Issue 27(1)
Encouraging
Authenticity & Spirituality in Higher Education.
(2005). Arthur
W. Chickering, Jon C. Dalton, Liesa Stamm. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
384 pages. $40.00. ISBN: # 0-7879-7443-9.
Review by: Stephen
G. Pajewski
Asst
Director of Information Systems Programs
Carnegie
Mellon
University
If
the goal of the undergraduate experience is to provide for the
growth for the whole person, this growth should include student
exploration of purpose, meaning, and spirituality in their lives.
Recently these areas of student development have garnered more
attention thus making this book both timely and greatly needed.
Authors Chickering, Dalton
, and Stamm-who bring many
years of expertise in the field of educational leadership and
policy to this publication- present ways to encourage increased
authenticity and spiritual growth among students and education
professionals. This is a very good resource for advisors who seek
to guide young adults as they explore these aspects of their education.
The
term authenticity refers to the consistency between
what one says and what one does. In plain words, being authentic
means that "what you see is what you get" (p. 8). The term spirituality
is applied in the broadest sense - not just in terms of
religious faith, but includes a commitment to a process of inner
development that engages one's total self (pp. 6-9). It is a belief
or connectedness with something larger than one's own self-interest.
These definitions relate to other aspects of human development,
such as integrity, identity, autonomy and interdependence, meaning
and purpose.
The
authors raise questions about the ability of higher education
to provide effective opportunities for authenticity and spiritual
growth within an enterprise that values vocationalism, materialism,
self-interest, and rational empiricism. To what extent are campuses
giving students the chance to explore the affective experiences
of meaning, purpose, and identity?
Moreover,
the authors find that administrators have long relied on rational
empiricism for institutional research and decision-making. When
it comes to assessing institutional influences on, and outcomes
related to, spirituality, leaders are faced with measuring the
ineffable -those outcomes that are more affective
than cognitive, and more complex to assess.
The
authors examine how campuses can support and "amplify" this personal
growth and guide its integration with the curriculum, student
affairs, community partnerships, assessment, and policy issues.
They draw from many examples of specific policies and programs
that have been successful at diverse institutions across the country.
They provide sample syllabi for courses designed to engage students
in examining meaning and purpose in their lives. They also provide
recommendations for student affairs practice that work toward
the same goals. These examples greatly enrich a text that already
presents a wealth of theories and concepts.
One
section of the book covers the historical and social perspectives
on the relationship between religion and higher education. It
refers to recent court cases dealing with church-state issues
and offers recommendations that pose no legal barrier to implementation.
Advisors
can be mindful that even if students do not specifically ask for
guidance in how to find authenticity and spiritual growth, that
doesn't mean there is not a need for it. Students may have difficulty
expressing this missing component to their education. Advisors
are well-positioned to help students navigate a seemingly fragmented
campus and see the overlapping of intellectual issues and spiritual
questions. When students can see that spirit and intellect do
not have to be separated and isolated, it can only enhance the
power of learning and development.
This book can assist advisors to lead campus efforts to encourage
authenticity and spirituality. They may do this by modeling this
personal development in their own lives, and by participating
in campus efforts to engage students.
Lastly,
the book is a very helpful resource for those who seek to explore
its main topics further. Many of the book's citations are compelling,
and the bibliography lists several starting points for further
research.
