I'd like to ask for your opinions, impressions, or criticisms of the CIIS (California Institute of Integral Studies) doctoral program in Humanities with a concentration in Transformative Change and Learning: http://www.ciis.edu/catalog/tlc.html I'm not really apprehensive of the school itself, for it appears to have a strong thirty year tradition with an "Integral" approach (transdisciplinary studies linking education, social change, spirituality etc.). However, how do you feel such a degree is perceived in the non-transdisciplinary or non-integral environment, when it comes to, for example, applying for a community college teaching position (assuming a masters degree in a traditional subject like English or anthropology with teaching experience)? Or would it be the case that after successive years of toil and financial outpouring ($7100 per 12 credits, final tally well over 30 bills) in their Ph.D. program, one would have the additional burden of needing to explain, or even defend, the background of the school and the nature of the program to prospective employers? Although I feel such a curriculum would help one grow or advance personally and academically, I wonder about the ways it could assist, or perhaps hinder, one's professional life, predicated essentially on how the degree and school is perceived. I appreciate your opinions- indeed I've been a lurker and paltry contributor for some time now. Thanks John Ryan
Hi, John. I'm not really the one to respond to your questions, since I have never attended CIIS, nor am I a college instructor. I'm just some guy who has been interested in CIIS for some time. In fact I like it a lot, and if it weren't so expensive, I would be attending it right now, since I only live about 20 miles away. I'm attracted to its Philosophy, Cosmology and Consciousness concentration, and particularly impressed by faculty member David Ulansey: http://www.ciis.edu/faculty/ulansey.html For a summary article on his work on ancient Mithraism, see here: http://www.well.com/user/davidu/mithras.html CIIS was founded by a then-Stanford professor named Frederic Spiegelberg. Spiegleberg was in contact with Sri Aurobindo's ashram in Pondicherry, who sent out Dr. Haridas Chaudhuri to San Francisco. Together they founded the Cultural Integration Fellowship in 1951. Interest kind of exploded in the late 60's, and in 1968 the CIF started offering degrees under the name California Institute of Asian Studies. Those were kind of the golden years in a way, when CIAS was still state-approved. It operated out of a house, and an interesting group of people hung out there, like Alan Watts (who left his papers and books to the CIIS library). CIAS maintained a high academic standard and became WASC-accredited in 1981. It moved to a succession of new and larger accomodations, changed its name and added programs. But it also seemed to kind of lose its focus. It became less and less of an Asian religions research school and kind of embraced everything hip and trendy. It became rather politicized. Today it has little connection to Aurobindo and has something of the air of a 60's timewarp. Academics suffered and financial problems grew. This has led to kind of an inner struggle for CIIS' soul. One faction wants CIIS to pursue higher academic research standards and become a more serious graduate school that can stand proudly alongside Berkeley. Another group insists that if CIIS is to survive, it needs to become financially sound, and that means expanding popular high-demand vocational programs in business and clinical psychology. And a third faction wants CIIS to remain defiantly alternative, producing shamans, left-political activists and psychedelicists. WASC came down pretty hard, putting CIIS on warning and telling them that they had serious deficiencies that needed to be addressed ASAP. To its credit, the CIIS administration hid nothing, making all the documents available to the CIIS community. Here's a letter from WASC to CIIS' president, posted on a website created by a dissident student, that sets out the accreditor's mid-90's concerns: http://www.neteze.com/mkthomas/k-wasclt.htm Apparently adaquate progress was made for WASC to relent, since CIIS remains accredited and is not on probation. Finances apparently are stabilized and the school's in the black. But to my eyes the lack of focus still exists and the "flakiness factor" remains uncomfortably high. CIIS certainly has a very cool group of advisors trying to shepherd it through these trying times. It's "council of sages" includes Jack Kornfield (prominent American Buddhist), Robert Thurman (from Columbia), Stanley Krippner (from Saybrook), Jacob Needleman (my former advisor at SF State), Huston Smith, Alan Jones (Dean of Grace cathedral [Episcopal]) and Ram Das (despite his unfortunate stroke). So, how would an interdisciplinary DL degree in 'Transformative Learning and Change' from this place be received? Depends on who is doing the receiving, I guess. I don't think that it has enough disciplinary focus to allow one to compete for high powered faculty jobs in philosophy, anthropology or whatever, at least not without additional scholarly accomplishments in those areas besides the degree. (Is simply holding a degree ever enough to land a prestige job?) But as an additional qualification for a community college instructor, particularly one who teaches in a broad "humanities" context