Self Study - Maharishi University of Management

M A H A R I S H I U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A N AG E M E N T 

Prepared for a Comprehensive Evaluation 

by the Higher Learning Commission 

of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools 

AU G U S T 2 0 0 9

MAHARISHI UNIVERSITY OF MANAGEMENT 

Self-Study Report 

Prepared for a Comprehensive Evaluation 

by the Higher Learning Commission 

of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools 

A U G U S T 2 0 0 9

S E L F - S T U D Y R E P O R T 2 0 0 9 1 

2 0 0 9 S E LF-STUD Y R E P O R T 

C O N T EN T S 

INTRODUCTION TO THE SELF-STUDY....................................................................................5 

PART I • INTRODUCTION TO MAHARISHI UNIVERSITY 

OF MANAGEMENT...........................................................................................................................7 

INTRODUCTION TO THE UNIVERSITY....................................................................................9 

MISSION DOCUMENTS.................................................................................................................17 

UNIQUE CURRICULAR FEATURES: DEVELOPMENT AND STUDY 

OF CONSCIOUSNESS .....................................................................................................................18 

Development of Consciousness......................................................................................................18 

Study of Consciousness...................................................................................................................19 

MISSION AND PURPOSES ............................................................................................................25 

Mission Statement ...........................................................................................................................25 

Statement of Purposes .....................................................................................................................26 

SUMMARY OF ACCREDITATION HISTORY.........................................................................28 

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE THE 2000 COMPREHENSIVE VISIT....................30 

RESPONSE TO THE CONCERNS OF THE 2000 COMPREHENSIVE VISIT ...................37 

SUMMARY OF THE SELF-STUDY PROCESS AND RESULTS ...........................................39 

PART II • EVALUATIVE SELF-REPORT ..........................................................................45 

THE FACULTY.................................................................................................................................47 

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS ...............................................................................................52 

General Education ...........................................................................................................................53 

Undergraduate Majors and Minors.................................................................................................61 

Art and Design.................................................................................................................................63 

Business Administration .................................................................................................................64 

Communications and Media ...........................................................................................................65 

Computer Science – Beijing Campus.............................................................................................66 

Education .........................................................................................................................................67 

Literature and Writing.....................................................................................................................69 

Maharishi Vedic Science ................................................................................................................71 

Mathematics.....................................................................................................................................73

2 S E L F - S T U D Y R E P O R T 2 0 0 9 

Physiology and Health ....................................................................................................................74 

Sustainable Living...........................................................................................................................75 

Other Educational Programs...........................................................................................................77 

Evaluation of the Undergraduate Programs...................................................................................78 

GRADUATE PROGRAMS..............................................................................................................81 

M.S. in Computer Science ..............................................................................................................81 

Master of Arts in Teaching (Mat)...................................................................................................84 

Master of Business Administration (Mba).....................................................................................84 

Maharishi Vedic Science (M.A.)....................................................................................................86 

Phd in Maharishi Vedic Science.....................................................................................................88 

Phd in Management.........................................................................................................................89 

Phd in Physiology............................................................................................................................93 

Strengths and Challenges in Graduate Education .........................................................................94 

SCHOLARSHIP.................................................................................................................................96 

The Changing Role of Research at Maharishi University of Management.................................96 

Scholarly Productivity of Faculty and Students ............................................................................97 

THE INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM IN BEIJING, CHINA................................................ 109 

Strengths and Challenges in International Programs ................................................................. 113 

ACADEMIC SUPPORT ................................................................................................................ 115 

Library Services............................................................................................................................ 115 

Information Technology Department.......................................................................................... 124 

Student Support Services and the Learning Assistance Center ................................................. 129 

Faculty Development ................................................................................................................... 131 

Strengths and Challenges in Academic Support......................................................................... 132 

GOVERNANCE, ADMINISTRATION, PLANNING, AND DEVELOPMENT................. 134 

Board of Trustees.......................................................................................................................... 134 

University Organization, Administration, and Evaluation......................................................... 141 

Academic Administration ............................................................................................................ 143 

Non-Academic Administration.................................................................................................... 144 

Strategic Planning......................................................................................................................... 145 

Assessment of Institutional Effectiveness................................................................................... 151 

Facilities Management ................................................................................................................. 158 

Campus Sustainability.................................................................................................................. 160 

Financial Planning And The Financial Condition of the University......................................... 164 

Student Services............................................................................................................................ 170 

ENROLLMENT DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................ 184 

Recruitment and Admissions....................................................................................................... 184 

Retention ....................................................................................................................................... 189


PART III • SUMMARY OF THE SELF-STUDY IN RELATION 

TO THE CRITERIA FOR ACCREDITATION........................................................................ 197 

CRITERION 1 • Mission and Integrity....................................................................................... 198 

CRITERION 2 • Preparing for the Future .................................................................................. 200 

CRITERION 3 • Student Learning and Effective Teaching...................................................... 203 

CRITERION 4 • Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge .............................. 206 

CRITERION 5 • Engagement and Service ................................................................................. 208 

Summary of the Criteria for Accreditation ................................................................................. 212 

PART IV • REQUESTS FOR CHANGE IN THE STATEMENT 

OF INSTITUTIONAL SCOPE AND ACTIVITIES (SISA) .................................................... 215 

Change of Stipulation................................................................................................................... 216 

APPE NDI CES ....................................................................................................................... 219 

A. FEDERAL COMPLIANCE ..................................................................................................... 220 

Credits, Program Length, and Tuition......................................................................................... 220 

Transfer Policy.............................................................................................................................. 221 

Verification of Student Identity in Distance Education ............................................................. 221 

Compliance with the Higher Education Reauthorization Act ................................................... 222 

Student Loan Default Rates ......................................................................................................... 223 

Clery Act/Campus Safety Information........................................................................................ 224 

Record of Student Complaints..................................................................................................... 224 

Third-Party Comment .................................................................................................................. 225 

Reference to HLC in Advertising and Recruitment Materials .................................................. 225 

Professional Accreditation ........................................................................................................... 226 

B. INSTITUTIONAL SNAPSHOT .............................................................................................. 227 

1. Student Demography Headcounts........................................................................................... 227 

2. Student Recruitment and Admissions..................................................................................... 229 

3. Financial Assistance for Students............................................................................................ 230 

4. Student Retention and Program Productivity ......................................................................... 231 

5. Faculty Demography................................................................................................................ 233 

6. Instructional Resources and Information Technology ........................................................... 235 

7. Financial Data........................................................................................................................... 235 

C. MISSION DOCUMENTS......................................................................................................... 237


I N T R O D U C T I O N T O T H E S E L F - ST U D Y 

T 

his self-study report on Maharishi University of Management was prepared for the 

October 2009 comprehensive accreditation visit by representatives from the Higher 

Learning Commission. The report is organized as follows: 

• P A R T I — Introduces the University and summarizes the achievements of the previous ten 

years and reports the development of the institution in relation to the concerns of previous 

NCA visiting teams. 

• PAR T I I — Reviews and assesses practices and outcomes in the University’s major 

functions. This part evaluates the areas of undergraduate education, graduate education, 

distance education, academic support, student services, governance, and enrollment 

development. A common theme of these sections is how to address the most important issue 

we face at this time — increasing student enrollment in a manner consistent with our mission 

and purposes. Part II of the report also permits the HLC Team members to focus on the areas 

of their respective interviews for the visit. 

• P A R T I I I — Summarizes the conclusions of the report in relation to the core components of 

the Criteria for Accreditation. 

• P A R T I V — States and justifies our requests to the Commission. In brief, we request 

continuing accreditation and a modification to the stipulation in our Statement of Affiliation 

Status. The present stipulation states: 

The University will offer no new graduate programs without a focused visit by 

NCA nor will it offer new undergraduate programs without the approval of 

NCA. International programs are limited to China. 

The proposed stipulation would read as follows: 

The University will offer no new graduate programs without prior approval of 

the Commission and will notify the Commission of any new undergraduate 

programs. Existing degree programs may be extended to existing sites. 

International programs are limited to China. 

The present stipulation on the approval of distance education degrees reads as follows: 

Prior Commission approval required for distance education programs other than 

the BA in Business Administration and BS in Computer Science degree


completion programs, the MBA, the MS in Computer Science, and the MFA in 

Digital Media. 

The proposed stipulation on the approval of distance education degrees would read as 

follows: 


the BA in Business Administration and B.S. in Computer Science, the MBA, and 

the M.S. in Computer Science. 

The proposed changes to the SAS would recognize the maturity and judgment of the 

University in its planning processes for new program development demonstrated over the past ten 

years.


P A R T I 

I N T R O D U C T I O N T O 

M A H A R I S H I U N I V ER SI T Y O F M A N A G EM E N T


I N T R O D U C T I O N T O T H E U N I V ER SI T Y 

Maharishi University of Management was founded in 1971 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to achieve 

the highest ideals of education through an approach that integrates the strengths of current higher 

education with knowledge and subjective technologies for the systematic development of human 

consciousness. 

New knowledge — education and the field of pure consciousness 

Our unique curricular features are described after this introduction, but it is worth noting here 

what is fundamentally distinctive about our institution. There would be no point to creating a new 

university unless it had some new knowledge to offer. The new knowledge at MUM is the 

knowledge of consciousness that was brought out by Maharishi from the tradition of Vedic 

masters of India. Here, “consciousness” means wakefulness, the alertness of mind that makes all 

experience possible. Consciousness is transcendental to sensory and mental experience, so it has 

escaped the attention of Western educators whose system has focused on the development of 

cognitive, intellectual, and emotional capabilities. 

The Western educator might wonder why consciousness would be central to education. After 

all, isn’t consciousness merely the backdrop to all learning, the board on which knowledge is 

written That is how physicists looked at space in the late 1800s. Space was merely a coordinate 

system in which all real, physical objects could be placed. Then Einstein showed in his special 

relativity that space and time formed a continuum, and then in his general theory he showed that 

matter and energy were a warping of the space-time continuum. He showed that the geometry of 

space-time was dynamic, not merely a bookkeeping system for matter. 

In like manner, Maharishi showed that consciousness is dynamic, not a mere bookkeeping 

system for cognitive, intellectual and affective knowledge. In practical terms, he could show this 

only by introducing a technique that develops the consciousness of the individual. That is the 

Transcendental Meditation technique. It is the laboratory practice for a science of consciousness, 

through which the student can gain a systematic knowledge and experience of the nature and 

development of consciousness. It is not a religious practice. It does not depend on a person’s 

belief. The Transcendental Meditation technique takes advantage of the natural and universal 

ability of the human nervous system to allow the mind to settle inward. During Transcendental 

Meditation practice one “dives within” — one experiences progressively finer states of thought 

and then transcends thought altogether. One experiences pure consciousness —consciousness in 

its most silent and unbounded state, the simplest form of human awareness.


The Transcendental Meditation technique has its origin in the Vedic tradition of knowledge, 

but it is best understood as a modern revival of Vedic knowledge that has been obscured even in 

India over the past many centuries. In contrast to so much of what is referred to as “meditation,” 

Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation technique is a simple, natural, and effortless process that 

can easily be learned by anyone age 10 and over. Maharishi created a very systematic method for 

teaching this technique, which can be learned over a four-day period, so it can be taught 

uniformly throughout the world. As a result, the technique and its effects on mind, body and the 

environment can be studied systematically through scientific research. 

The original, landmark studies on the psychophysiology of Transcendental Meditation were 

published in 1970, 1971 and 1972, 1 and since then some 600 studies have been conducted by 

scholars from more than 250 independent universities and research institutes in 33 countries 

around the world. Altogether, 341 independent peer-reviewed journals or other edited scientific 

publications have published original studies and reviews of research on the Transcendental 

Meditation program. These studies document the beneficial effects of the Transcendental 

Meditation technique to physiological, psychological, and social health. (A collection of these 

papers is available in the Resource Room.) 

The Vedic literature of India speaks to the centrality of consciousness in education. The 

Mundaka Upanishad 1.1.3 directs one to “know that by knowing which everything is known.” 

That raises an idea that may be surprising to the Western educator, that there could be something 

that is the root of all education. If there were such a root, it would clearly be of major significance 

to education. That “root” is consciousness. All academic disciplines, from mathematics to 

literature, from physics to philosophy, are an expression of consciousness. Changing the 

metaphor, we may also observe that consciousness is the container of knowledge. The role of 

Maharishi University of Management is not just to fill the container with facts and theories but to 

expand the container itself. The task of Maharishi University of Management is to demonstrate to 

the world what can be achieved through such a system of education. 

A unifying framework for knowledge 

With the recognition that consciousness is central to education came the exploration of a theory 

of consciousness and its expression as creative intelligence. As our faculty explored this emerging 

science with the University’s founder, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, they came to see the opportunity 

to create a much-needed meaningful interdisciplinary framework for education, through which 

the qualities of creative intelligence and the principles of its functioning might be seen in all 

1. Wallace, R. K. Physiological effects of Transcendental Meditation. Science 167: 1751–1754, 1970. 

Wallace, R. K., et al. A wakeful hypometabolic physiologic state. American Journal of Physiology 221: 

795–799, 1971. 

Wallace, R. K., et al. The physiology of meditation. Scientific American 226: 84–90, 1972.


academic disciplines. In this way, Maharishi Vedic Science is used as an integrative framework 

for education here. 

Pure consciousness and the unified field of natural law 

In the Vedic literature, the field of pure consciousness is understood not merely as the ground 

state of human consciousness, the essence of the mind, but as the ground state of the laws of 

nature, the quintessential, unified foundation of nature itself. A number of prominent physicists 

had speculated that mind or consciousness, far from being merely accidental, a by-product of the 

brain’s electrochemical activity, is somehow fundamental to nature. Max Planck, the first 

architect of quantum theory, declared, “I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as 

derivative from consciousness.” 2 Eugene Wigner, the Nobel Prize-winning American physicist 

and another founder of quantum mechanics, said, “The very study of the external world led to the 

conclusion that the content of the consciousness is an ultimate reality.” 3 Sir Arthur Stanley 

Eddington, the English astrophysicist, put it concisely: “The stuff of the world is mind-stuff.” 4 

As early as 1963, decades before the breakthroughs in unified field theories, Maharishi 

predicted that modern science, through its ever-deeper exploration of nature, would discover an 

underlying field of unity, and that this will be the field of pure consciousness. Albert Einstein had 

spent the last decades of his life pursuing a unified theory to describe all the forces of nature, a 

quest regarded as quixotic by his contemporaries. The idea that nature had a unified foundation 

remained an abstraction until the 1980s, when physicists began to formulate consistent 

mathematical theories of a unified field of all the laws of nature, integrating all force and matter 

fields, fulfilling Einstein’s dream. 

