A Higher EducationLINE GOGUEN-HUGHES reports on colleges and universities offering contemplative alternatives to conventional forms of study. A
growing number of higher education institutions recognize the value of
offering a contemplative dimension within their teaching and programs of
study. At
Brown University, medical students may choose contemplative studies as a
scholarly concentration. Brown’s Contemplative Studies Initiative aims
to study contemplative practices and states within the traditional
contexts in which they have been taught, such as Buddhism. It asks
students to also investigate newer applications of contemplative
practice in science and medicine to identify and test methods to improve
health and well-being. The initiative is working toward receiving
formal recognition as a program, concentration, or a center to study and
teach the underlying philosophy, psychology, and phenomenology of
contemplative experience. The
University of Michigan offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in jazz and
contemplative studies, one of the first degree programs to integrate a
significant contemplative component with conventional coursework. This
highly interdisciplinary program combines a solid grounding in jazz and
improvised music study with courses involving meditative practice and
other contemplative approaches to fostering creativity. Smith
College in Northampton, Massachusetts, offers a graduate certificate
program in spirituality and social work practice. The program provides
clinicians with a framework to assess religious and spiritual
development. It also explores ethical and social justice concerns from a
spiritual perspective. The
Emory Collaborative for Contemplative Studies at Emory University in
Atlanta, Georgia, represents an interdisciplinary group of faculty,
postdocs, and students who come together to share and investigate the
application of contemplative practice in society. The collaborative
hosts public lectures several times a year. At
Indiana State University, the Center for the Study of Health, Religion,
and Spirituality provides students, professionals, and the surrounding
community with educational opportunities to better understand the value
of religious and spiritual experience, particularly as it promotes
health and well-being. It uses conferences, speakers series, workshops,
and course materials to this end. Anyone
interested in exploring contemplative educational opportunities will
find the Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education (ACMHE) a
useful resource. This multidisciplinary academic nonprofit has
developed a membership of over six hundred educators, scholars, and
administrators working in higher education. The ACMHE promotes the
emergence of a broad culture of contemplation by connecting leading
institutions and academics committed to developing the contemplative
dimension of teaching, learning, and knowing. The association is an
initiative of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society. Visit
acmhe.org for more information.
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