Sofia University, is a private university founded as the California Institute of Transpersonal Psychology by Robert Frager and James Fadiman in 1975. The university is located in Palo Alto, California, United States. As of May 31, 2018, the president is Dr. Barry Ryan. The institution teaches psychology with a spiritual and/or religious orientation.
Video Sofia University (California)
History
California Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (1975-1986)
The institution was originally known as the California Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, one of several transpersonally-oriented institutions formed in the 1970's. The founders, Robert Frager and James Fadiman, wanted to offer the perspectives of east/west psychology alongside personal, therapeutic and spiritual disciplines, all within a community context.
By the mid-eighties the school was located in Menlo Park and offered graduate degrees in Transpersonal psychology and similar subjects.
Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (1986-2012)
In 1986 the there was a minor change of name and the institution emerged as the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. By 1989 the Institute offered residential master's and doctoral programs and external master's and certificate programs, and oversaw the activities of a Transpersonal Counseling Center. It also hosted the Spiritual Emergence Network.
In 2002 it was reported that 410 students were enrolled in the fall semester at the institute. This included students enrolled in the institute's online program. At this time the institute offered programs in psychology and counseling with an emphasis on both traditional and non-traditional psychological and spiritual models of instruction. In 2011 Neal King was appointed as President of the institute.
Academic profiles that were engaged with research for the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology includes William Braud, who served as research director, as well as co-director of the Institute's William James Center for Consciousness Studies, and Kari Hennigan, who conducted studies in ecopsychology.
Sofia University (2012-present)
In 2012 there was a new change of name, and also a change of academic profile. The Board of Trustees decided that the new official name of the institution was to be Sofia University. The re-branding came with a transition from institute to university, and the institution now offered both undergraduate and graduate programs. Academic programs became structured according to three main orientations: the Graduate School of Transpersonal Studies, the Graduate School of Clinical & Spiritual Psychology and the School of Undergraduate Studies. In 2013 the school had 526 full-time-equivalent students.
Neal King resigned as President in 2013, after a period of disagreement surrounding the budget. King was replaced by an interim president, Frank Ellsworth, who held the post until july the following year. His sucessor, Liz Li, was appointed president in 2014, and became the first female president of the institution.
Maps Sofia University (California)
Academic program
The university comprises four schools - the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, the School of Technology and Engineering, the School of Business, and the School of Transformative Education.
The school has broadened to include studies in computer science, including artificial intelligence, human computer interaction, big data and software design; applying transpersonal principles to real-world disciplines.
As of 2015 the university was reaccredited for an additional seven years by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
Notes
- a.^ New York Times' correction as of August 17, 2012, states that the original article (Otterman, 2012), in some editions, misidentified Sofia University/Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto (California) with the Institute for Transpersonal Studies in Santa Cruz (California).
References
External links
- Official website
- WASC Statement of Accreditation status, Sofia University
Source of article : Wikipedia
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