Someone studying on campus comments about the student petition separately by e-mail.. I know most of the students posting and they are really wonderful people- the university's better offsprings. So, I am encouraged that this petition seems to be rooted in positivity and good will.
This reform work within the meditating community and at the University is consequentially different than what space some anti-TM blogs and forum may occupy otherwise out on the internet. Ollie observes: There seems to have evolved a permanent class of those whose time is spent uselessly complaining about all things TM, Maharishi, and MUM. Judging by the noted absence of such signatures on the petition, I'd say efforts like this to move towards improvement are probably the last thing the malcontents want to see. PS signed it yet? :-) ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <olliesed...@yahoo.com> wrote : Amen - "Doctor" Bevan Morris and his supporters exert a strong tamasic influence on the University, and should be shown the door. Not my fight, and nothing personal, but that's your problem, right there. I appreciate what Craig may be up against, but he comes across as more appeaser than revolutionary. Sometimes we just have to speak truth to power. The problem with being unclear about one's objectives is that any issue can then be seen as having two legitimate sides, whether it does or not. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <dhamiltony2k5@...> wrote : What you may not be seeing from remote is that MUM is an academic institution with institutional academic processes. Processes of faculty, staff and administration in form a lot like other university institutions and with similar problems. That does not excuse the cultural problems that are peculiar to TM and the meditating at MUM. However, actually Craig is a more good guy in the middle of things. I have been in committees with Craig the last couple of years and Craig is in a very difficult place between personalities that he has to report too. He actually is one of the people hoping to have it all work out in a good way. As the chief administrator, an academic, and old TM teacher, and a parent himself he is quite incredible at the high wire balance needed. It would be a shame to see him fall from this. What he really needs is the authority from the Trustees to facilitate what is needed to rectify real problems. The place needs a 24/7 university president who is present to listening to the problems and working with people instead of against them. The Trustees need to fix that. Ollie writes: On the other hand, there is quite a disingenuous response by a MUM Trustee, Craig Pearson, in the comments section, and a following comment that beautifully calls him out. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <dhamiltony2k5@...> wrote : A hundred year old college closes in Iowa. She spoke about how the walls would recount the sense of community, the academic achievement and the unique instances that have occured over the years. "What we will take away is much greater, the support for one another much stronger, the friendships will last much longer, graduates you shared with us your years here," "What's really special is that you're part of a nearly century-old tradition," McAuliffe told graduates in her commencement speech. The institution, formerly known as Mount St. Clare College, opened in 1918; its owner, Bridgepoint Education announced last July that the campus would close at the end of this school year due to declining enrollment. http://www.clintonherald.com/news/local_news/ashford-ushers-out-last-class/article_8c174cd0-f300-5622-a646-ea8d29664cc6.html http://www.clintonherald.com/news/local_news/ashford-ushers-out-last-class/article_8c174cd0-f300-5622-a646-ea8d29664cc6.html ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <awoelflebater@...> wrote : ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <dhamiltony2k5@...> wrote : It seems the consciousness-based education pedagogy (CBE) had become too mind numbing but the patient has awakened. The students should press the trustees to honestly review performance and press the trustees further to produce a new leadership to better lead MUM in a new era. The record of the current presidency has not been good. Actually the university is not the TM movement. MUM is its own corporation separate from the Maharishi Foundation. Some of the board of directors may inter-lock but MUM with its 33 trustees is a separate corporation from the TM movement. Tony Nader, for instance, is not on the MUM board of trustees. Board of Trustees https://www.mum.edu/about-mum/inside-story/administration/board-of-trustees/ https://www.mum.edu/about-mum/inside-story/administration/board-of-trustees/ Board of Trustees https://www.mum.edu/about-mum/inside-story/administration/board-of-trustees/ The Board of Trustees comprises thirty-one members. This page features a short biography for each Board member. View on www.mum.edu https://www.mum.edu/about-mum/inside-story/administration/board-of-trustees/ Preview by Yahoo Thanks for posting that petition. Being an alumna of MIU it is interesting to note the issues the current student body has with what is going on at MUM these days. Not even knowing what some of the acronyms in the petition refer to it is hard to understand fully what it is their education is comprised of but it is great to see some using their voice to get the attention of those who might be able to make a difference for them. I would say, however, that my attraction to MIU back in the mid '80's was its different take on knowledge and also it's one-pointed and mature student body whose demographic was made up of green 18 year olds all the way up to married 40 year old students. Coming from a freshman year at Colgate University in upstate NY, where fraternities and drinking games were considered the height of cultural standards, I couldn't wait to get to MIU. The incorporation of the TM practice, rounding and traditional subject matter taught within the structures of SCI was revolutionary and fascinating during that time for me. So, I would have to agree with some of the comments posted concerning the petition at the bottom of the page. There are plenty of other colleges and universities out there that have nothing to do with meditation so there are alternate choices for those who find the curriculum and addition of the practice cumbersome. But it sounds like it is much more than that that the petitioners are having issues with. What is MVS? How strong is the pressure to adopt all sorts of other things and, what exactly, are those other things? How invasive are these things within the curriculum and in what ways does MUM enforce rigidity to one certain culture? Which culture? So many questions... https://www.mum.edu/ https://www.mum.edu/ # ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <dhamiltony2k5@...> wrote : On a blog, MUM Student Petition http://www.transformmum.com/mum-student-petition/ http://www.transformmum.com/mum-student-petition/ MUM Student Petition http://www.transformmum.com/mum-student-petition/ We, the student body of Maharishi University of Management are presenting a petition to the school administration. This petition is in good faith and the r... View on www.transformmum.com http://www.transformmum.com/mum-student-petition/ Preview by Yahoo