One of those researchers was Dr. John Hagelin, a faculty member of Maharishi University of 

Management, who helped develop the most successful grand unified theory to date (the 

unification of the electro-weak and strong forces); his work is among the 100 most-cited 

publications in the physical sciences. In conversations with Maharishi, Dr. Hagelin formulated an 

argument showing that pure consciousness is the unified field of natural law; his argument 

demonstrated this identity both mathematically and qualitatively. 

This validation of the Vedic understanding showed that all human beings have access, in the 

simplest form of their own awareness, to the same field of intelligence that governs the universe, 

to the field from which the laws of nature emerge. By implication, the development and 

2. Quoted in D.B. Klein, The Conception of Consciousness: A Survey (University of Nebraska Press, 

Lincoln, Nebraska, 1984), front matter. 

3. Eugene P. Wigner, “The Place of Consciousness in Modern Physics,” in Consciousness and Reality, 

eds. C. Musès and A.M. Young (New York: Outerbridge & Lazard, 1972), 133–134. 

4. Sir Arthur Eddington, The Nature of the Physical World (Ann Arbor, Michigan: The University of 

Michigan Press, 1974) 276.


expansion of consciousness can make it possible for any individual to live life spontaneously and 

fully in accord with natural law, to harness the support of natural law to fulfill one’s desires, and 

hence live life without mistakes and suffering. This is the state known traditionally as 

enlightenment, and this is the long-term result of the programs for the development of 

consciousness at Maharishi University of Management. As any educator would recognize, such a 

result would fulfill the cherished goals of education throughout the ages. 

A technology of peace 

This Consciousness-Based system of education gives education its proper foundation — 

systematic development of students’ full creative potential from within. But it also offers an 

additional benefit — the possibility for even a single institution the size of a modern university to 

create world peace. 

As early as 1960, Maharishi predicted that the effects of the Transcendental Meditation 

program extend beyond the individual practitioner to affect the whole society. In particular, he 

predicted that even 1% of a population practicing the technique would be sufficient to improve 

the quality of life for the whole population. By 1975, research began to verify this prediction. A 

series of studies compared U.S. cities where 1% of the population had learned the Transcendental 

Meditation technique with matched control cities. The results were consistent —crime rate 

decreased significantly in the “1% cities.” When Maharishi introduced the advanced TM-Sidhi 

program in 1977, he predicted that just the square root of 1% of a population practicing this 

program together in one place would be sufficient to reverse negative trends for the whole 

population. With such small numbers involved, it became possible to deliberately create such 

groups and test the effect. In 1989, a groundbreaking study was published in the Journal of 

Conflict Resolution showing through time-series analysis of data that a group of people practicing 

the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs in Jerusalem had a significant impact in 

reducing war deaths in the Israel-Lebanon conflict, as well as improving quality of life 

throughout Israel. That research has been replicated in 50 studies and has been published in such 

other journals as the Journal of Conflict Resolution, Social Indicators Research, Social Science 

Perspectives Journal, The Journal of Mind and Behavior, the Journal of Crime and Justice, and 

Psychology, Crime, and Law. No sociological effect has been validated with a greater degree of 

statistical confidence. This research confirms that we now possess a technology of world peace. 

The ability to relieve suffering brings the ethical responsibility to do so. With this knowledge 

of the mechanics for creating peace, Maharishi University of Management has a responsibility to 

implement it — for example, to help establish colleges and universities worldwide where 

students, simply through their twice-daily practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM- 

Sidhi programs, can as a byproduct of their education create peace for their nations and for the 

world.


Mainstream higher education 

To summarize, this new concept of general education, the development of consciousness, gives 

education a true foundation. It results in profound benefits to the individual as measured by 

physiological and psychological research, and it demonstrates the possibility for genuine 

enlightenment — life spontaneously in accord with natural law. Furthermore, the practice of this 

system of education by students can yield world peace as a byproduct. 

Such a system of education naturally attracts forward-thinking educators. Maharishi 

University of Management has therefore drawn a faculty and staff who are deeply committed to 

our mission and who offer their services very much in the spirit of volunteers rather than as 

employees. This helped us establish the University in the 1970s, without an endowment, and to 

continue in recent years despite the financial challenges facing all of higher education. 

Maharishi University of Management is not to be regarded as a fringe institution with a 

peculiar form of general education. Our mission is to give to education its proper foundation and 

to demonstrate the value of this new structure to scholars, teachers, and leaders around the world. 

This system can easily be integrated into mainstream higher education. Leaders in all spheres of 

life — education, science, the arts, government, international relations — have visited our 

campus over the years. Some of the consultant-evaluators who came on HLC visiting teams in the 

past have even learned the Transcendental Meditation technique in the spirit of objectively 

experiencing the University. One of them, a member of a visiting team more than 25 years ago, 

went on to take training in the advanced TM-Sidhi program and became the Executive Director of 

the Western Association of Colleges and Schools. 

Quite to this point, at the 2006 annual meeting of the Western Association of Schools and 

Colleges, a plenary speaker was our Dean of Graduate Studies, Dr. Fred Travis. His presentation 

to more than 800 deans and university administrators was entitled “Does the College Experience 

Damage the Brain” He discussed recent brain research documenting the terrible toll the college 

experience takes on a student’s brain as a result of academic pressures, poor diet, sleep 

deprivation, and substance abuse. The resultant stress and fatigue actually breaks down the 

connection between the frontal lobe and the rest of the brain, limiting judgment, moral reasoning, 

synthesis, and planning. Presenting a solution to this problem, Dr. Travis showed patterns of 

neural imaging, raw EEG, and EEG coherence that demonstrated that frontal attention circuits are 

enlivened during the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique, thereby integrating the 

functioning of the whole brain. 

Key statistics about Maharishi University of Management 

Since 1974 the University has been located in Fairfield, in southeastern Iowa. We currently offer 

11 undergraduate majors, 4 master’s degree programs, and 3 doctoral degree programs. In 2008- 

2009, the 12-month unduplicated headcount of students was 1,340 enrolled students, including


263 undergraduates and 1,077 graduate students. Our students come from 70 countries and 36 

states in the U.S. 

FACULTY 

A primary strength is our faculty, who are well qualified in their fields and committed to the 

University’s purposes. It is typical for students’ courses to be taught by faculty with the highest 

degree in their discipline — 63% of bachelor degree course credits, 64% at the master’s degree 

level, and 100% at the doctoral degree level in the past two years. Our 59 full-time teaching 

faculty are supplemented by a small number of adjunct and visiting faculty who bring special 

expertise to the classroom and by 4 faculty who are classified as research faculty due to their 

predominant support from grants and contracts. Student-faculty interaction is extensive even with 

part-time faculty, because under our block system, in which students take one course at a time 

over four weeks, the faculty are with the students for several hours daily. A high percentage of 

course credits is taught by full-time instructors — in the last two years, 92% at the bachelor level, 

89% at the masters level, and 100% at the doctoral level. 

FACULTY RESEARCH 

Faculty research has been productive over the years. During the 1990s the faculty generated 

nearly 600 publications, conference presentations, and art exhibitions and brought 41 grants and 

contracts to the University for a total of $24 million. That research contributed to important 

theoretical and practical advances in areas including psychophysiology of human consciousness, 

unified quantum field theory, cardiovascular health, human resource development in 

corporations, and prevention of crime and violence. In the last decade, we have shifted more to an 

emphasis on teaching in response to the more competitive research environment and thus 

increased faculty teaching loads somewhat and reduced research output. Still, the faculty brought 

in $7.2 million in research grants and contracts to the University, of which $4.6 million was from 

the National Institutes of Health in two grants (since the early 1990s Maharishi University of 

Management has received $23 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health for 

research on the Transcendental Meditation program). Twelve teaching grants included one of 

$70,000 related to entrepreneurship education and eleven others averaging $3,000. 

FINANCIAL STRENGTH 

We have consistently operated on a sound financial basis. Our composite financial index (CFI) 

was 2.6 and 2.7 in the middle of this decade and has been the maximum (capped) value of 3.0 

over the past three years. These values are well above the 1.40 level at which the HLC red-flags 

its members. The 2008-2009 year has been more challenging than in the past, and audited 

financials will not be available until November 2009, but preliminary indications are that the CFI 

will remain above 2.3.


GOVERNANCE 

We have benefited from a committed and active Board of Trustees, whose responsibilities include 

approval of the plans and budget of the institution. We are also fortunate to have exceptionally 

dedicated administrators and staff. Academic governance is based on collegial decision making, 

implemented through committees of the Faculty Senate, with policies and decisions reviewed by 

the Academic Council (the executive body of the Faculty Senate) and by the Faculty Senate as a 

whole. Administrative planning is made by the University Council, which consists of 

administrative leaders. 

LIBRARY 

The academic and research activity of the faculty and students is supported by a library that takes 

special advantage of current electronic technologies to access information. Our Library is a 

member of several library consortia and is a net interlibrary loan lender. Its holdings are now at 

about 140,000 volumes (an estimated 30,000 unused volumes were weeded between 1999 and 

2008). The microfilm collection has been steady at 60,000. The non-print films, tapes, and CDs 

have risen from about 12,000 to over 21,000 over the last few years. Students have Internet 

access at 33 workstations or ports in the Library and in all dormitories on campus. Computer labs 

exist in the Library, computer science, digital media, and business administration buildings. 

INFORMATION SERVICES 

Administrative activity is supported by a separate network with about 60 workstations. Projects of 

the Information Services department in the last few years include increasing the bandwidth to the 

Internet from 9 to 30 Mbps, adding fiber optic cable connections to 8 more student dormitories, 

and improving the fiber optic backbone to Gigabit speeds to 19 major buildings. 

PHYSICAL PLANT 

Our campus had extensive deferred maintenance when acquired in 1974. We had constructed 10 

new buildings prior to 2000 (9 houses and a quadplex for faculty and staff). In 2000 we launched 

a plan to reconstruct the campus. This began with the inauguration, in 2000, of a 20,000-sq.ft. 

administrative and classroom building. Since then we razed 43 old buildings and constructed ten 

new ones, including three classroom buildings totaling 32,000 sq.ft., six 8-room student 

residences, and the 50,000 sq.ft. Argiro Student Center at a total cost of $12 million. Another 60 

new buildings have been built on campus, either by our faculty and staff or a private developer, 

including homes, a condominium, and an office building. 

In just the last two years, we spent more than $2.2 million on improving campus land, roads, 

and facilities, including $2.4 million on renovating buildings. The 262-acre campus has 

approximately a million square feet of academic, residential, and recreational facilities.


QUALITY OF LIFE 

Visitors are impressed with the high quality of life on campus. Students, faculty, and staff 

representing a diversity of world cultures study and work in an atmosphere of harmony, respect, 

relaxed focus, and positivity. The campus is remarkably free from the stress, antisocial behavior, 

and abuse of alcohol and drugs often found on college campuses. The faculty attribute this 

nourishing environment to the development of consciousness fostered through the practice of the 

Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs (see below for a description of these 

programs in the curriculum). We also support students’ health through prevention-oriented health 

care and vegetarian meals with predominantly organic food. 

MAHARISHI SCHOOL 

We have a laboratory elementary and secondary school on campus, the Maharishi School of the 

Age of Enlightenment, which in the spring of 2009 had 175 students from kindergarten through 

grade 12. Maharishi School has played an important role in attracting families from around the 

country who want the benefits of our Consciousness-Based educational approach for their 

children. These families and many others have moved to Fairfield to take advantage of group 

practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs on our campus. 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 

This influx of people has promoted economic development in Fairfield and Jefferson County. 

Whereas almost every other county in Iowa has lost population during the past 25 years, the 

Jefferson County population has grown. In the 1990’s approximately 400 new companies were 

started, creating an estimated 2,000 new jobs in a city of 10,000 people. In 1997, the Governor of 

Iowa stated the University “has had a profound influence on the present and future well-being of 

its home community of Fairfield.” In 2006, Fairfield was one of six towns and cities in Iowa 

designated an “Iowa Great Place” by the state. 

SERVICE TO SOCIETY 

One of our founding purposes is to offer knowledge and programs for the benefit of all sectors of 

society and nations. In the last decade, our faculty have implemented projects in health, business, 

and education. Projects include the reduction of heart disease among elderly African Americans, 

enhancement of mental abilities and psychological well-being in young inner-city students and in 

college students in Washington, DC. 

In the last few years, we have signed agreements to develop alliances with higher educational 

institutions in Nepal, Malaysia, Vietnam, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Our faculty and graduates 

have also assisted, since 1990, in establishing educational institutions in Russia, Ukraine, 

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Australia, South Africa, and Kenya.


M I SS I O N D O C U M EN T S 

T 

he University’s mission documents are presented in Appendix C. Our mission 

encompasses four main areas: holistic development, academic excellence, research, and 

service to society. 

• Holistic development – This first point expresses our unique contribution to higher education. 

By introducing the practice of a technology for the development of consciousness — the 

Transcendental Meditation technique — and by organizing a systematic understanding of that 

development in its Science of Creative Intelligence, MUM has been an innovator in American 

higher education. The general education outcome measures specified in the General Education 

Assessment Plan (page 57) are more broad or holistic in scope than are typically stated for 

general education. 

• Academic excellence – The functional academic purposes are expressed in the second point in 

the mission. The focus on intellectual skills and capacities is typical of a four-year college or 

university. The stated purpose that students should be able to see the interconnections among 

fields of knowledge and their own consciousness derives from the unique intellectual 

framework provided by the Science of Creative Intelligence. The addition of the unifying 

principles of the Science of Creative Intelligence to the study of each discipline helps solve 

two persistent problems in education — curriculum coherence and relevance. 

• Scholarship – The third mission point centers around scholarship. Though relatively small, 

the University has produced significant research and attracted major grant support. Our faculty 

have national reputations in areas ranging from brain research to cardiovascular health to 

mathematics education, and they are also leaders in the scholarship of teaching, integration 

and application as seen in the editing of professional journals and the publication of textbooks. 

• Service – The fourth mission point, service to society, is especially important since we have a 

base of scientifically validated knowledge that offers proven solutions to difficult social 

problems in the fields of education, health, business, rehabilitation, and government.


U N I Q U E C U R R I C U L A R F EA TU R E S: 

D E V E L O P M EN T A N D S T U D Y 

O F C O N SC I O U S N ES S 

DEVE LO PME NT OF CONS CIO US NESS 

Success in school and success in life depends on qualities that are usually not developed 

systematically through the university curriculum: creativity, alertness, intelligence, broad 

comprehension together with sharp focus, emotional maturity, energy, and self-confidence. 

Scientific research over several decades has shown that each of these characteristics develops 

systematically through our curriculum. This development takes place primarily through the 

Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs. (Please refer to Scientific Research on 

Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation: Collected Papers, Volumes 1-5 in the Resource Room.) 

THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION PROGRAM 

The Transcendental Meditation technique is a simple, natural, effortless mental procedure 

practiced for 20 minutes twice daily sitting comfortably with eyes closed. The technique gives the 

natural experience of restful alertness. Mental activity settles down while the mind remains 

awake, physiological activity settles down and one experiences a deep state of rest, and brain 

functioning becomes highly coherent. Physiological research on the Transcendental Meditation 

technique has identified this state, termed transcendental consciousness, as a fourth major state of 

consciousness, distinct from waking, dreaming, and deep sleep states. (For further information, 

refer to the brochure Summary of Scientific Research on Consciousness-Based Education in the 

team’s materials and the research volumes in the Resource Room.) 

Detailed descriptions of transcendental consciousness are given in the traditional Vedic 

literature, as systematized by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in his Vedic Science. These descriptions 

identify pure consciousness as a field containing the total potential intelligence of mind and body, 

the basis for the full development of brain functioning in higher states of consciousness. The 

experience of this inner field of silent, pure consciousness has also been described by people 

throughout history and throughout the world. (For further information please refer in the 

Resource Room to “Modern Science and Vedic Science: An Introduction” in the journal Modern 

Science and Vedic Science, vol. 1, 1987, pp. 5–26; and Maharishi University of Management: 

Wholeness on the Move by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, pp. 19–79 and 204–214.) 

Physicists specializing in unified quantum field theories have investigated the correspondence 

between the field of transcendental consciousness and the structure and dynamics of the unified


field of natural law, the most fundamental and holistic level of nature’s functioning. These 

investigations support the conclusion that there is one unified field at the basis of all objective and 

subjective phenomena. Based on this finding scientists have inferred that the unified field of 

natural law is identical to the field of consciousness. (Please refer to “Is Consciousness the 

Unified Field A Field Theorist’s Perspective” by John Hagelin in Modern Science and Vedic 

Science, vol. 1, no. 1, 1987, pp. 29–87, in the Resource Room.) The technology to experience this 

holistic field of consciousness is the Transcendental Meditation technique. 

Because of its broad range of proven benefits, the Transcendental Meditation technique is 

practiced in groups by all students, faculty, and staff at the beginning and end of the academic 

day. 

THE TM-SIDHI PROGRAM 

The advanced TM-Sidhi program, which includes Yogic Flying, accelerates development of 

consciousness by helping stabilize the experience of transcendental consciousness in the 

awareness. The result is that one spontaneously thinks from more settled, comprehensive, and 

powerful levels of the mind and thereby experiences more success in activity. (For more detailed 

descriptions of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs, please refer to Maharishi 

University of Management: Wholeness on the Move by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, pages 174–189, 

in the Resource Room.) 

GROUP PRACTICE OF TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION 

AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAMS 

Students contribute directly to a more coherent environment and society by practicing the 

Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs together in a large group. Research has 

confirmed that collective practice of these programs benefits society (see section below on 

scientific research). Students participate in group practice of the Transcendental Meditation and 

TM-Sidhi program as part of a course called “Development of Consciousness.” 

STUDY OF CO NSC IOUS NESS 

Intellectual knowledge of consciousness 

Students learn the theoretical knowledge of consciousness through two two-week courses per 

year in the discipline called Maharishi Vedic Science; and through short courses on Maharishi 

Vedic Science. (Please see the Maharishi University of Management Catalog in the Resource 

Room for a description of these courses.)


Other Consciousness-Based programs 

In addition to the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs, students learn other 

applied knowledge from Maharishi Vedic Science, all designed to develop more of their creative 

potential throughout life. Areas of study include prevention-oriented principles for maintaining 

good health, principles for healthy building design and a healthy environment, and reading the 

Vedic Literature in Sanskrit to enhance the orderly functioning of mind and body. 

Unique teaching methods 

Our unique teaching methods aim at connecting every specific point of knowledge to the broader 

context of the whole discipline and to universal principles of intelligence, or natural laws, which 

govern the orderly evolution of any system, any academic discipline, and the consciousness of the 

students themselves. These universal principles of intelligence are identified in Maharishi’s 

Science of Creative Intelligence and Maharishi Vedic Science. (Please refer to “The Maharishi 

Technology of the Unified Field in Education: Principles, Practice, and Research” by Susan L. 

Dillbeck and Michael Dillbeck, Modern Science and Vedic Science, vol. 1, no. 4, 1987, pp. 383– 

431, in the Resource Room.) 

The integration of the knowledge of the particular discipline with the knowledge of 

consciousness is brought out mainly through wall charts that faculty prepare, including Unified 

Field Charts, Main Point Charts, and Unity Charts, used for a few minutes during the class 

period. (Please see samples of these charts in the Resource Room.) By summarizing their lectures 

with these charts, the faculty help students gain an increasingly comprehensive understanding of 

the discipline and to see the discipline as an expression of universal dynamics of intelligence in 

nature, which underlie both the discipline and their own lives. These unifying connections make 

the study of any subject more interesting, relevant, and satisfying. 

Outcomes of study and research of consciousness 

The development and study of consciousness in the curriculum comprise the educational 

approach called Consciousness-Based education. It has enabled Maharishi University of 

Management to be uniquely successful in developing students holistically, as verified by nearly 

four decades of experience, extensive scientific research (see next section), and educational 

outcomes. As students grow in the knowledge of the different disciplines and professional 

expertise, they are also developing the awareness and judgment to make the most fruitful use of 

their expertise, to make fulfilling decisions in personal and professional life, and to be naturally 

good citizens. The phrase the founder of the university has given to describe all the positive 

changes that occur in individuals rising to fulfill their full creative potential is that their lives 

become more “in harmony with natural law” — that is, their thinking, decisions, actions, and 

behavior become nourishing and supportive of every level of life.


Scientific validation of the University’s educational approach 

We have always been committed to the scientific evaluation of the holistic development of our 

students. Our founding president, Dr. Robert Keith Wallace, conducted the first research studies 

on the physiological effects of Transcendental Meditation, which were published in Science, 

American Journal of Physiology, and Scientific American. This work inspired a large body of 

physiological, psychological, and sociological research. As mentioned earlier, 600 studies have 

now been conducted and the number continues to grow. 5 

The results of this research indicate a holistic development of physiological, mental, and 

behavioral functioning that gives concrete expression to the concept of development of 

consciousness. For example, findings include 

• increased integration of brain functioning as shown in coherence of EEG between the front 

and back of the brain and left and right sides 

• mobilization of latent brain reserves 

• increased neurological efficiency 

• reduction of physiological indicators of stress and aging 

• increased intelligence and creativity 

• increased learning ability 

• improved academic performance 

• decreased anxiety 

• increased self-actualization 

• decreased use of alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes 

• improved relationships at work and at home 

• reduced need for inpatient or outpatient medical care 

Research evaluations of our students include the following longitudinal results: increased 

fluid (general) intelligence, faster choice reaction time (a correlate of intelligence), increased 

practical intelligence, increased creativity, increased field independence (broader comprehension 

together with sharp focus), improved memory, increased alertness, improved health (physical, 

mental and social), increased self-esteem, and increased self-development (ego development) to 

uniquely high levels. These findings are particularly striking because a number of the parameters 

(fluid intelligence, field independence, ego development) had been found by previous research 

not to increase after age 16 or 17. 

5. Please refer, in the resource room, to Scientific Research on Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation and 

TM-Sidhi Programme: Collected Papers, Volumes 1–5, in which 430 research papers prior to 1990 have 

been reprinted from the scientific journals and other sources. Subsequent papers are to be reprinted in 

later volumes of this series.


COHERENT BRAIN FUNCTIONING 

Of all the studies, perhaps the most fascinating are those showing that during Transcendental 

Meditation practice, brain functioning (measured by the EEG) becomes highly integrated and 

coherent — in striking contrast to the highly shifting brainwave activity characteristic of the 

ordinary waking state. The energy output of the left and right hemispheres becomes equalized, and 

activity from the various regions of the brain settles into rhythmic, consistent, stable patterns, each 

region synchronized with the others. Neuroscientists refer to this as long-range spatial 

communication; widely separated regions of the brain are now functioning in unison. 

Prior to the research on the Transcendental Meditation technique, this capacity of the brain 

was unknown. But every human brain has the capacity to function coherently. 

Additional studies revealed that, over time, the brain begins to maintain this coherent style of 

functioning outside of meditation, during activity. Research also revealed that brainwave 

coherence is highly correlated with a wide range of other positive values, including 

• clearer experiences of Transcendental Consciousness 

• greater self-awareness 

• increased inner orientation 

• improved efficiency and responsiveness of the nervous system 

• higher levels of moral judgment 

• increased creativity 

• higher levels of intelligence (IQ) 

• improved ability to learn new concepts and assimilate information from the environment 

• improved academic performance (grade point average) 

• increased emotional stability 

• decreased trait anxiety (general, long-standing anxiety) 

• decreased state anxiety (temporary anxiety) 

• decreased neuroticism 

The more coherently the brain functions, in other words, the higher the values in each of these 

areas. The brain governs or is intimately involved with every aspects of our lives — mind, body, 

emotions. The wide-ranging and often unprecedented benefits arising from regular practice of the 

Transcendental Meditation technique can be understood in terms of the technique’s ability to 

induce a coherent, integrated state of brain functioning. 

Our students have the option of a Brain Integration Progress Report. In the EEG lab in our 

Center for Brain, Consciousness, and Cognition, students may have measures of their brain 

integration taken during their first semester and again in their last semester to document the 

growth of coherent brain functioning.


BEFORE LEARNING TO MEDITATE 

Eyes-closed rest 

During challenging computer task 

AFTER 2 MONTHS OF TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION 


During challenging computer task 

AFTER 7 YEARS OF TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION 


During challenging computer task


ILLUSTRATION ON FACING PAGE 

These computer-generated drawings illustrate ongoing research by Dr. Fred Travis, Director of 

the University’s Center for Brain, Consciousness, and Cognition. They show that coherence in the 

prefrontal cortex, the brain’s executive control center, reaches a high level after two months of 

Transcendental Meditation practice and that, over time, this coherence then becomes part of 

ongoing EEG during tasks. 

These drawings illustrate coherence in the alpha range. The lighter lines indicate coherence or 

communication between the two indicated brain areas of about 70%. Heavier lines indicate 

coherence of 80% or higher. (100% is perfect coherence.) With every experience an individual 

has, the brain must integrate this new experience with past experience, formulate it into a whole, 

and develop a response. Thus the more effectively the various areas of the brain communicate and 

work together, the better the brain performs. 

Coherent brain functioning, coherent society 

Fifty research studies have evaluated the sociological influence of increased coherence and 

harmony in society through large groups collectively practicing the Transcendental Meditation 

and TM-Sidhi programs, including Yogic Flying. This phenomenon, known in the scientific 

literature as the Maharishi Effect, has been measured at the city, state, national and international 

levels in terms of reduced negative trends, such as crime, accidents, suicide, and social conflict, 

and enhanced positive trends, such as economic vitality and behavioral quality of life. (For more 

information, please refer to the booklet The Maharishi Effect in the Resource Room.)


M I SS I O N A N D P U R P O S E S 

I 

n March 2009 the Trustees reviewed the University’s mission, which has been consistent 

since its founding and affirmed the Mission Statement and Goals Statement and approved 

statements of Vision, Core Values, and Strategic Priorities. These mission documents 

articulate the intended outcomes of our education and research programs, which will be assessed 

regularly, and which guide our planning, programming, and budgeting decisions. 

MISSIO N STA TEM ENT 

Maharishi University of Management was founded in 1971 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to fulfill 

the highest ideals of education. Foremost among these ideals is developing the full potential of 

consciousness in every student — helping students develop the ability to think and act in accord 

with natural law and to live fulfilled and successful lives. This fulfills the long-sought goal of 

education: to produce fully developed individuals, citizens who can fulfill their own aspirations 

while promoting all good in society. 

We have pioneered a unique system of higher education, Consciousness-Based education, 

that systematically cultures a student’s full creative intelligence, the basis of learning. 

Consciousness-Based education gives traditional academic study a proper foundation: 

complete knowledge of consciousness coupled with simple, natural, scientifically validated 

technologies for developing consciousness. These technologies are the Transcendental Meditation 

and TM-Sidhi programs, including Yogic Flying. 

This integrated approach develops students’ ability to manage their lives successfully, to 

grow steadily in health, happiness, and wisdom, and to achieve professional success and personal 

fulfillment. 

Our unique educational programs fulfill a commitment to four broad areas of responsibility: 

• Holistic development of students — cultivation of consciousness, mind, body, and behavior 

• Academic excellence — training at the forefront of knowledge in each discipline and in the 

ability to think critically and act effectively and ethically 

• Scholarship that expands the domains of knowledge, expressed in all four areas of scholarship 

— discovery, teaching and learning, integration, and application. 

• Improved quality of life for the individual, the community, the nation, and the world.


STATE ME NT OF PUR POSES 

The four areas of responsibility cited in the Mission Statement define the purposes that guide our 

policies and the assessment of institutional effectiveness. 

(1) HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT 

Cultivation of consciousness, mind, body, and behavior 

Purpose – A central purpose is development of students’ consciousness as the basis for 

developing the full strength and life-nourishing capacity of all aspects of their personality — 

perception, mind, intellect, feelings, and behavior. Consciousness is the innermost creative 

intelligence of the individual. Through an approach that integrates objective knowledge of the 

disciplines with subjective technologies of consciousness, our educational program aims to 

nourish and unfold all aspects of life simultaneously, so students grow in personal fulfillment and 

professional success and contribute productively to society. 

Assessment – Holistic development yields a number of measurable outcomes over students’ 

academic careers. These include increased intelligence and creativity, improved health (mental, 

physical, emotional and social), increased field independence and moral maturity, increased 

problem-solving ability, improved speaking and writing ability, greater self-actualization, greater 

ego development, and increased brain integration. 

(2) ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE 

Students will receive training at the forefront of knowledge in each discipline and in the ability to 

think critically and act effectively and ethically 

Purpose – Students will gain general and advanced knowledge of the different disciplines 

according to their academic level. Their mastery will develop through intellectual understanding, 

direct experience, and oral and written expression. They will recognize and appreciate the 

interconnections among fields of knowledge and their own consciousness through unifying 

principles provided by the Science of Creative Intelligence and Maharishi Vedic Science. 

Through their academic studies and development of consciousness, students will feel increasingly 

at home with any knowledge they receive and thereby be able to learn quickly, adapt easily, think 

creatively and comprehensively within their area of study or profession, and move comfortably 

from one discipline to another. Our curriculum is designed to systematically culture these 

characteristics of academic excellence. 

Assessment – Achievement of these aspects of academic excellence is assessed through periodic 

evaluations by the faculty of the students’ progress and through end-of-program outcomes 

assessment.


(3) SCHOLARSHIP 

Scholarship that expands the domains of knowledge, expressed in all four areas of scholarship — 

the scholarship of discovery, the scholarship of teaching and learning, the scholarship of 

integration, and the scholarship of application 

Purpose – The faculty will develop new knowledge through their teaching and research activities 

and will disseminate that knowledge through publication of scholarly works and sharing of best 

practices. Through its scholarly activities, the University will also develop new applied programs 

to benefit different areas of society. 

