MERIDIAN UNIVERSITY: Transforming the Professions of Psychology, Business, and Education

Meridian University, longtime OPEN EXCHANGE lister, offers a variety of creative career paths, from an MBA in Creative Enterprise to an MA or PhD in Psychology. Please see Meridian's listing in our Schools category.

The world has changed and its citizens are finding ways to affirmatively respond to the challenges we all face. The imbalances and inequities of corporate globalization and the governance structures that enable it have given rise to a global economy and culture which are in crisis. As stewards of this global village, we are called to create a movement for generative globalization and engaged localization, guided by a vision of sustainability, community, and social responsibility. Meridian University's new MBA in Creative Enterprise entails a curriculum designed with this intention.

Meridian University seeks to "educate psychologically aware leaders with the knowledge, skills, and capacities essential to empowering individuals, organizations, and communities." Meridian's curriculum has been guided by an integrative approach to both personal and cultural transformation within organizations, communities, and societies. It is essential that our social institutions become more convivial, sustainable, and just. The practitioner educated to respond to the soul's desires and suffering is in a unique position to address many of our social and cultural issues.

Meridian University's degree programs emphasize the role of transformative learning in catalyzing the emergence of core human capacities. The capacities for embodied self-awareness, courage, compassion, collaboration, and conscience are given special emphasis.

At Meridian, care and attention have been given to the how of teaching and learning, as well as to what information should be transmitted. Towards this intent, Meridian has chosen particular formats and practices in constructing its learning environment. A transformative learning community catalyzes experiences that transform identity, consciousness, and behavior. Transformative learning supports the inherently active and social nature of knowledge. Learning how to learn is at the heart of this approach. This approach builds relationships of reciprocity and mutuality; it is especially suited to the transformative dimension of adult learning.

In addition to its graduate degree programs, Meridian seeks to support the adult learner through offering public programs. These programs are taught by Meridian faculty and guest presenters. Like the graduate program's curriculum, the public programs draw on spiritual traditions, somatic practices, creative arts, mythology, mystical philosophy, indigenous wisdom, deep ecology, cultural history, and social critique.

Upcomng Programs
The Soul's Passion: Practices for Cultivating a Creative Life. We live in turbulent times. Our passionate soul actively seeks experiences, including those that are difficult, to initiate us into deeper engagement with the ultimate mysteries of life. When approached skillfully and imaginatively, both personal and professional relationships can be a context for creative collaboration. This one-day program on Saturday, July 18, 2009, is an introduction to experiential practices which serve to develop the skills and capacities required to respond creatively to the complexities, uncertainties, and trials of our time.

October 2009 Symposium
Meridian University's Center for Social Healing is dedicated to research, education, and consultation that engages the schisms and enemy-making dynamics of our time. Focused attention is being given to issues such as: Cultural Trauma, Paranoia, Conflict, Accountability Practices, Restorative Justice, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation.

The Center will be presenting a symposium on Saturday, October 24, 2009, entitled, Mending the Divide: Gathering the Gifts of Social Healing. This one-day symposium will focus on the themes of: Conflict, Accountability Practices, Restorative Justice, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation.

FEEDBACK: CLICK HERE to email comments and feedback. Please note the title of the article or the author's name. Include your own name or type "name withheld" by request. Thoughtful responses will be published in our next edition.