Conference Purpose
February 22-25, 2007
Hotel Nikko
San Francisco, California
In our densely interconnected world, integrative teaching and learning have never been more important. But between what components of their studies and what dimensions of their person are students asked to make connections? We understand integration within a major, between fields, and even between knowledge and practice. More recently the relationship between curricular and co-curricular activities has received attention. While these and other trends help students and faculty integrate otherwise fragmentary elements of their educational venture, do we go far enough? Do our efforts reach the often unspoken heart of higher education?
The central question becomes: Do current education efforts address the whole human being—mind, heart, and spirit—in ways that contribute best to our future on this fragile planet? What steps can we take to make our colleges and universities places that awaken the deepest potential in students, faculty, and staff?
This conference for faculty, administrators, student life professionals, and chaplains will address the relationships between: curriculum and values; intellectual, aesthetic, and moral intelligences; technical competency and compassionate action; critical reasoning and contemplative inquiry; and vocation and life purpose. One exciting feature of the conference is to invite colleges, universities, and community colleges to send campus teams to the Conference to foster dialogue between members of a working educational community.
The rising interest in integrative learning supports a more holistic approach to education that is founded on a growing recognition of the need for students to integrate their inner lives and their outer vocations. One aim of the conference is to draw together and articulate teaching perspectives from around the world that are theoretical, pedagogical, and relational. Tracks of inquiry will include: contemplation, spirituality, and religion in higher education; integration of emotional and academic intelligence; cross-cultural competency, integrative learning communities, learning through work and service, leading from within, and the major trends in research.
With the rigor of traditional academic conferences, leading faculty, administrators, and student life professionals will present and explore best teaching practices as well as theoretical frameworks for programs, courses, and activities that will explore, promote, and cultivate a balanced education of heart, mind, and spirit, and a need to work in the world. At the same time, this conference will gather the leading and diverse voices from across the country to share their journeys as educators.
Through the conference, leading educators and researchers will have the chance to present and share work—theoretical, pedagogical, and community-based—in a comprehensive way.
View the conference schedule.