Assessment – Faculty progress in scholarship is assessed in terms of their publications; 

professional and public presentations as well as public awareness of their professional work; 

development and ongoing refinement of curricula, teaching practices, and instructional materials; 

and creation of applied programs for different sectors of society. 

(4) SERVICE TO SOCIETY 

Improved quality of life for the individual, the community, the nation, and the world 

Purpose – The University seeks to improve the quality of life at all levels of society through the 

activities of its faculty, students, and graduates, and through the campus community’s group 

practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs. Group practice of these 

programs has been shown by extensive research to reduce negative trends and improve positive 

trends in the whole society, evidenced by such outcomes as reduced crime, sickness, and accident 

rates and improved harmony in society. We will work cooperatively with educational institutions 

and organizations in offering its educational and applied programs to raise the quality of life and 

increase cultural integrity, harmony, and peace in all nations and in the world as a whole. 

Assessment – Our contribution to society is assessed by evaluating the achievements of our 

graduates; the effects of its applied programs in health, education, business, rehabilitation, 

government, and other areas, and the effects of the group practice of the technologies of 

consciousness on social indicators.


SUM M A R Y O F A C C R E D I T A T I ON H I S T O R Y 

M 

aharishi University of Management was founded in 1971 and incorporated in 1972 as 

Maharishi International University, a non-profit, nonsectarian educational 

corporation that began offering its first courses in leased facilities in Santa Barbara, 

California, in the fall of 1973. In 1974, we acquired our permanent facilities in Fairfield, Iowa, a 

185-acre campus with 72 buildings previously owned by Parsons College. Following our move to 

Iowa, we applied to the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) for the status 

of Candidacy for Accreditation. Candidacy status was granted at the baccalaureate level in April, 

1975. In the spring of 1976, we were again visited and our request for candidacy at the master’s 

degree level was granted. 

In 1980, we were granted initial accreditation by NCA at the master’s degree level. At that 

time, a focused evaluation visit was set by the NCA Commission on Institutions of Higher 

Education for 1982-83 to review the development of our graduate programs (M.A. degrees in 

education and in higher education administration) and to review our long-range planning process. 

The next comprehensive visit was scheduled for 1984-85. 

To fulfill our research goals, we applied to NCA in 1982 for an extension of its accreditation 

to the doctoral level. This request was included in the 1982-83 focused visit. We received 

permission to offer a doctoral program in Neuroscience as well as an MBA program. The 

granting of doctoral-level accreditation restricted our graduate offerings to existing programs and 

those reviewed as part of the focused visit. 

In the spring of 1984, we requested a second focused evaluation from the Commission to 

review a proposal of doctoral programs in physics, physiology, and psychology and an M.S. 

program in computer science. The request for the addition of these programs was granted based 

on the strength of the proposal and the University’s overall development. 

Our second comprehensive evaluation by the Commission was held in the spring of 1985. 

The University requested permission to add several master’s degree programs and doctoral 

programs in management and in the Science of Creative Intelligence. As a result of the 

comprehensive evaluation, our accreditation status was continued, and the next comprehensive 

visit scheduled for 1989-90. We were approved to add master’s degree programs by written 

notification to the Commission, although doctoral programs were limited to those in place at the 

time of the visit. The visiting team recommended that we consolidate our development at the 

doctoral level before adding further doctoral programs and requested we send a report in May 

1987 on the development of existing doctoral programs. In the spring of 1985 we notified the 

Commission of our intention to begin master’s programs in professional writing, fine arts, and the 

Science of Creative Intelligence. These programs began in the 1985-1986 academic year.


In May 1987 we requested permission from NCA to begin additional doctoral programs, one 

in management to begin in January 1988; one in the Science of Creative Intelligence (SCI) to 

begin in January 1988; and one in mathematics to begin in August 1989. The NCA team at the 

focused visit recommended we postpone our plans for the mathematics doctoral program pending 

further experience with instruction at the master’s degree level. Permission was granted to begin 

the doctoral programs in management and in SCI, and the requirement of notification prior to 

commencing master’s level programs was removed. 

Our second comprehensive evaluation for continued accreditation took place in the spring of 

1990. Our accreditation was continued for a ten-year period with the stipulation that no new 

graduate programs be initiated without prior NCA approval following a focused visit and that no 

new program at the bachelor’s or associate levels be initiated without prior approval by NCA. 

The next comprehensive visit was set for the 1999-2000 academic year. 

In 1995 we requested a focused visit to extend our MBA internationally by distance 

education to two sites in India. The request was approved, and we started offering our MBA 

degree at sites near Delhi and Madras in cooperation with Maharishi Institute of Management 

(MIM), a post-secondary institution registered in India. 

In the summer of 1995 we informed NCA that we had changed our name from Maharishi 

International University to Maharishi University of Management. The change of name did not 

alter our degree offerings. The term management is used in its broader meaning, to reflect our 

emphasis on knowledge for successfully managing professional and personal life. 

In 1997, we requested a focused visit to extend the MBA internationally by distance 

education without limitation as to location, and this too was granted. The program in India was 

extended to five sites in cooperation with MIM. 

Our third comprehensive evaluation for continued accreditation took place in the spring of 

2000. Our accreditation was continued for a ten-year period with no change in stipulations. The 

next comprehensive visit was set for the 2009-2010 academic year. 

In 2002, we received permission to offer as an international program in China our business 

administration and computer science bachelor’s degrees. 

In the spring of 2007, we developed a proposal for a new undergraduate major in 

Communications and Media, which was approved by the Commission after a staff action.


N O T A B L E A C H I E V EM E N TS 

SI N C E T H E 2 0 0 0 C O M P R E H EN S I V E V I S I T 

T 

he University’s purposes center on students’ academic and personal growth, on 

scholarship, and on service to society. The following synopsis of notable achievements 

during the past decade emphasizes scholarship and service to society. Student 

achievements are discussed in the assessment of academic outcomes. 

• Higher states of consciousness — In 2001, brain researcher and Maharishi Vedic Science 

Professor Fred Travis showed that reading Sanskrit directly cultures higher states of 

consciousness, because it gives rise to the experience of Transcendental Consciousness along 

with waking consciousness, as reflected in EEG. His research was published in the 

International Journal of Neuroscience. 

• Management development — A 2001 article by business faculty member Jane Schmidt- 

Wilk, PhD, on the experiences of three top management teams who learned the Transcendental 

Meditation technique in corporate-supported programs was published in the Journal of 

Transnational Management Development. 

• Holistic management — Professor Dennis Heaton authored chapters in two books aimed at 

students, academicians, and managers. A chapter titled, “Holistic Health for Holistic 

Management” appeared in Work and Spirit: A Reader of New Spiritual Paradigms for 

Organizations (University of Scranton Press). The second, co-authored with Harold Harung, 

“Awakening Creative Intelligence for Peak Performance: Reviving an Asian Tradition,” 

appeared in Human Intelligence Deployment in Asian Business: the Sixth Generation Project 

(Palgrave Press 2001). 

• Research on health — In 2002, the American Journal of Cardiology showed that a 

combination of approaches from the Maharishi Consciousness-Based Approach to Health, 

significantly reduces atherosclerosis, the fatty buildup in arteries that contributes to heart 

disease, stroke, and heart attacks. Also, Dr. Schneider was first author of a study published in 

the Journal of Aging and Health that presented research on the anti-aging effects of the 

Transcendental Meditation technique, the Maharishi Rejuvenation SM program, herbal 

supplements, and Maharishi Vedic Vibration Technology. SM 

• EcoFair — Students organized the first EcoFair in 2002, which has been an annual event 

since then. The first event drew hundreds of people from the community and the region and 

introduced many to the knowledge about sustainable living. A highlight was the keynote 

address by Eliot Coleman, author and year-round organic farmer. Over 400 people attended


his address, and well over 100 attended individual workshop sessions. Eco-Fairs since then 

have focused on various aspects of sustainable living (the most recent, in 2009, focused on 

sustainable transportation), and they continue to feature experts from around the country and 

attract people from a multi-state region. 

• Creative intelligence in students — Findings from three experiments conducted by an MUM 

doctoral student were reported in 2002 in Intelligence, the leading journal on intelligence. 

They showed students who practice the Transcendental Meditation technique have more 

intelligence and creativity, less anxiety, and increased alertness and ability to focus. 

• Academic society director — In 2003, Associate Professor Jane Schmidt-Wilk was elected to 

the board of directors of the Organizational Behavior Teaching Society, an association of 350 

professors whose research and teaching focus on the dynamics of individuals, groups, 

organizations, and cultures. 

• Collaboration with major medical centers — By 2003, ten major academic medical centers 

around the country were partnering with our Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention. 

These included Cedars-Sinai Hospital in California, the University of Illinois, the University 

of Pennsylvania, the University of California at Irvine, the University of Hawaii, Howard 

University, Drew University in New Jersey, the Medical College of Wisconsin, and the 

Morehouse School of Medicine in Georgia. 

• Research review — Evidence for the effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation 

technique in treating cardiovascular disease was bolstered by a study published in May 2003 

in Behavioral Medicine showing there is now a significant body of peer reviewed research. 

• Major research grant — In 2003, the MUM Research Institute received a $2 million research 

grant from the National Institutes of Health to support work at our Institute for Natural 

Medicine and Prevention for continuing research on the effect of the Transcendental 

Meditation technique in reducing mortality rates of African-Americans with heart disease. 

This funded research had been going on for five years at the Medical College of Wisconsin 

and had shown reduced heart disease and death rates among practitioners of the 

Transcendental Meditation technique. 

• Criminal rehabilitation — In 2003, Haworth Press published Transcendental Meditation in 

Criminal Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention, a 400-page book containing 14 studies that 

document the effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation program in rehabilitation. 

• Media coverage on Transcendental Meditation for students — A wave of media coverage 

followed press conferences in New York City and Los Angeles in 2004. Professor of Physics 

John Hagelin used the occasion of a new study by MUM PhD graduate Vernon Barnes to hold 

major press conferences in New York City and Los Angeles. The research, which appeared in


April in the American Journal of Hypertension, showed that teens can reduce high blood 

pressure by practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique. The wave of media coverage 

included reports by NBC, CNN Global News, CNN Medical News, CNN Headline News, 

CBS News, MSNBC News, CTV News in Canada, FOX, BET, the New Yorker, People 

magazine, and Business Week. In addition, there were hundreds of reports in newspapers, on 

local television and radio shows, and on the Internet, including Newsweek, USA Today, the 

New York Times, Newsday, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Miami Herald, Orlando Sentinel, 

Los Angeles Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and Toronto Star, as well as top medical 

magazines on the Internet, such as WebMD, HealthDay, and Medical News Today. 

• Major medical research centers seek university expertise — The researchers at the 

Department of Physiology and Health are increasingly being asked to collaborate on major 

grants in the area of natural medicine and prevention, as their expertise is now nationally 

recognized. In 2004, five major national medical centers, located in Atlanta, Philadelphia, and 

Los Angeles, included our Department of Physiology and Health in recent grant proposals, all 

of them focused on the application of Consciousness-Based Health Care in areas such as HIV, 

AIDS, metabolic syndrome (including obesity), atherosclerosis, and heart failure. This trend 

shows that the knowledge of Consciousness-Based Health Care is becoming integrated into 

the medical establishment across the country. 

• Health award — In 2004, India’s Minister of Health presented an award to Dr. Schneider on 

behalf of the Indian government, recognizing the important role being played by our Institute 

for Natural Medicine and Prevention in bringing the knowledge and practices of traditional 

Vedic medicine to the West and the world at large. The presentation was broadcast on major 

news shows. 

• Hypertension research — Also in 2004, Dr. Schneider gave a presentation at the annual 

meeting of the American Heart Association, detailing a study that for the first time looked at 

the long-term effects of the Transcendental Meditation technique on hypertension in a 

controlled experimental setting. This yearlong study took place in Oakland, California, and as 

with earlier studies, involved African-Americans, who are at greater risk for heart disease. 

Most research studies involve subjects for just 12 weeks, in part because it is often difficult to 

get compliance for longer periods of time. The fact that a large percentage of the subjects 

continued with the practice for a year is itself significant, Dr. Schneider said. He attributed this 

success to the natural and effortless nature of the technique. The annual meeting of the 

American Heart Association is the largest in the country, with some 35,000 cardiologists 

attending. Dr. Schneider was the only researcher selected to present a mind/body approach at 

the conference.


• University lectures on the Transcendental Meditation program — In the fall of 2004, 

thousands of students at top universities attended presentations on Consciousness-Based 

education by our Trustee David Lynch, the award-winning filmmaker, and faculty members 

John Hagelin and Fred Travis. Mr. Lynch had formed the David Lynch Foundation for 

Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace, which was seeking to raise money to cover 

the cost of instruction in the Transcendental Meditation technique for students. The goal of the 

presentations, titled “Consciousness, Creativity, and the Brain,” was to familiarize students 

with the Transcendental Meditation program and its effects on the brain, the mechanics of 

creating world peace, and the goal of the foundation to introduce this knowledge to students 

around the country. The group presented at Yale, Brown, the University of Southern 

California and U.C. Berkeley. Huge crowds — as many as 1,800 — turned up at each of the 

events and filled the auditoriums, with hundreds being turned away for lack of seating. Dr. 

Hagelin, who many of the students knew from his appearance in the movie What the Bleep Do 

We Know, spoke about the deep laws of nature revealed by science and the mechanics of 

creating world peace. Dr. Travis spoke about the effect of the Transcendental Meditation 

technique on the brain, and gave a live demonstration of the EEG patterns that occur during 

the practice. 

• Reduced mortality — A study published in May 2005 in a top medical journal showed that 

the Transcendental Meditation technique reduces death rates by 23%. The news was picked up 

by hundreds of media outlets worldwide, and included coverage in the New York Times, 

Guardian Unlimited, WebMD, the Sydney Morning Herald, Pravda, the Boston Globe, ABC 

News, and Reuters. Published in the American Journal of Cardiology, the study tracked 202 

subjects for up to 18 years who had originally participated in research on the effectiveness of 

the Transcendental Meditation technique on hypertension compared to several control groups. 

Compared to control groups, the group practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique 

showed a 23% reduction in the rate of death from all causes, a 30% reduction in the rate of 

death from cardiovascular disease, and a 49% reduction in the rate of death from cancer. 

