‘Pioneering Spirituality in Higher Education’

     

New York Open Center offers a free program for Friday night in conjunction with California Institute of Integral Studies. A Conversation between CIIS President Joseph Subbiondo and President Emeritus Robert McDermott will begin at 6:30. Advance registration is required but, again, admission is free.

What is Integral Education? As CIIS phrases it:

Providing an integral education for a changing world, the Institute creates and integrates knowledge beyond the confines of traditional academic disciplines…. In exploring the interplay of mind, body, and spirit, integral education connects the spiritual and practical dimensions of intellectual life. The integration of the wisdom traditions presents an evolution of consciousness that has never been more relevant and crucial than it is today.

From Open Center’s publicity:

Join CIIS President Joseph Subbiondo and President Emeritus Robert McDermott for a conversation on “CIIS- Pioneering Spirituality in Higher Education,” moderated by Dean of Alumni Richard Buggs.

Established In 1968 by Dr. Haridas Chaudhuri and his wife, Bina, the California Institute of Integral Studies drew on the inspiration of the renowned philosopher Sri Aurobindo and is an internationally recognized leader in integral education. Originally focused on the integration of Eastern and Western studies, CIIS has grown to include programs that offer a broad array of multicultural perspectives and has an enrollment of 1,400 students. While expanding the range of its programs, CIIS has retained the intimacy of an academic community rare in U.S. higher education. Robert McDermott, CIIS president emeritus and professor of philosophy and religion and CIIS President Joseph Subbiondo will share perspectives on CIIS’ pioneering vision and innovative future endeavors.

Robert McDermott, Ph.D., Boston University (Philosophy, 1969), is CIIS president emeritus and professor of philosophy and religion. He taught at Manhattanville College (1964-71) and is professor emeritus and former chair of the Department of Philosophy at Baruch College, CUNY (1971-90). His publications include Radhakrishnan (1970), The Essential Aurobindo (1974), The Essential Steiner (1984), and the Introduction to William James, Essays in Psychical Research (Harvard University Press, 1986). Robert’s essays have appeared in International Philosophical Quarterly, Cross Currents, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, and Philosophy East and West. From 1978 to 1980, he was director of a National Endowment for the Humanities project for the review of audiovisual materials for the study of Hinduism and Buddhism. He is the founding chair of the board of Sophia Project (two homes in Oakland, CA, for mothers and children at risk of homelessness), and has been chair of the board and president of many other institutions.

Joseph L. Subbiondo has been president of CIIS since 1999 and brings a 30-year history of achievement in higher education, including appointments on several international academic committees; and he has been active on many accreditation teams for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Subbiondo’s publications include extensive writings on the history of linguistics. Among his publications are studies of the history of philosophical language, 17th century British educational reform, and the relation between language and the evolution of consciousness. Prior to coming to CIIS, he served as dean of the School of Liberal Arts at St. Mary’s College of California; vice president for academic affairs at the University of the Pacific; dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Santa Clara University; and as a professor of English and linguistics at four universities.

New York Open Center is located at 22 East 30th Street in Manhattan. Register in advance for this free event by emailing to registration(at)opencenter.org