The development of the individual throughout the life cycle is a central concern of all religions and a fundamental problem for the advancement of civilization. The problem encompasses physical, mental, emotional, and above all spiritual development and thus involves body, mind, and soul. Insights into the development process are provided by psychology and by the laws, metaphysical teachings, and mystical writings of the Bahá'í Faith. The course will concretize the theoretical information by offering general advice about child rearing, marriage, and personal transformation.
DATES:
Nov. 15, 2001 to Feb. 15, 2002
TEXTS:
Psychological textbooks and a selection of Bahá'í scriptural passages. Most of these will be available both online and by mail.
FACULTY (tentative):
Dr. Leslie Asplund
Dr. Iraj Ayman
Dr. Saba Ayman-Nolley
Dr. Rodney Clarken
Dr. Rhett Diessner
Mr. Nabil Fares
Dr. Robert H. Stockman
Mr. Peter Terry
Mr. Christopher White
COST:
$150
A twenty percent discount is available when registering as part of a local
group of three or more (who pledge to meet together semimonthly to study the
texts) or to senior citizens (65 and older) or to those whose service to the
Faith engenders financial hardship. Larger discounts are available for even
larger groups who plan to study the course together. Financial aid is also
available. Students also have the option of saving another $10 by downloading course materials online only, rather than be sent a package in the mail.
There are no residential
requirements, for the course is conducted by correspondence and over the
internet. College credit and scholarships may be available. Contact the registrar for more information.
REQUIREMENTS:
The course is taught at the undergraduate level of difficulty. Therefore, it
is open to those with a high school degree or equivalent.
THE THREE-TIERED SYSTEM:
All of our distance-education courses can be taken at three difficulty levels: introductory (roughly equivalent to a late high-school or early college level), intermediate (roughly equivalent to a standard undergraduate college course), and advanced (graduate level). Students in all three levels are assigned the same reading, but prepare different types of homework. Introductory students prepare an informal self-evaluation at the end of each unit, discussing what they learned and their reactions to or thoughts about it. Intermediate students prepare a more formal learning project for each unit, such as an essay, presentation, fireside, or artistic project. Advanced students, who will be mentored only by a professor with a doctorate, will work with their advisor one-on-one to prepare an individually-tailored course of study. Students at all levels will participate in the same listserver and conference calls, and receive the same course materials.
WORK EXPECTATIONS:
The course will take five to
ten hours of work each week and will involve:
Reading and discussion. The course is divided into a series of units, each of which involves reading part of the textbooks assigned and discussing them with fellow students, either by e-mail (the course will have an e-mail listserver called "develop") or by voluntary participation in conference calls. Because of the speed and efficiency of e-mail, students are urged to acquire email for the
course.
Assistance by a mentor/advisor, who reviews and comments on all homework you do and answers your questions.
For those who are part of local study groups, discussion assignments may be provided.
Access to the course's password-protected web site, which includes additional study material and completed sample homework assignments.
Assistance with planning a presentation on individual development (fireside, deepening, or local study class) and with a final written project.
GRADING OPTIONS:
The course is usually taken
pass/fail with review and comments about assignments by the instructor. It may
be taken for a grade (A, B, C, D, F).
RELATED COURSES IN 2001:
The Wilmette Institute is planning courses on marriage and family life in 2002. This course was developed from "Module B" of the Spiritual Foundations for a Global Civilization program.