• Center for brain, consciousness, and cognition — In 2005, a new Center for Brain, 

Consciousness, and Cognition was established on campus with state-of-the-art EEG 

equipment. The system has 32 rather than 9 EEG sensors, so researchers get a much better 

picture of brain functioning. Center Director Fred Travis and colleagues have developed a 

“brain wave signature” characteristic of subjects having experiences of higher states of 

consciousness. This signature includes higher frontal EEG coherence, indicating greater 

integration of brain functioning; higher alpha and lower gamma power, which indicates that 

individuals are processing experience more in terms of wholes and less in terms of surface 

values; and more appropriate brain preparatory responses that match task demands. The Brain


Integration Scale is a measure of achievement of our general education. It is a composite of 

three EEG patterns during tasks that indicate higher brain functioning. 

• Special journal issue — In 2005, the Journal of Social Behavior and Personality dedicated a 

special issue to the late MUM Professor Charles Alexander that included 20 studies on the 

application of Maharishi Vedic Science in fields such as psychology, health and aging, 

management, public policy, and collective consciousness and peace studies. 

• Invincible America Assembly supported by multimillion dollar grant — In 2006, 

Maharishi urgently asked the Yogic Flyers in the U.S. to come together to avert the dangers 

that faced the world at that time. We organized the Invincible America Assembly to that 

purpose and eliminated fees for participation in the TM-Sidhi program. By mid-August more 

than 1,300 people were doing their program together, and the number rose to 2,000 within a 

year. People had extraordinary experiences of bliss and unity — and the opportunity to discuss 

those experiences in live daily conference calls with Maharishi. To help attract the needed 

2,000 particpants, the square root of 1% of the U.S. population that is predicted to be a 

threshold for the coherence-creating effects of the TM-Sidhi program, the Howard and Alice 

Settle Foundation for an Invincible America pledged $1 million per month in financial support 

for participants and has continued that support to the present. 

• 2006 David Lynch Weekend at MUM — A rising wave of interest in consciousness and the 

Transcendental Meditation technique among young people was dramatically in evidence in 

March 2006 when over 1,000 visitors came to campus for a weekend on consciousness and 

creativity that featured filmmaker and Trustee David Lynch, physicist John Hagelin, and 

singer-songwriter Donovan. 

• Medical research and $2.7 million NIH support — A study published in June 2006 by the 

American Medical Association showed a reduction in components of “metabolic syndrome” in 

a group of subjects practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique compared to a control 

group. Metabolic syndrome is a precursor to both heart disease and diabetes and comprises 

symptoms such as high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, abnormal cholesterol, and high 

blood sugar. The subjects in the study had lower blood pressure and reduced insulin resistance. 

A new grant of $2.7 million from the National Institutes of Health was awarded in November 

to the MUM Research Institute and Howard University School of Medicine in Washington, 

D.C. 

• Brain coherence and behavior — Dr. Fred Travis and former faculty member Dr. Alarik 

Arenander published an article in the 2006 volume of International Journal of Neuroscience 

showing frontal brain coherence is positively correlated with moral reasoning, emotional 

stability, and inner orientation, and is negatively correlated with anxiety.


• Faculty member named editor of journal — In 2006, Associate Professor of Business Jane 

Schmidt-Wilk was appointed co-editor of the Journal of Management Education for a oneyear 

term. JME is sponsored by the Organizational Behavior Teaching Society and published 

by SAGE Publications. In 2007, Dr. Schmidt-Wilk was appointed sole editor for a two-year 

term, and in 2009 she was re-appointed for a three-year term. 

• Trustee tours Europe, meets leaders — In 2007, David Lynch toured 15 European nations 

along with Dr. John Hagelin and President Bevan Morris. He spoke to over 20,000 people, and 

the resulting TV shows and articles were seen by 300 million people worldwide. His 

passionate speeches about the Transcendental Meditation program and Consciousness-Based 

education were received warmly, often rapturously, by his audiences. He spoke privately to the 

Presidents of France, Israel, and Croatia and to the Chancellor of Austria, about how a nation 

can achieve invincibility through establishing an Invincible National University, with students 

practicing the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs, including Yogic Flying, 

along with their regular studies. 

• Leadership development — In 2007, faculty members Dr. Dennis Heaton and Dr. Jane 

Schmidt-Wilk published a book chapter on leadership development through the development 

of consciousness. The chapter is part of a book titled Spirituality in Business: Current Theory 

and Practice and Future Directions. The authors explain that higher stages of psychological 

development unfold new capacities for effective leadership. And they review the 

developmental outcomes of the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique, including 

longitudinal studies using Loevinger’s measure of developmental stages, and qualitative 

studies of leadership capabilities in advanced practitioners. 

• Faculty honored by Iowa Governor — In his role as president of the Iowa state association 

of physical education teachers, faculty member Ken Daley was appointed in 2007 to serve on 

the Governor’s Healthy Children Task Force. 

• Art faculty honored — Ceramics created by faculty artist Jim Shrosbree with the assistance 

of adjunct instructor Mara Winningham and BFA students were displayed as part of the 

prestigious 63 rd Scripps College Ceramics Annual Exhibit at Scripps College in Claremont, 

California. 

• Mathematical research — Dr. Paul Corraza continues to publish a series of articles that show 

mathematicians how principles of Maharishi Vedic Science can resolve fundamental issues 

that have plagued the discipline for more than 70 years. His 2006 and 2007 papers published 

in peer-reviewed journals were “Lifting Elementary Embeddings” in the Archive For 

Mathematical Logic and “Forcing Over Nonwellfounded Models” in the Australasian Journal 

of Logic.


• Climate Commitment — MUM President Bevan Morris signed the American College and 

University Presidents Climate Commitment, making MUM a Charter Signatory (one of the 

first 300 schools to sign the agreement). This marks a milestone in the University’s goal to 

become the first truly carbon-neutral campus in the U.S.. 

• Lynch Foundation donates $1 million to boost enrollment — Our efforts to increase 

enrollment got a boost in 2008 when the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness- Based 

Education and World Peace announced a plan to provide $1 million in scholarships for 

students to learn the Transcendental Meditation technique and attend the University. 

• $2 million grant to fund research on algae for biofuel — In 2008, Maharishi University of 

Management Research Institute received approval in principle from the Iowa Power Fund for a 

grant to fund research on making biodiesel fuel from algae. The board voted to proceed with 

the grant subject to a technical review, negotiation on payments, and contract. 

• Students in new Communications & Media program sweep awards — Undergraduate 

student Amine Kouider won the top student award at the 2008 Iowa Motion Picture 

Association Annual Awards for his 13-minute documentary about an Algerian artist. A film 

directed by student Geoff Boothby, which won the top award in the student category in the 

Iowa Motion Picture Association competition in 2007, won another award in 2008: a Silver 

Eddy in the Student Short Film category at the Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival. 

Boothby and Cullen Thomas also completed a 90-minute feature film titled Wormtooth Nation 

in May 2008 as their senior project. It won three awards at the 2009 Iowa Motion Picture 

Association, for screenplay, direction, and original music score and had received nominations 

in the categories of entertainment, lighting, and editing. 

• Students third in international business simulation competition — In November 2007, A 

team of four management students who had taken a course on Principles of Business Success 

placed third in an international business simulation competition. 

• Meta-analysis on the Transcendental Meditation program and hypertension — A metaanalysis 

published by Dr. Maxwell Rainforth in 2008 found that the Transcendental 

Meditation technique is more effective in reducing high blood pressure than other forms of 

relaxation, meditation, biofeedback, or stress management. The study, which appeared in 

Current Hypertension Reports, examined 107 published studies in peer-reviewed journals that 

met state-of-the-art criteria for high scientific quality. The studies used repeated blood 

pressure measurements, and participants with high BP were randomized to either a stressreduction 

technique or placebo-type control for at least 8 weeks.


R E S P O N S E T O T H E C O N C E R N S O F 

T H E 2 0 0 0 C O M P R E H EN S I V E V I SI T 

Below is a summary of the actions we took in response to the 2000 visiting team’s concerns as 

quoted from the 2000 team report. 

1. UNDERGRADUATE ENROLLMENT 

The overriding concern as observed by the team is an inadequate undergraduate enrollment to 

support the number of programs. This concern is unchanged from the May 1990 site visit. In 

addition, in the year 2000, enrollments in the vast majority of graduate programs are also 

inadequate. 

Our enrollment has tripled since 2000, and all indications are that this trend is continuing. Much 

of the growth has taken place at the graduate level, particularly in our M.S. program in Computer 

Science. This growth is the result of several things: 

• The strategic plan we developed in 1998–1999. Central to this plan was building enrollment. 

The plan articulated what we called a Growth Center strategy — identifying and supporting 

academic programs we felt had significant growth potential. This plan proved highly 

successful, and we are continuing to execute it. 

• Greater investment in student recruiting and an intensively data-driven approach to marketing, 

particularly web-based marketing. 

• At the undergraduate level, a growing appreciation among prospective students of the value of 

Consciousness-Based education at our university. 

2. STRATEGIC PLANNING 

While the strategic plan shows a global vision, the specific steps whereby the vision may be 

achieved, the timelines involved, and the resources needed have not been adequately specified. 

Our Growth Center plan has been demonstrably successful. In the past ten years, in addition to 

continuing to execute the Growth Center plan, we have undertaken a number of additional 

planning initiatives. These are aimed at: 

• Reconstructing the campus 

• Making the campus increasingly sustainable 

• Planning for a growing on-campus population


• Improving retention 

• Continuously improving the student learning experience. 

For further detail, please see the section on Strategic Planning, page 145. 

3. INACTIVE PROGRAMS 

The catalog, application materials, advertising materials, and university letterhead too often list 

programs, majors, and courses that have not been active for a significant period of time. 

Recent communications with the Commission staff have begun to clarify the Commission’s 

stance on distinguishing permitted programs from active programs. The Commission does not yet 

have a formal policy that defines when an inactive program must be terminated. In the past we 

have assumed that programs active at the time of the previous comprehensive visit may be put 

“on hold” if enrollment is insufficient and then reactivated at the institution’s discretion when 

demand becomes evident. Thus, it made sense to retain inactive programs in the offering list if we 

intended to reactivate them, in order to assess the demand for them. We continue to wait for a 

Commission policy stating how long an approved program may be inactive (without enrolled 

students) before it must be considered terminated and would then be revived only through the 

procedure for the approval of new programs. 

That said, our current internal policy for the listing of courses in the catalog reflects the fact 

that some courses may be offered on a two- or three-year cycle. Our current policy: A course may 

not be listed in the catalog if it was not offered in the two years prior to the catalog and is not 

scheduled to be offered in the period of the catalog. 

4. INFRASTRUCTURE FOR FUNDRAISING 

In light of the ambitious goals of the strategic plan, the infrastructure for effective fundraising 

does not appear to be adequate. 

Our strategic planning process distinguishes budgeted strategic plans from contingent strategic 

plans. Budgeted plans can be accomplished with resources reasonably expected to be available 

within the time horizon of the plan. Contingent plans involve priorities established by resolution 

of the Board with initial plans in place and approval to start when funding becomes available 

through donations or grants. This is a sensible approach to uncertainty in the funding 

environment. Only the contingent plans reflect our “ambitious” goals.


SUM M A R Y O F T H E 

S E LF-STUD Y P R O C E SS A N D R E SU L T S 

T 

he Self-Study Coordinator is Scott Herriott, PhD, Professor of Business and Chair of the 

Expansion Council. Working with him to write the major sections of the report have 

been the various administrative department heads and the members of the Self-Study 

Steering Committee: 

• Executive Vice-President, Craig Pearson, PhD 

• Treasurer, Michael Spivak, CPA 

• Chief Administrative Officer, David Streid, PhD 

• Dean of Faculty, Cathy Gorini, PhD 

• Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Samuel Boothby, EdD (to July 2008) and Christopher Jones, 

EdD 

• Dean of Graduate Studies, Fred Travis, PhD 

• Director of Assessment, Sue Brown (to July 2008) and Raul Calderon, PhD 

• Dean of Admissions, Ron Barnett 

• Dean of Students, Susan Runkle, M.A. 

• Chief Operating Officer, Thomas Brooks 

Purpose of the Self-Study 

The self-study process was designed to bolster the ongoing tasks of program-level and 

institutional evaluation. It has given us an opportunity to reflect on our mission and purposes and 

to assess our performance relative to those purposes. 

The American financial crisis of late 2008 occurred during the self-study process. 

Anticipating that this would slow the revenue into our graduate co-op programs, President Morris 

tasked Thomas Brooks to perform a special audit of all departments to look for ways to reduce 

costs. That audit was incorporated into the self-study activities. 

Audience 

The Self-Study Report has been developed with the participation of the trustees, president, deans, 

senior administrators, department heads, faculty members, and the student government leaders. 

The final draft of the Self-Study Report has been made available to the trustees, president, 

deans, senior administrators, academic department chairs, faculty, and student leaders. Copies of


the final report are available to the entire University community at the reserve desk of the 

Library. 

Effects of the self-study process 

The self-study process gives an institution the opportunity to reflect on its mission and to enliven 

the channels of internal and external communication by which it can assess its performance in 

relation to its mission and purposes. 

The research and writing of our self-study took place between the spring of 2008 and the 

spring of 2009. In the process of researching and writing the Self-Study Report, many individuals 

contributed ideas for improving the University’s efficiency and effectiveness. During the late 

spring and summer of 2009, before the Self-Study Report was sent to the Higher Learning 

Commission, it was distributed in draft form to selected trustees, members of the Executive 

Council, and to key academic leaders for their review and comment. This brought out another 

round of ideas for institutional improvement. Trustees met with members of the steering 

committee and University Council and have given input into the process. 

Below is an account of the new ideas, initiatives, and directions resulting from the self-study 

process. Some were intended outcomes; others evolved as a correlate of the process. These results 

show how we were able to use the self-study process to improve effectiveness and establish a 

stronger foundation for progress in the coming decades. 

1. IDENTIFICATION OF GROWTH CENTERS FOR STRATEGIC FOCUS 

One goal of the self-study process was to maximize the intelligent direction of internal resources 

through an analysis of degree programs to identify growth opportunities and areas of non-growth. 

In the late 1990s, strategic planning was focused on four academic growth centers that 

presented special opportunities for us — Maharishi Vedic Medicine, Business Administration, 

Digital Media, and Computer Science. Of these, Business Administration and Computer Science 

have been the engines for substantial growth of enrollment through programs in which 

international students who have several years of professional work experience in those fields 

come to MUM to study on campus for 6-7 months and then seek employment in the U.S. to pay 

off their institutional loans. Digital Media became the “Communications and Media” program in 

2007 and has shown a substantial increase in enrollment, and there are plans to add a Master of 

Arts degree to that department. Maharishi Vedic Medicine stalled in the middle of the decade as 

the faculty took more time to formulate a curriculum for a professional doctorate, but it kept an 

undergraduate program in Physiology and Health throughout the decade and began a pre-med 

track in 2009 that has proved to be very popular. Our intent now is to use the doctoral curriculum 

in a planned medical school that would offer the M.D. degree.


