Thomas Fire update from Pacifica Graduate Institute
Tuesday, December 19, 2017 at 9:40 a.m.

Dear Pacifica Students,

Heartfelt greetings to you from Pacifica Graduate Institute. We are very grateful for your many expressions of prayers and caring. Throughout the wildfires, both of the Pacifica campuses have remained safe and fully intact.

We are looking forward to holding classes as scheduled beginning January on both Pacifica campuses. As usual, your academic program staff or faculty will be in touch with you prior to the first session of this new year.

Thomas Fire update from Pacifica Graduate Institute
Sunday, December 17, 2017 at 3:08 p.m.

Dear Community and Friends,

The past 11 days has been unique in Pacifica's history as our campuses have had to remain closed since Wednesday afternoon, December 6, due to the Thomas fire, which has threatened much of the local area. The sudden intensification of winds has made the job of fighting the fire much more difficult, yet through the remarkable efforts of the fire-fighters many residences have been saved—their skill, perseverance and generosity has been truly impressive to witness, we are most grateful to them. We join them in grieving the loss of Corey Iverson the young engineer and fire-fighter who tragically was killed during his work on the fire.

A guest post by Craig Chalquist, Ph.D.

Now and then I’ve heard the criticism that depth psychology is not useful in emergencies. I beg to differ.

As I write this, the enormous Thomas Fire burns in the hills above Pacifica. Whether it remains there or sweeps down on the buildings below is largely up to the wind. Sitting with this disturbing fiery symbolism, I reflect that the dichotomy between psychologizing and safeguarding is a false one. We have taken all possible steps to make sure Pacifica people are safe. We have also removed vital equipment and materials, supported each other, and conversed every day about how to operate the school with the possible loss of buildings by fire.

Yet even as we act, we sit with the larger story of what this fire might mean. Why? Because in tending a different view, we make sense of apparent chaos and give ourselves a place to stand within the whirling sparks of uncertainty. A place from which to support our friends and neighbors and each other in a time of devastating loss.

Dear Prospective Students,

We want to thank you for your patience and understanding as we respond to the impeding Thomas Fire. As of right now, voluntary evacuation orders are in effect for residential neighbors near our Lambert Road Campus and mandatory evacuation orders have been given to our residential neighbors near our Ladera Lane Campus here in Santa Barbara.

Thomas Fire update from Pacifica Graduate Institute
Monday, December 11, 2017 at 4:32 p.m.

Dear Pacifica Community and Friends,

This is an update on Pacifica Graduate Institute’s status during the state of emergency due to the Thomas wildfires. At the moment we remain closed until further notice; we are waiting for our campuses to be free of any danger. Both campus are free from harm, though there is significant amounts of ash in the area. Our email systems have been removed to safety so unfortunately email communication is currently unavailable. We are exploring ways to update our website. However, in the meantime if you need to be in contact with us, please respond via our social media channel and we will attempt to direct inquiries to appropriate staff.

Pacifica Update: Monday, December 11, 2017 at 2:07 pm

Thomas Fire Update from Pacifica Graduate Institute
12/10/2017 12:38 p.m. Pacifica Standard Time

As a precaution, Pacifica Graduate Institute has closed its Lambert campus in Carpinteria, and its Ladera campus in Santa Barbara, as of 2:15 pm today, December 6, due to extraordinary conditions from the Thomas fire. Pacifica Graduate Institute plans to reopen Monday morning, December 11, 2017. Classes will not be held December 6 - December 10.

Over the past several months our nation has faced a series of traumatizing events: catastrophic storms and fires, social upheavals over injustice, exchanges of polarizing verbal attacks, and now another horrific act of mass murder, all against a backdrop of continuing escalation of nuclear threats and posturing. Our physical, psychological, political and social ways of being have been destabilized. Taken in aggregate these events appear to be revealing a time of crisis unprecedented in recent history. Yet they need not overwhelm. Out of dark and trying times, history tells us that transformation can occur.