Spirituality and Higher Education

A National Symposium

Spring 2006

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

The Redemption of America or Rebirth of a Nation

Excerpts from the conference's opening Keynote Address, featuring the Rev. Calvin O. Butts, president of SUNY-Old Westbury and pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York.

Plenary Panel: Religion, Identity, and Spirituality on Today's American College Campus

Excerpts from plenary panel presentations by Katherine Kurs, Professor of Religious Studies, New School University and Gail Bowman, Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Dillard University.

The Tribal College Approach to Spirituality

Excerpts from the conference's second-day Keynote Address, featuring David Gipp, President of the United Tribes Technical College in North Dakota.

Respecting Spiritual Diversity in Public Higher Education: A Military Academy's Approach

A summary of a presentation by three faculty members from the United States Air Force Academy: David Fitzkee, Assistant Professor of Law, Linell Letendre, Assistant Professor of Law, and John Tillery, Senior Protestant Chaplain.

Negotiating Spirituality in the Classroom

Excerpts from presentations by Philip Dunston, Executive Director for the Accelerated Interdisciplinary Degree Program, Clark Atlanta University, Virginia Kaiser, Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Social Work Program, Marymount College of Fordham University, and Katherine Oldmixon, Director of the Writing Program, Huston-Tillotson University.

Bringing Spiritual Exploration into the Classroom

Excerpts from presentations by Susan Burggraf, Professor of Contemplative Psychology, Naropa University, Barbara Dilley, Professor of Performing Arts, Naropa University, and Jennifer Lyke, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

The Future of Catholic Higher Education

A summary of presentations by Jayne Byrne, Associate Professor and Chair of the Nutrition Department, College of St. Benedict/Saint John's University, Timothy Eden, Assistant Professor of Education and Theology, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Michael Fassiotto, Assistant to the Provost, Chaminade University of Honolulu, and Patrick Hayes, Visiting Assistant Professor of Theology, Marymount College of Fordham University.

Religious Diversity, Epistemic Humility, and Religious Tolerance

Excerpts from a presentation by James Kraft, Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Huston-Tillotson University.

From the Director

"What is the price of spirituality in the academy?" During a time when a resurgence of religious and spiritual fervor is at the center of tensions across the globe, this is the question we as educators must ask.

Although perceived as a predominantly Christian nation, America's fundamental commitment to religious freedom has allowed an unprecedented expansion of religious and spiritual diversity. The challenges faced by both secular and faith-based institutions in light of this new climate are forcing educators to rethink how the academy addresses spiritual and religious pluralism. In November 2005 faculty members and other representatives of Faculty Resource Network institutions addressed these questions and issues during a national symposium on "Spirituality and Higher Education," hosted by Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas. This symposium offered an opportunity for faculty members and administrators to consider the implications of this critically important topic.

In this third issue of our online NETWORK: A Journal of Faculty Development, we present excerpts from a number of the presentations that were delivered during that symposium.