2. IMPROVING THE ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES 

Through the self-study process, we also sought to improve the assessment of student learning 

outcomes in general education and in the majors and graduate programs. The undergraduate dean 

led a review of the general education assessment program that resulted in some changes to the 

instruments used. In 2007, the faculty started writing Closing the Loop reports on the individual 

courses they teach, describing student learning outcomes and using those to make 

recommendations to improve the individual course. These reports are available in the Resource 

Room. They are used by program directors and department chairs to compile the annual 

assessment reports and by the undergraduate dean to collect data on general education outcomes 

assessment that takes place in individual courses. 

3. EVALUATING THE GRADUATE PROGRAMS 

The self-study process led us to assess the relative strengths of the graduate programs with an eye 

to increasing student enrollment in those with the strongest current growth potential. 

The masters program in Computer Science has shown remarkable growth over the last 

decade, and the more recent (2005) introduction of a comparable MBA program for professional 

accountants has shown substantial growth. Likewise, the standard MBA program has stabilized 

enrollment at sustainable levels. 

The self-study process also directed attention to the three PhD programs, Maharishi Vedic 

Science, Management, and Physiology. The Maharishi Vedic Science department has produced a 

slow but steady flow of doctoral graduates whose work has brought out new knowledge about the 

Vedic literature and about the applications of the Transcendental Meditation program. In that, it is 

achieving its purpose. 

While Maharishi Vedic Science is a new discipline specific to our institution, the doctoral 

program in Management is subject to familiar national standards. The program director, Dr. 

Dennis Heaton, is largely responsible for teaching the discipline-specific courses and preparing 

students for the comprehensive exams, though he is supported by a variety of faculty teaching 

methodology courses. Though Dr. Heaton has published extensively, the department has not 

received any research grants or contracts to support doctoral students’ research in the past decade. 

It has produced a small number of graduates whose research covers a wide range of topics. This 

might tax the ability of the faculty to support the quality of research that would be recognized 

nationally. 

The doctoral program in Physiology is essentially a research tutorial for students working on 

grants. It does not have a program of courses to be taken by new students. Two students were 

admitted in the past few years. A few other students are making slow progress on their 

dissertations while working full-time without grant support.


Thus, the self-study led the Graduate Committee to ask the directors of the doctoral programs 

in Management and in Physiology to justify these programs both financially and in relation to 

student outcomes and placement. 

4. EFFECTIVE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION 

An explicit goal of the self-study process was to review the factors that promote effective student 

recruitment and retention and to make recommendations that will promote higher levels of 

recruitment and retention. 

Recruitment has been ably handled by a single Dean of Admissions during most of this 

decade. He has focused resources on Internet search marketing, through which ads about MUM 

would pop up when a person does a Google search on topics like yoga, meditation, 

consciousness, Veda, sustainability, and so on. He saw the increasing prominence of 

“sustainability” as a theme among American students and recognized that this was consistent with 

the University’s mission to promote personal and societal development. He suggested that the 

MBA program emphasize sustainability, and he promoted the transformation of the 

undergraduate program in Environmental Science into Sustainable Living. 

The goal of retention became quite predominant when it was recognized that freshman 

retention from 2008 to 2009 was only 42%, significantly lower than the 65-75% levels of 

previous years. Though there seemed to be many idiosyncratic reasons for the lower retention in 

that cohort, developing enrollment is the key to addressing many of the challenges we face, so the 

Executive Vice-President led a comprehensive program of meetings with faculty and students to 

identify aspects of University policies that might be changed or support functions that might be 

strengthened. This resulted in a significant change to the policy on credit for attendance at the 

Transcendental Meditation program sessions in the spring of 2009, along with other changes, and 

it highlighted the importance of a strengthened Student Success Center. 

5. EFFECTIVE PLANNING AND BUDGETING — CLOSING THE 

“BIG LOOP” 

Strengthening the link between assessment and institutional improvement was another outcome 

that evolved through the self-study process. The self-study generated the idea of micro-level 

Closing the Loop (CTL) reports to be written by instructors after each course they teach. In a CTL 

report, the faculty member documents the goals of the course, curricular or pedagogical changes 

implemented in the course, the assessment methods used and the observed results in student 

learning. The report concludes with a summary of further changes to be made in curriculum or 

pedagogy the next time the course is to be offered. These CTL reports have given the faculty an 

understanding and ownership of the assessment process and give the department chairs a window 

on the process of course-level improvements based on assessment data. 

The course-level CTL reports helped program directors and department chairs develop midlevel 

(program) assessment methodologies, such as evaluation rubrics for capstone projects, and


have proved effective in capturing data on general education outcomes at the program and 

department level for annual assessment reporting. However, despite some noteworthy exceptions, 

departmental annual assessment reports have tended to be short on other mid-level data that can 

be used to evaluate program effectiveness, such as data from surveys of recent graduates, surveys 

of employers, and the results of national tests or competitions in the field. These additional forms 

of mid-level assessment data will be sought in the future. 

The self-study process also revealed that formal academic assessment data were not being 

used in the high-level planning processes of the University. The annual budgeting process has 

been conducted without the use of either the annual general education assessment reports or the 

departmental assessment reports. Thus, as a university, we still need to close the “Big Loop.” As 

a result of the self-study process, the Executive Council is now looking at how it can time the 

planning and budgeting process to take advantage of assessment data. 

Thus, the self-study process has given rise to a comprehensive and vertically integrated 

program of planning and assessment that should prove very useful in the future. 

6. FOCUSING ON KEY OUTCOMES IN GENERAL EDUCATION 

The self-study around general education assessment revealed that while the special concept of 

general education at MUM was well-defined, the general education assessment plan called for 23 

measures that bear on the various components of general education outcomes. The task of writing 

general education assessment reports that could provide useful information for planning and 

budgeting clearly called for reducing the number of measures. The Undergraduate Dean led an 

effort to reduce the number of measures, and his team came up with a plan for 8. This will be 

implemented in the 2009-2010 academic year, and we expect it to be useful for planning and 

budgeting. 

7. BROADENING THE MEANING OF SCHOLARSHIP AT MUM 

The section of this report concerning faculty scholarship showed that the meaning of scholarship 

at the University has changed significantly from 20 years ago. Back then, MUM was at the peak 

of a program of scientific research to establish the physiological, psychological, and sociological 

effects of the Transcendental Meditation program and to publish the results in scientific journals. 

Some 8-10 faculty were very active in research in their respective fields, while other faculty were 

active in writing for our journal Modern Science and Vedic Science to demonstrate the insights 

that Maharishi Vedic Science brings to their fields. Now the publication of traditional scientific 

research is conducted largely by 3-4 faculty and is focused on cardiology and EEG. Teaching 

loads increased over the past decade, and traditional scholarship decreased. Yet, in the last ten 

years, MUM has become the home for the editorship of the national Journal of Management 

Education, published by the Organizational Behavior Teaching Society, and our faculty have 

written nationally published textbooks and other course materials.


Thus, as MUM has become more of a teaching institution, the nature of scholarship has 

changed from an emphasis on the scholarship of discovery to the scholarship of teaching and 

learning. However, the personnel systems have not kept pace with this change. Few faculty could 

articulate the difference between the practice of teaching and the scholarship of teaching. Most 

faculty know they are not traditional researchers, but neither have they established a professional 

identification as scholars in the more general sense. More can be done to provide the faculty with 

training, professional development, recognition, and incentives related to the scholarship of 

teaching and learning, the scholarship of integration, and the scholarship of application, and the 

Dean of Faculty is working on such developments. Also, teaching loads have now decreased 

somewhat, and faculty should have more time for this. 

8. ENSURING THAT THE UNIVERSITY MEETS ALL CRITERIA FOR 

ACCREDITATION 

The final outcome of the self-study process was to ensure that we fulfill all the criteria for 

continuing accreditation. In Part III of the report, we summarize the results of the self-study in 

terms of the Criteria for Accreditation and demonstrate that we indeed meet these criteria. 

Anticipated continuing results of the Self-Study 

During the self-study process a set of initiatives was put into place, the result of a broad-based 

assessment and planning process, that will carry forward in the years to come. As described 

elsewhere in this report, these include planning for increasing enrollment, for expansion of the 

student population on campus, for increasing retention, for continuous improvement of the 

student learning experience, enhancement of administrative efficiency, and professional 

development of the faculty.

P A R T I I 

E VA L U AT I V E S E LF-R EP O R T


This part of the self-study report begins with an evaluation of the faculty. Following that are 

sections pertaining to our principal academic programs, support functions, and departments: 

• Undergraduate programs 

• Graduate programs 

• International program in China 

• Academic support 

• Governance and planning 

• Student services 

• Enrollment development. 

Each section concludes with an evaluation of our strengths and challenges for that area.


T H E F A C U L TY 

I 

n the Spring of 2009, we employed 59 individuals full-time as teaching faculty, including 

two professional librarians, the director of the Learning Resource Center, and two staff at the 

Recreation Center. Two others served as full-time research faculty. They were supplemented 

in 2008-2009 by 12 full-time University employees who also did some teaching, as well as 22 

adjunct faculty. The tables in the Institutional Snapshot (Appendix B) present the demographic 

characteristics of the faculty in more detail. We evaluate the salient points here. 

Age and years of service of full-time faculty 

The first table at right shows that the 59 individuals who were 

full-time teaching faculty in the Spring 2009 semester were 

predominantly in their 50s. We can expect a number of fulltime 

faculty to enter retirement age in the next ten years. 

But the second table shows there has been a healthy 

influx of new faculty in the last decade. More than a third of 

the faculty were hired in the past five years. These data show 

we have been successful in attracting individuals at midcareer 

who bring rich experience to their classroom teaching. 

Faculty demographics and qualifications 

The faculty are predominantly committed full-time and are 

well qualified for their instructional responsibilities. The best 

measure of the faculty qualifications, from the students’ 

experience, is the percentage of credits taught by faculty 

having various degree levels. 

For that purpose, we treat first professional degrees such 

as the MFA, MLS, and JD as terminal degrees. Over the foursemester 

period from Spring 2007 to Fall 2008, 63% of our 

bachelor’s credits were taught by terminally qualified faculty, 

64% of our master’s credits, and 100% of our doctoral 

credits. 

A review of faculty personnel files and a sample of 20% 

of the 348 faculty course assignments in the Fall 2008 semester showed that 100% of the 

instructors were qualified to teach at the levels to which they were assigned. 

Age Group Count Pct 

20’s 2 3% 

30’s 5 8% 

40’s 5 8% 

50’s 30 51% 

60’s 16 27% 

70’s 0 0% 

80’s 1 2% 

59 100% 

Years of 

Service Count Pct 

0- 5 22 37% 

5-10 5 8% 

10-15 10 17% 

15-20 11 19% 

20-25 5 8% 

25-30 6 10% 

30-35 0 0% 

TOTAL 59 100%


The Institutional Snapshot (Appendix 

B) breaks down the headcount of faculty 

by commitment (full-time and part-time) 

and by degree level as shown in the table 

at right. 

The faculty is predominantly male. In 

Faculty Qualifications 

(Headcount) 

the Fall 2008 semester, there were 55 fulltime 

teaching faculty in formal instructional 

roles (not including the librarians, Learning Center director, or Recreation Center 

directors). Of these 45 were male and 10 female. Their breakdown by rank and gender appears in 

the table at right. The table shows there are relatively more women at the associate professor level 

but relatively fewer at the assistant and full professor levels. Though there are no women teaching 

full-time at the rank of professor, it should be noted that the Dean of Faculty is a woman and full 

professor. In the absence of a system of permanent tenure, there is no “up or out” policy that 

would thin the ranks of the junior faculty. Though advancement in rank is based largely on 

publication, the emphasis has shifted over the last decade toward teaching, and because 

compensation in our largely volunteer system is based more on individual need than on rank, 

there has not been much incentive for junior faculty to seek advancement to higher ranks. 

Few of the faculty are from ethnic minority groups. We promote the integrity of all cultures, 

religions, and ethnic groups, and the wide range of cultures and nationalities represented in our 

student body is a great source of enrichment to our institution. Compared to the students, the pool 

from which we draw faculty is narrow in ethnicity. Faculty applicants must be interested in the 

Transcendental Meditation program and Maharishi Vedic Science. Historically, relatively few 

American blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans have taken this training and emerged 

as volunteers or leaders within the national organization. In light of our compensation package, 

no one would be attracted to the institution for the financial terms alone. 

Full-time 

Spr 2009 

Part-time 

2008-2009 

Doctorate 28 14 

First Professional 6 1 

Masters 23 15 

Bachelors 2 3 

Totals 59 33 

Faculty commitment and 

qualification in the degree programs 

Our teaching is conducted almost entirely 

by full-time faculty. Most part-time 

faculty are teaching in business or 

computer science, as shown in the table at 

right, taken from the Institutional 

Snapshot. 

A better measure of the degree of 

faculty commitment in relation to 

Faculty Headcounts by 

IPEDS Categories 

Fulltime 

Spring 

2009 

Parttime 

2008- 

2009 

Biological & Physical Science 5 3 

Business 16 10 

Communications & Fine Arts 7 3 

Education 2 0 

Humanities/Interdisciplinary 11 3 

Health 1 2 

Math & Computer Science 14 9 

Totals 56 30


students’ experience is the percentage of 

credits taught by full-time or part-time 

faculty. The table at right shows that 92% 

of the credits taught are given by full-time 

faculty. 

Of the 10 departments that offer 

majors or graduate programs, only 

Communications & Media, Mathematics, 

and Computer Science had less than 89% 

of their credits taught by full-time faculty. 

Faculty qualifications are consistent 

with our emphasis on teaching. Overall, 

68% of the credits taught during the four 

semesters of 2007 and 2008 were given 

by faculty with terminal degrees in their 

fields. The Art & Design department is 

lower than average because Professor 

Dale Divoky has a BFA rather than an 

MFA degree, but he is an acclaimed 

ceramicist. 

Computer Science, at 62%, is relatively low, and this is an ongoing issue for the department 

because its teaching is mainly at the graduate level. However, due to the practical emphasis of 

their M.S. program, the department faculty believe they are offering cutting-edge knowledge to 

the graduate students. The Education department has a small faculty, and one of them does not 

have a doctoral degree, so their percentage is likewise low. 

The desirable amount of teaching by doctorally-trained faculty depends on the department. In 

subjects where students are likely to pursue a career involving research or the need to read and 

understand professional research, they should gain exposure to doctorally-trained faculty even at 

the undergraduate level. This is likely to be the case for students who major in the sciences, 

including Physiology & Health and Sustainable Living. The Curriculum Committee would like to 

see at least 75% of the credits taught in these departments by doctorally-qualified instructors. The 

low percentage in the Physiology and Health department will increase next year, as the primary 

faculty member received his PhD in 2009. 

See the table on the next page for a summary of credits taught by department and faculty 

qualification. 