already, it might work. In the religious studies area, I get the impression that CIIS is rather practitioner-oriented. It might be considerably weaker on historical arcana, textual hermeneutics and philosophical analysis than Berkeley or Stanford, but probably stronger if you want to be taught Buddhism by a committed Buddhist and want to combine experiential practice along with your seminar-room intellectualizing. Perhaps it's a little bit like the difference between a secular religion department and a Christian seminary. There's an inner distance that's expected in the one that may be inappropriate in the other. Of course, there's nothing like a statement of faith required at CIIS. That whole idea is totally alien to what they are all about. It's all free inquiry, but people are committed to getting their hands (or souls or karma or something) dirty and don't simply sit back and dryly describe and analyze stuff from an emotional distance. They are also pretty free about integrating things like art and music with whatever they are doing. Learning and doing integrated and mutually reinforcing, I guess. This kind of stuff probably rubs off on where you are apt to find graduates. Stanford and Berkeley religion graduates are apt to congregate in university faculty clubs. CIIS graduates are more apt to congregate in the religious groups themselves. So I'd guess that much the same is true of the DL program that you are asking about. I'd expect to find its graduates in organizations actually working for transformative social or personal change of some sort, more than I'd expect to find them teaching in college classrooms. (Of course, a classroom is a paradigmatic venue for change, I guess.) There's more than a hint that this particular program is kind of a finishing school for activists. I don't know if any of what I just wrote is valuable or even comprehensible, but you asked for an impression. You just got mine.
Hi John - I decided some time ago that if I won the lottery, the PhD program that I'd most likely apply to would be at CIIS (though not the one you referenced). It's a good school and they have some great instructors. As to the manner in which these degrees are perceived outside of the "integral community"...I imagine that it's a bit like a psychic approaching a homicide detective and announcing that they can solve crimes by esp. Some might be open-minded but many will not. Jack
I have looked at their program and that is all. It is not my area as I am not into their brand of New Age spirituality. So, what I offer is simply opinion and some observation. It is an accredited program that as Bill points out has some well know folks in that field associated with it. If that is an area that interests you and you can afford the costs (tuition & travel) then go for it. How it would play out in your career plans I do not know. What do you currently teach or wish to teach? In the end you will have an accredited PhD and have researched an area you have an interest in. As to your question about negatives. Is someone going to look at the name of the school and the title of your program and be negative....maybe. I have met folks who see anything with 'California' (outside of the State University System) and automatically think flacky. Realistically though that could happen with any DL doctorate. Someone in academia could see Capella and have an axe to grind because it is DL. Or I have met folks who see EdD or DMin and think 'but its not a PhD'. What I am trying to say is do not let this stop you from following your dreams if that is what you want to study and the program is affordable for you. It may well open doors (it is an accredited PhD). As an aside, if you cannot afford the cost you may want to look at doing the same study from a South African or Australian school at a fraction of the cost. If you have read this forum you know that South Africa/Great Br./Aus/ have research doctorates where there is generally no coursework but simply research based (ie large dissertation). If this interests you, I would ask Tom Head who has rather out of the mainstream religious/philosophical interests (I mean that in a completely kind and respectful way) and has heavily researched South African and Australian options. As long as you go with a recongized school you would end up with the foreign equivalent of an accredited degree, less or no debt, and have satisfied your research interests. Good luck! North
I'm sure you've heard the old joke: Q: What does a guy with a PhD from the California Institute of Integral Studies in Humanities, with a concentration in Transformative Change and Learning say? A: Do you want fries with that? Damn I'm funny! Now, before everyone gets all worked up over this, IT'S JUST A JOKE! And a light-hearted way of asking what the utility of such a degree might be.
CIIS Ph.D. Program Thanks everyone for your thoughtful responses. I keep flipping back to the CIIS program after thoroughly convincing myself that its price tage exceeds its potential return. I think this is because of the dirth of humanities-related DL doctoral programs and my intimidation by overseas research-based degrees. Nonetheless, I still find the history (thanks Bill!) and mission of the school intriguing and will probably find myself once again perusing the corners of its website after midnight when I have time to think of these kinds of things. Happy New Year
