend the generativity of PGI’s depth-oriented curriculum through competent leadership. Due to the unforeseen and concealed nature of their resignations, we believe that working towards reinstating Professor Elliot and Dr. Bennett will be a significant step to restoring our confidence in the depth and integrity that defines Pacifica.