Credits Taught by Faculty Commitment 

and Department, 2007 and 2008 

PT 

FT 

Art & Design 11% 89% 

Business Admin 5% 95% 

Communications & Media 19% 81% 

Computer Science 23% 77% 

Education 1% 99% 

Exercise and Sports Science 

(courses) 0% 100% 

Forest Academy (courses) 10% 90% 

Literature 0% 100% 

Math 19% 81% 

Maharishi Vedic Science 1% 99% 

Physics (minor) 30% 70% 

Physiology & Health 3% 97% 

Sustainable Living 5% 95% 

Writing 3% 97% 

Totals 8% 92%


Faculty development programs 

All new faculty participate in a twoweek 

faculty development program prior 

to the start of class. They are introduced 

to the unique curricular features of 

Consciousness-Based 

education, 

including Main Point, Unified Field, and 

Unity Charts. A binder in the Resource 

Room gives further detail on the content 

of the Faculty Development Seminar. 

Every year in August, prior to the 

return of the students, the entire faculty 

assembles for a 4-day program to 

enhance skills in teaching. One day is 

usually devoted to the latest knowledge 

in Maharishi Vedic Science. The faculty 

will hear presentations from individuals 

whose research has produced significant 

results, and they will see videotapes of 

lectures by Maharishi. One day is also 

usually devoted to workshops to 

enhance teaching and curriculum development skills. 

The schedule of activities for the last two years of the Faculty Development Program are 

available in the Resource Room. 

Evaluation 

STRENGTHS 

The block system of scheduling courses one at a time, month by month, gives us a genuine 

advantage in teaching, as compared with universities on the semester system. Whether our faculty 

teach full-time or part-time, they are full-time with the students when teaching. This makes it 

difficult to attract part-time faculty, because they would have to leave their full-time work to 

teach here. Our part-time faculty tend to be consultants whose project work can be scheduled 

around their teaching, or faculty at other universities who teach here during May and June. With 

this emphasis on full-time participation, the faculty have a substantial commitment to the 

University’s mission and its students’ success, and there is a strong spirit of collegiality and 

harmony among the faculty. 

Credits Taught by Department 

and Faculty Qualification 

BA MA Terminal 

Art & Design 0% 44% 56% 

Business Admin 2% 31% 67% 

Communications & Media 4% 15% 81% 

Computer Science 0% 37% 62% 

Education 0% 39% 61% 

Exercise and Sports 

Science (courses) 

0% 69% 31% 

Forest Academy (courses) 2% 32% 65% 

Literature 0% 3% 97% 

Mathematics 0% 8% 92% 

Maharishi Vedic Science 5% 20% 75% 

Physics (minor) 0% 0% 100% 

Physiology & Health 0% 45% 55% 

Sustainable Living 5% 19% 76% 

Writing 3% 56% 41% 

Total 2% 30% 68%


The faculty are stable in their commitment to the University and mature in their experience as 

teachers. More than 55% of the faculty have been here 10 years or more. More than 70% are age 

50 or greater. 

The overall number of faculty, in relation to the student population, is excellent at the 

undergraduate level, where course enrollments average between 10 and 15 students. 

The four-day annual Faculty Development Seminar is a University strength and supports its 

emphasis on a high quality of teaching. 

CHALLENGES AND INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSE 

The age of the faculty, while it brings a richness of experience, is higher on average than we 

consider desirable. Though we will continue to bring in faculty at mid-career, we are seeking to 

recruit younger faculty so that there are more teachers closer in age to the students and who bring 

youthful enthusiasm to their teaching and research. 

The Computer Science department has on-campus class sizes that are high for graduate 

courses (30-35 students), and their distance education courses have had as many as 60 students 

per instructor in recent years. The department’s challenge has been to find faculty in this tight 

academic labor market who value our mission and are willing to work at less-than-market rates. 

Moderating this challenge are the recent U.S. economic conditions, which have decreased the 

number of entrants to the M.S. program in Computer Science. As a result, class sizes will return 

to more appropriate levels in the next academic year. Still, the department continues to build its 

network of visiting faculty who can teach during the summer months.


U N D E R G R A D U A T E P R O G R A M S 

• Christopher Jones, EdD, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Chair of the 

Curriculum Committee (ext. 5022) 

Admissions and undergraduate enrollments have trended upwards significantly since the early 

part of the decade, though at 300-350 students, the undergraduate program is clearly still small by 

American standards. 

Our undergraduate curriculum gives students a thorough preparation in traditional academic 

disciplines, holistic personal development, and an integrated perspective on knowledge. The 

undergraduate programs are administered academically by their home departments under the 

policies and procedures established by the Curriculum Committee of the Faculty Senate. In the 

last decade, the faculty have regularly evaluated and revised the curriculum to most effectively 

achieve the program’s objectives. Major curriculum developments in the last ten years include: 

• A shift in emphasis, and change of name, from Biology to Sustainable Living as the 

undergraduate science major 

• A new major in Communications & Media 

• A pre-med track in the Physiology and Health major. 

The following discussion reviews the components of the undergraduate program and 

discusses the changes that have taken place since the 2000 HLC visit.


GENE RA L EDU CA TIO N 

We are dedicated to general education, understood as education for the development of the whole 

person. The approach to general education shares the emphasis on distribution requirements and 

mastery of basic competencies found at other institutions. To these, we add a program for direct 

development of the students’ creative intelligence, which includes both experiential and 

intellectual components. The Science of Creative Intelligence promotes holistic psychophysiological 

development of the student and provides an integrative framework for 

understanding the unity of knowledge. 

The elements of the general education program include: 

• Development of consciousness, the twice daily practice of the Transcendental Meditation 

program (taken by all students throughout their education), and TM-Sidhi program (taken by 

all qualified students throughout their education) (1-2 units per semester for 7-14 units) 

• A First-Year Program that includes the four-credit courses “Science and Technology of 

Consciousness,” “Physics and Cosmology,” and “Physiology is Consciousness,” (12 units) 

• Distribution requirements in the natural sciences, social sciences, applied sciences, arts, and 

humanities (16 units outside the major) 

• Basic competency requirements in communications skills, math, and technology (8-16 units) 

• “Forest Academies,” two weeks at the beginning of each semester, which provide 

opportunities for more extended development of consciousness and for exploring the 

application of Maharishi Vedic Science to areas ranging from the arts to the sciences (typically 

6-7 courses at 2 units each for 12-14 units). 

• A Senior Capstone course during which graduating students are assessed for general education 

outcomes and which integrates their understanding of their major and of the interdisciplinary 

applications of Maharishi Vedic Science (2 units) 

• Electives in Maharishi Vedic Science (2 x 4 units = 8 units). 

General outcomes of the undergraduate program 

Since its inception in 1971, Maharishi University of Management has been pioneering a concept 

of general education that goes beyond the intellectual, affective and social goals familiar in 

American higher education. Here we briefly review this new approach and discuss the familiar 

goals of general education we also assess.


DEVELOPMENT OF CONSCIOUSNESS 

The centerpoint of general education at MUM is the development of consciousness, which is the 

basis for all learning. Consciousness is inherently abstract. It is not measured per se, but it is 

experienced by students through the Transcendental Meditation technique as the basis of their 

self. According to the Vedic literature, and as validated by scientific research over the past 40 

years, the consequences of the development of consciousness can be understood and measured in 

terms of a more integrated, healthy functioning of mind and body. The subjective experience of 

the development of consciousness is best described in terms of “unbounded awareness,” deep 

integration and stability of self that may even extend to an integration of self and environment. 

Thus, we have been experimenting with measures such as self-actualization, ego development, 

balance of personality, world citizenship and moral behavior, personal health, and artist-scientist 

integration as indicators of the development of consciousness. Even the integration of brain 

functioning, as measured by EEG coherence, can be taken as one attribute of the development of 

consciousness. 

COMMUNICATION SKILLS — WRITTEN AND ORAL EXPRESSION 

Our faculty have consistently emphasized writing and speaking. All freshman take a writing 

assessment test at the beginning of the year and, based on this placement, take either one or two 

four-credit writing courses in this year. In addition, as part of the emphasis on active learning 

which permeates the whole undergraduate program, students frequently write. All majors have 

designated writing courses, where students have the opportunity to do more writing projects, and 

from which students’ writing is evaluated as part of the general education assessment. 

Public speaking is emphasized throughout students’ education, starting from the first course 

they take. Because classes are small and the block system allows ample opportunity to work with 

knowledge in class, students have extensive opportunities to speak in class. In addition, virtually 

all undergraduate classes require students to make oral presentations of their work. 

QUANTITATIVE LITERACY 

All first-year students take a math proficiency test in their first semester. They are expected to be 

proficient in elementary algebra, and additional proficiencies are required for specific majors — 

for example, Intermediate Algebra for Business and Functions and Graphs 2 for Physiology and 

Health. Students are generally able to complete the mathematics prerequisites for their major by 

the end of the first year. 

CRITICAL THINKING 

Students are constantly being challenged to think critically about contemporary society and the 

standard formulation of knowledge in the diverse academic disciplines. The faculty encourage an 

open attitude of inquiry about Maharishi Vedic Science, understanding that this discipline 

presents conceptions of natural law that are new to many students.


HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS 

The understanding that good health is a prerequisite for holistic development forms a cornerstone 

of our education. We place great emphasis on teaching students the elements of a healthy 

lifestyle. This concern is reflected in our policies of serving organic vegetarian food in the dining 

hall and prohibiting alcohol on campus. Regular practice of the Transcendental Meditation 

technique plays a basic role in the healthy routine we promote, as does twice-daily sets of yoga 

exercise and going to bed by 10:00 p.m. 

In addition, we are committed to offering students recreational activities that balance the 

academic routine with physical exercise and develop mind-body coordination. All students must 

take a 2-credit, two-week course “Health Related Fitness.” Students under 35 years of age must 

participate in four hours of dynamic physical activity each week and complete a fitness 

assessment each semester. In 2008, the person who gave fitness assessments was promoted to 

Assessment Director. In July 2009 the fitness assessment job was filled, and we will be back on 

track with our twice-yearly fitness assessments, early fall and late spring. We measure 

cardiovascular fitness; muscular strength; muscular endurance; flexibility; body composition; and 

posture through a series of standardized tests. 

The Department of Exercise and Sport Science provides many opportunities to develop 

students’ physical fitness. We are proud of our 60,000 square foot indoor sports facility (one of 

the largest in Iowa) that contains tennis, basketball, badminton, and volleyball courts, a running 

track, weight training facilities, batting and golf practice facilities, table-tennis tables, and a rock 

climbing wall. 

Athletic competition is provided primarily through sports clubs open to students, faculty, and 

staff. Soccer has been a staple over the past decade. A long-term goal is developing more 

intramural sports teams. 

TECHNOLOGY 

We are committed to giving our students the technological proficiency needed to live and work 

efficiently in the 21 st century. All dorm rooms are wired to allow direct access to the Internet. In 

2009 the University incorporated information literacy as one of its general education outcomes. 

Mastery comes through use, and by using computer applications repeatedly, students will gain the 

proficiency to continue to use technology after college. 

Assessment of the outcomes of the general education program 

Our Statement of Purposes specifies two types of outcome to be developed in students and 

assessed — self-development and expertise in a field of study. The General Education 

Assessment Plan sets out methods of program assessment to determine student outcomes in their 

fields of study. The general education assessment determines student outcomes in selfdevelopment.


The broader task of general education assessment plan is to measure the development of 

consciousness in the students. Consciousness is the most abstract aspect of experience, so it 

cannot be measured per se, but the effects of the development of consciousness are holistic across 

body, mind, emotions, and ego. Thus, an array of psychological measures dealing with holistic 

qualities of the individual is needed to capture the meaning of “higher states of consciousness.” In 

addition, we have our own questionnaire on personal experiences to capture this dimension of 

growth, and a physiological measure of brain coherence is under development, with the first 

freshman-senior results to be taken in the Spring of 2009. 

Since 1999, the General Education Assessment Plan has focused on making the assessment of 

general education outcomes more directly useful to our decision makers. Most of the assessment 

process is now integrated into a required Senior Seminar to ensure the broadest possible 

participation, and the list of measures is focused on those that economically capture our general 

purposes and can be meaningfully used in curricular evaluation. 

Measures that relate to the development of consciousness include: 

• Epstein’s Constructive Thinking Inventory (creative intelligence) 

• Washington University Sentence Completion Test (ego development) 

• MUM Experience Questionnaire (spiritual experience) 

• EEG Coherence (brain functioning) 

Measures from standardized tests relating to common general education outcomes include: 

• Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress (MAPP) for critical thinking, reading, writing, 

mathematics. 

• Gibbs’ Moral Reasoning test — Social Reflections Survey 

Results reported up from departmental program assessments, usually based on a senior’s 

Summative Statement in the Senior Capstone Seminar or from a written capstone project in the 

major, include 

• Communication skills (writing, speaking) 

• Use of technology 

• Information literacy 

• Mathematical and scientific reasoning 

Results taken from specific courses include: 

• Aesthetic sensibility and experience in the arts 

• Understanding higher levels of human development


General education goals and objectives 

During the 2001-02 academic year, a sub-committee of Academic Council organized by the Dean 

of Faculty reviewed our general education program with the objective of clarifying and more 

concretely specifying its goals and objectives and reviewing its implementation and assessment 

processes. During the spring semester, the Dean of Faculty presented the committee’s 

recommendations to the Faculty Senate, and they were adopted. 

The committee proposed five general goals consonant with the University’s mission, each of 

which was specified in several concrete objectives. The goals were: 

(1) Developing the knower 

(2) Cultivating the process of knowing 

(3) Fathoming the known 

(4) Radiant health 

(5) Enlightened attitudes and behavior 

The specific objectives for each goal, and the results for students graduating in 2008 are 

shown below. The general education assessment focuses on longitudinal change from freshman to 

senior years. The results for previous years are available in the General Education Assessment 

Reports on file in the Resource Room. 

(1) DEVELOPING THE KNOWER 

• Enlivening total brain functioning – The first pre-post data EEG coherence will not be 

available until the spring of 2009. 

• Increasing alertness and creative intelligence – There was an overall growth of creative 

intelligence, with a small composite effect size (.29) as measured by the Constructive 

Thinking Inventory (Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.) first year pre- to senior posttest. 

In addition 85% of the sample of 20 of the graduating men indicated growth in this 

objective. 

• Spiritual experience – experience of pure consciousness and higher states of 

consciousness – Pre-to-post-test findings on the MUM Experience Questionnaire found 

evidence of growth of higher states of consciousness in all the sub-scales, ranging in effect 

size from .07 to .35. The largest effect size was in support of nature, with the second largest in 

witnessing during activity, a strong indicator of higher states. Examples of these experiences 

were also spontaneously referred to in 55% of the Senior Capstone summative statements. 

