Encouraging Authenticity and Spirituality in Higher Education

Abstract

________________________________________________ he struggle for a sense of meaning and purpose in life is a basic human characteristic that has long been recorded by philosophers. It is not surprising that the recent Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) national freshman survey (CIRP, 2005) indicated that there is increasing evidence that millennial students appeal to a search for meaning while in college. The national CIRP survey reported that 67% of first-year college students consider it ''essential" or ''very important" that their colleges help develop their personal values. Forty-eight percent of respondents consider it ''essential" or ''very important" that their personal expression of spirituality is encouraged by colleges. Not neglecting this spiritual quest among college students is the central purpose of the book, Encouraging Authenticity and Spirituality in Higher Education, which is directed at those working in institutions of higher education. T The book is organized into three sections that emphasize different reasons for the inclusion of spirituality and authenticity in higher education. The first section discusses the historical and social reasons that spirituality is a necessary factor in higher education. The second section, institutional amplification, describes the necessary changes required for institutions of higher education to incorporate spirituality within the community. The last section provides applications and examples in which spirituality can be addressed in higher education. Several of the 11 chapters, are very instructive. In chapter one, " Our Orientation, " Chickering introduces the three authors' reasons for the inclusion of spirituality in higher education. Chickering describes the major points regarding the re-emerging role of religion and spirituality in higher education. He strongly encourages a credible recognition of spirituality and authenticity as a vital part of the college student experience to balance the academic, scientific, and rational components, thus providing a holistic experience during a critical stage of growth and development. Each author then offers a candid synopsis of their professional and personal experiences that shaped their reasons for participating in this book.