Naropa University Launches Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education (CACE)

BOULDER, Colo., Aug. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Naropa University today announced the global launch of the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education (CACE). The announcement was part of Naropa's 41st annual Convocation ceremony.

The Center's activities will fall into two general categories: external activities supporting communication of Naropa's groundbreaking work with contemplative education and fostering collaboration with other universities, initiatives, and institutes; and internal activities focused on enhancing Naropa University's capacity in contemplative education, especially among the faculty. 

In establishing CACE, Naropa University has collaborated closely with leaders in the national contemplative education movement to provide:

• Constructive leadership in vision and articulation of the meaning, outcomes, and best practices of contemplative education;
• Effectiveness in offering contemplative education in all its aspects to graduate and undergraduate students;
• Strategic thinking about Naropa University's future as the leading institution of contemplative higher education in North America.

"CACE will be the University's collaborative glue for the wide-ranging and diverse movements in mainstream academia related to mindfulness, compassion, and the centrality of the questions of human values in curriculum, research, and co-curricular/extracurricular spheres," said Judith Simmer-Brown, Distinguished Professor of Contemplative and Religious Studies, and chair of the CACE Faculty Council. "Within higher education, many universities are now researching the neuroscience of contemplative practice, mindfulness, and compassion, and CACE will be a crucial resource." 

"For forty years, Naropa University has been a leader in Contemplative Education, and today's launch of CACE will meet the growing national need to provide greater clarity and leadership, as well as to foster collaboration as contemplative tools, mindfulness and compassion influence a wide variety of academic disciplines," said Charles G. Lief, President of Naropa University.

The Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education has been made possible through the generous support of former Naropa Trustee, David Rome, through the Shocken Foundation; James Rosen, a current Naropa Trustee; and, the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.

About Naropa University (www.naropa.edu): Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a private liberal arts institution offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2014–15, Naropa University is a leader in contemplative education, an approach to learning and teaching that integrates Eastern wisdom studies with traditional Western scholarship. Naropa University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Bill Rigler
Director of University Relations
[email protected] 
303-546-3533

SOURCE Naropa University