items of interest

with contributions from Simone Dalton, Stephen J. Lee

"THE HIGHER EDUCATION Research Institute (HERI) at UCLA announced today that it is initiating a comprehensive study of spirituality on the nation's college campuses. Called, 'Spirituality in Higher Education: A National Study of College Students' Search for Meaning and Purpose,' the multi-year project will study the trends, patterns, and principles of spirituality and religiousness among college students, and how the college experience influences spiritual development. A major component of the project will be a survey of 90,000 students on 150 campuses representing all types of institutions to be administered during the Fall 2004. A pilot survey was conducted this spring, with results to be released in late summer.

" 'This study will provide a much-needed framework to help colleges expand opportunities for students to explore spirituality,' said HERI's Director, Professor Alexander W. Astin, the Co-Principal Investigator for the project. 'Higher education today has increasingly neglected students' 'inner' development—the sphere of values and beliefs, emotional maturity, spirituality, and self-awareness that are fundamental to their capacity to understand others.'

"The project will assess and track the level and intensity of spiritual experiences among today's college students, determine how spiritual searching and behavior is changing on campus, and identify the implications for higher education institutions and students."

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