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Press Release
Naropa University Graduation to Be Held on May 7 at Mackey Auditorium
National Diversity Expert Niyonu Spann Will Deliver Keynote Address
First Class of Wilderness Therapy Students to Graduate
BOULDER, Colo. (May 2, 2005) -- Naropa University will graduate more than 300 students -- a mix of undergraduates and graduates -- on Saturday, May 7, 2005, in a ceremony to be held at Mackey Auditorium on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder. The ceremony will begin at 2:00 p.m., with the doors scheduled to open at 1:30 p.m. Nationally known diversity expert Niyonu Spann will deliver the keynote address. Tickets are required for entry and first consideration will be given to families of graduates and non-graduating Naropa students. Please call 303-546 3562 for more information. Requests from the general public will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis.
Niyonu Spann is the dean of Pendle Hill Retreat Center, a Quaker center for study and contemplation (Wallingford, Pa.). She is also founder and president of TrV Consulting and Truth Vibrations, in which capacity she has consulted broadly in the areas of organizational development; community development and social change; and diversity design and facilitation. Spann holds a master's degree in Human Resource Management/Organizational Development from American University and a bachelor's degree in Voice Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She has been a diversity consultant for Naropa University on several occasions in the past. The response to her involvement was overwhelmingly positive, according to Naropa President Thomas B. Coburn.
In addition, this is the first year that Naropa University is awarding master's degrees in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Wilderness Therapy. Wilderness Therapy refers to a broad field of psychology that utilizes wilderness as a context for therapeutic intervention. The curriculum synthesizes clinical and theoretical course work in counseling psychology, contemplative practice, wilderness skills training and ecopsychology.
Additional graduation speakers include Naropa University President Dr. Thomas B. Coburn; faculty member Dr. Sudarshan Kapur; and student speakers Kazuhiko Takeuchi, graduating with a master's degree in Psychology: Contemplative Psychotherapy; and Georgia Rose Park, graduating with a bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies: Humanities and Contemplative Psychology. The closing blessing will be given by Lama Sarah Harding, a member of the Naropa University Religious Studies faculty, and the Rev. Priscilla Inkpen, associate dean of students at Naropa.
Diplomas will be presented by Naropa University Board Trustee Nancy Gabrielle Edison. In a longstanding Naropa University tradition, graduates wear sashes instead of formal robes. In addition, all graduates bow to the presenter prior to receiving their diplomas.
Accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges
and Schools, Naropa University is a private, non-profit,
non-sectarian liberal arts institution dedicated to advancing
contemplative education. Contemplative education is an approach
to learning that integrates the best of Eastern and Western
educational traditions, helping students know themselves
more deeply and engage constructively with others. The university
comprises a four-year undergraduate college and graduate
programs in the arts, education, environmental studies, psychology,
religious studies, and creation spirituality. It offers BA,
BFA, MA, MFA, MDiv and MLA degrees, as well as professional
development training and classes for the community. In addition,
the university runs study abroad programs in Sikkim, India
and Prague, Czech Republic.
Contact
Jane Rubinstein
Manager, Public Relations
Naropa University
PH 303-245-4643
FAX 303-245-4676
jrubinstein@naropa.edu
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