Close-up of natural wood grain rings forming a textured, concentric pattern.
Close-up of natural wood grain rings forming a textured, concentric pattern.
Charlotte Rotterdam head shot

News & Updates

Charlotte Rotterdam

Adjunct Faculty

Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education

Charlotte Rotterdam, MTS, is the Director of Naropa University’s Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education (CACE). The Center serves as a hub for discourse on contemplative teaching and learning, and offers trainings to support the development of contemplative education at Naropa and within the larger field of higher education. For the last three years, Charlotte has directed or served on the planning committee of the Rocky Mountain Dialogues on Mindfulness in Higher Education. Together with 6 other Naropa faculty, Charlotte developed and teaches Naropa’s Mindful Compassion Training, an 8-week public program. She has consulted with several departments at the University of Colorado-Boulder to integrate compassion practices into programs for educators and advisors. An Instructor at Naropa for over ten years, she has taught in the Graduate Religious Studies department and continues to teach in the Core College and the MA Contemplative Psychotherapy & Buddhist Psychology Department. She has presented on contemplative online teaching practices and on the intersection of contemplative practice and social justice work at several conferences.

Charlotte received her Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and is a senior teacher at Tara Mandala Buddhist Retreat Center. Her essays on the intersection of contemplative practice and daily life have been published in Mandala, Lion’s Roar and in an anthology, Fearless Nest.

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About Naropa

Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a Buddhist-inspired, nonsectarian liberal arts university that is recognized as the birthplace of the mindfulness movement. Naropa offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that emphasize professional and personal growth, intellectual development, and cultivating compassion. 

Academics

Contemplative education brings together the best of Western scholarship and Eastern world wisdom traditions. Therefore, your pursuit of wisdom at Naropa means learning both about academic subjects and about your own place in the world. This innovative approach places Naropa on the cutting edge of the newest and most effective methods of teaching and learning.  

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If you’re seeking an education that resonates with both personal fulfillment and global impact, Naropa could be your top choice. At Naropa, you will experience a comprehensive curriculum that integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational approaches. Explore how Naropa can fuel your journey of intellectual and spiritual development.

Life at Naropa

Through its incredibly vibrant and welcoming community,  “Naropa offers a home for those who aren’t willing to conform to convention—the mystic, the healer, the prophet, the rebel, the artist, the revolutionary, the oddball—those who are incredible contributors to the evolution of society and of our planet.”—Core Associate Professor Zvi Ish-Shalom

The Naropa Difference

How is Naropa different from other universities? At Naropa, a liberal arts education balances rigorous academics with powerful interpersonal skills and self-awareness to educate the whole person. Naropa’s contemplative approach is inspired by Buddhist philosophy and the conviction that we can build a diverse, contemplative, enlightened society when we have transformed education to affirm the basic goodness of every person. 

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At a time when the value of higher education is being questioned, Naropa University stands firmly rooted in its mission to create a more just and regenerative world by nurturing insight, awareness, courage, and compassion in its students. By making a gift to Naropa, you play a pivotal role in helping to create the authentic, effective & mindful leaders that the world desperately needs.