• Inner peace and happiness – The guidelines for Senior Capstone summative statements ask 

the students to describe how they have grown during their years here. In this year’s statements


60% students characterized their university experience in terms of growth of inner peace and 

happiness. In addition, 80% of the sample of 20 of the graduating men indicated growth in this 

objective. 

• Wisdom – Although we have been administering the Loevinger instrument on ego 

development as a pre- and post-indicator of this objective, we have not yet scored the current 

year’s cohort. In this year’s summative statements, although 8% of the students specifically 

referred to this characteristic as an outcome of their experience, 65% of the men’s sample 

marked this objective as having grown as a result of their MUM career. 

(2) CULTIVATING THE PROCESS OF KNOWING 

• Writing, speaking, and communication skills, including use of technology – All 

departments reported adequate skills in writing and speaking for their graduating students as 

part of their end of year program assessment reports, based primarily on testing or senior 

capstone projects. However, there was little information on student mastery of technology, 

especially PowerPoint presentations. 

• Reading and information gathering skills – All departments with senior capstone projects 

reported adequate information gathering skills. A pre-to-post gain in critical reasoning (.20 

effect size) also assesses this skill as the College Board instrument uses questions on a reading 

for their finding. 

• Effective thinking skills (including analytic and synthetic reasoning skills – There was a 

small gain in critical reasoning skills from freshman to senior as measured by the Critical 

Reasoning Test of Basic Academic Competencies (The College Board), which showed a 0.20 

effect size. 

• Mathematical and scientific reasoning skills – We use the Descriptive Tests of Mathematics 

Skills (College Board), and some departments have been relying on senior projects for 

assessment of these skills. But not many departments cite these skills as learning objectives for 

their programs, so the projects have not been a good data source. 

• Aesthetic sensibility and experience in the arts – Students demonstrated this sensibility and 

had this experience during the elective first year Art and the Self course. 

(3) FATHOMING THE KNOWN 

• Understanding the unity of all knowledge and its common source in the Unified Field of 

Natural Law — 90% of the men’s senior capstone seminar sample indicated growth in this 

area. 

• Experiencing the broad range of knowledge including Arts and Literature, Civilizations, 

Social Sciences, the Natural and Applied Sciences, and Math – All graduating students


fulfilled the distribution requirements that provide exposure to this broad range of disciplines. 

In addition, 60% of the men’s sample reported improvement in this area. 

• Understanding the mechanics, principles, practical technologies, and evidence that 

support the development of higher states of consciousness and success in life – All 

graduating students successfully completed the required higher states of consciousness course 

that teaches this material. In addition, students taking the Senior Capstone Seminar were able 

to explain these elements in oral presentations and class discussions and 80% of the men’s 

sample rated this objective as improved during their career. 

• Understanding professional standards and responsibilities, with exposure to a range of 

career opportunities – The career placement course was taken by 27% of the graduating 

students. However, 60% of the men’s sample indicated improvement in this objective as a 

result of their MUM career. 

(4) RADIANT HEALTH 

• Proper diet and nutrition – All incoming students are given lessons in these principles as 

part of their orientation course. 95% of the men’s sample indicated growth in this objective as 

a result of their career. 

• Ideal daily routine for preventing disease and promoting health – 95% of the men’s 

sample also indicated growth in this objective. 

• Physical fitness — cardiovascular fitness • muscular strength • muscular endurance • 

flexibility • body composition • posture – Although all students have yearly fitness 

assessments in these areas, we do not have pre-post data for this year’s graduating class. 75% 

of the men’s sample indicated improvement in this objective, however. 

(5) ENLIGHTENED ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR 

• An orientation to life-long personal development and learning – 75% of the men’s sample 

rated this objective as improved. 

• A world civilization orientation, including appreciation of political, religious, and 

cultural diversity and commitment to actively work for world peace – In 17% of the 

summative statements students referred to their desire to work to resolve long-standing 

problems in the world. This is in contrast to 70% last year. However, 75% of the men’s sample 

rated this objective as improved. 

• Ethical awareness and behavior: the ability to fulfill one’s desires while supporting the 

interests of others – This year 42% of summative statements referred to this value, down 

from 70% in last year’s. However, 75% of the men’s sample rated this objective as improved.


• Aesthetic responsiveness: engagement with the arts and active appreciation of beauty – 

65% of the men’s sample rated this objective as improved. 

• Ecological awareness: active promotion of life-supporting effects in the environment – 

For the past 8 years, a student club has organized well-attended EcoFairs each fall. These fairs 

are a more concrete expression of the orientation all students have with their commitment to 

twice daily group practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs, which 

research has consistently demonstrated creates coherence in collective consciousness and 

thereby produces measurable life-supporting effects in the environment. However, only 22% 

of summative statements referred to an ecological understanding of life or a desire to promote 

environmentally progressive values in society (mostly from Sustainable Living majors), 

although 75% of the men’s sample rated this objective as improved. 

• Integration of heart and mind – The pre- and post-tests of the Washington University 

Sentence Completion test of Loevinger’s ego-development stages that measure this objective 

have not been scored in time for this report. Although we take this integration as a natural 

feature of Consciousness-Based education, surprisingly few students spontaneously refer to 

this element in their summative statements: this year only 17% did. However, 75% of the 

men’s sample rated this objective as improved. 

Dissertation research by Dr. Susan Brown 

General education assessment is rarely undertaken in the context of hypothesis testing, but in the 

early 2000’s, Director of Assessment Susan Brown wrote her doctoral thesis on the effects of our 

general education program using longitudinal data from the late 1990s through 2004 on 140 

undergraduate students taken using three instruments that are employed annually in the MUM 

General Assessment Plan — the MUM Experience Questionnaire, which is a self-report of 

experiences of growth of consciousness, a standardized test of ego development (Loevinger’s 

Washington University Sentence Completion Test, as extended by Cook-Greuter), and the 

Constructive Thinking Inventory. These were taken as indicators of the expected results of the 

development of consciousness: maturity, wisdom, and effective action. 

Analysis of variance revealed a significant increase in ego development (p < 0.04), with the 

modal category shifting from the Self-Aware stage (freshmen) to Conscientious (seniors). As 

seniors, 29.2% of the students were at postconventional ego developmental stages, compared to 

approximately 10% of the general population. Three sub-scales of constructive thinking also 

increased significantly, Global Constructive Thinking, p < 0.001; Behavioral Coping, p < 0.004; 

and Emotional Coping, p < 0.002). Self-rated frequency of experiences of developed 

consciousness increased significantly (transcending thought during meditation, p < 0.004; inner 

wakefulness during sleep, p < 0.002. Students’ descriptions of their experiences are included in 

the dissertation.


Dr. Brown interpreted these data as supporting the value of applying Maharishi Vedic 

Science in undergraduate education to help young people grow in wisdom, capacity for 

leadership, and the ability to contribute to balance and peace in our world family. 

UNDE RG RAD UAT E MA JORS AND MIN ORS 

We offer nine undergraduate majors and thirteen undergraduate minors: 

BACHELOR’S PROGRAMS 

• BFA in Art and Design 

• BA in Business Administration 

• B.S. in Computer Science 

• BA in Education (specializations in Elementary and Secondary Education) 

• BA in Literature (specialization available in Literature and Writing) 

• BA in Maharishi Vedic Science 

• B.S. in Mathematics 

• BA in Physiology and Health (with pre-med option) 

• B.S. in Sustainable Living 

UNDERGRADUATE MINORS 

• Physics 

• Maharishi Gandharva Veda Music 

• World Peace 

• Dance 

• and minors in each bachelor’s degree area. 

For descriptions of each undergraduate major, please refer to the MUM Catalog or web site. 

The number of major programs decreased over the past decade in response to the opinion of 

the HLC 2000 visiting team that the number of degree programs seemed large in relation to the 

number of students. The former BA in Fine Arts has become minors in music and dance. The 

BFA in Visual Arts became the current BFA in Art and Design. The former B.S. in Biology 

evolved into a B.S. in Environmental Science and thence to the current B.S. in Sustainable 

Living. The former BA in Maharishi Vedic Medicine evolved into the current BA in Physiology 

and Health. The former BA programs in Psychology and in the Science of Creative Intelligence 

became the current BA in Maharishi Vedic Science when the departments of Psychology and


Science of Creative Intelligence merged. The former B.S. program in Physics became a minor. 

The former B.S. programs in Chemistry and Electronic Engineering were discontinued. 

Since 2000, one undergraduate program was added, a BA in Communications and Media. 

In 2000, we offered Associate of Arts degrees in each undergraduate major, but few students 

took them. The last A.A. degree was awarded in 2004. 

Off-campus courses — the Rotating University 

The Rotating University 

program, begun in 1998, 

allows students to take an 

MUM course abroad. 

Designed to enrich students’ 

cross-cultural experience, 

the program has attracted 

continuing education 

students and helped retain 

existing students, especially 

those from Fairfield who 

desire broader experience of 

the world. The table lists the 

recent courses, their 

locations, and enrollments. 

Course Titles 

Discovering South 

Africa: The Land and 

Its People 

Leadership and 

Adventure Sports 

Leadership and 


Leadership in Outdoor 


Documentary Film 

Making and Digital 

Arts 

Discovering 

Maharishi’s Vedic 

India 

Off-Campus Courses 

Location 

Date 

South Africa 

Feb-Mar 2009 

USA 

Southwest 

May 2004 

Hawaii 

Nov. 2008 

Hawaii 

Nov. 2009 

Nepal 

Dec. 2009 

India 

Feb. 2010 

Enrollment: 

FT Students 

Enrollment: 

CE Students 

11 5 

13 0 

6 0 

10 0 

Planned 

Planned


Assessment of student outcomes in the undergraduate programs 

Departments differ in how they assess their academic outcomes of their students’ work. Some use 

standardized tests, but the direction taken by most departments is to emphasize active learning 

through a summative project or portfolio by the end of the program. Several departments 

routinely bring professors from other institutions to evaluate students’ work. 

The following is a summary of the assessment plan for each undergraduate major, the 

measured outcomes for the 2007-2008 school year, and an evaluation of where each program 

stands in assessment and performance. Included are recommendations from the program directors 

for changes in the curriculum based on the 2007-2008 assessment results. 

All program assessment plans and the reports from 2008 and 2009 are available in the 

Resource Room. 

ART AND DES IG N 

The Department of Art and Design has a well-crafted assessment, implemented effectively each 

year. Their programs emphasize creating art — 75% of the courses in the BA program are studio 

courses. Thus the primary outcome assessed is students’ ability to create effective art and design. 

They also assess the ability to communicate about art verbally and to understand art within an 

aesthetic, intellectual, historical and cultural context. In broad strokes, the department has three 

goals, which are unpacked into five objectives for the BA students and seven objectives for the 

BFA students, 

• Develop consciousness and quality of life 

• Culture perceptual, cognitive and communication skills 

• Cultivate studio practice, creative expression and life-sustaining art 

Graduating students present a portfolio of their work in digital form or as an exhibition for 

which they must write an artist’s statement. They also write a research paper in an art history 

course. These are evaluated by the faculty and an external evaluator. The external evaluators, 

usually art professors from other universities, play an important role in student learning outcomes 

assessment. They are given a detailed set of instructions for reviewing and critiquing students’ 

work individually and in aggregate, using the 5-7 objectives of the degree program. Evaluators 

conclude their report by giving specific suggestions to improve or enrich the program and the 

students. 

The department’s assessment plan also includes rubrics for evaluating the art history paper, 

the art history field trip report, the art history research talk, and for art work created in the courses 

in sculpture, ceramics, drawing, and principles of design. After teaching each course, the faculty 

write a Closing the Loop report, which documents the assessment data for the course and presents


their conclusions and recommendations. These reports are aggregated in the annual program 

assessment report. 

The 2008 BA and BFA assessment reports presented the faculty’s evaluations of student 

learning around the 5-7 objectives and offered numerous “action steps” as recommendations to 

improve individual courses that impact each objective. The visiting evaluator, Vera Gartley of the 

Alberta College of Art and Design, found the students “alert; focused; open to networking, 

collaborating, and sharing.” She also noted that the BFA students did not communicate about art 

as well as she expected, assessed both from the student’s oral explanations and written artist’s 

statement. She recommended that the faculty add a sentence to one of their program objectives, 

“To be able to position one’s own art in the context of past art and the contemporary art world,” 

which the faculty adopted in the assessment plan. Further, the faculty recommended, “The major 

advisor for each student must take the responsibility to work with them on developing and 

revising the artist’s statement. This needs to be done over time, not left until the last minute. For 

the students who need it, the advisor should work with them on how to explain their art orally.” 

The evaluator also assessed students’ technical skill in the medium, rating the four BFA graduates 

either Excellent (2) or Very Good (2). The 2008 evaluator concluded that most of the MUM 

students rated high in technical skill but not as high in familiarity and fluency with the formal 

language of art. The faculty concluded that they should reinforce formal values in all courses, not 

just in the Principles of Design course, and they should use the rubrics for studio courses to 

facilitate this process. 

In 2009, the visting evaluator was John Beckelman, the Robert O. Daniel Professor of Art at 

Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He summed up his evaluation by writing of the students, 

“There is a depth in the way they think about themselves and their artwork that, quite frankly, I 

have not seen before. . . . They have a sense of self possession and are comfortable with 

themselves. . . .” That spoke well to the goals of the program in terms of both personal and 

professional development. 

Overall, we are pleased with the Department of Art and Design’s assessment program and its 

ongoing activities to improve teaching effectiveness. 

BUSIN ESS AD MIN ISTR ATI ON 

In 2009, 37 students took the capstone course Entrepreneurship Project, including 18 

undergraduates from the Beijing campus, 5 undergraduates continuing in Fairfield, and 14 

foundational (first-year) MBA students. The assessment report on the BA in Business 

Administration evaluated the students’ work in terms of their evidence of practicality, 

presentation and writing. The report did not evaluate the projects in terms of the objectives of the 

BA program nor did it use evaluation grids that had been prepared in the past. It did not report the 

evaluations of students’ presentations by local business people as per the assessment plan.


However, student end-of-course surveys showed that most students strongly agreed that they 

gained valuable knowledge from the Entrepreneurship Project and that the project course was 

appropriately organized and challenging. 

Though the faculty have, for the most part, submitted thoughtful Closing the Loop reports for 

each of their courses in 2008-2009, we would like to see the Department of Business 

Administration follow through better on its assessment plan, which calls for using a standard 

evaluation rubric and to use external evaluators to judge students’ “fast pitch” presentations of 

business plans. Every year, the department should report placement data, and at least every few 

years it should seek feedback from alumni and employers. 

Student learning outcomes for the BA in Business Administration at the Beijing campus are 

discussed in the separate section on that campus, page 109. 

COMM UN ICA TIO NS & MEDI A 

The Communications & Media program is our newest major. In 2006-2007, we launched a minor 

in Communications & Media under the leadership of Stuart Tanner, an award-winning video 

producer, director, and writer (BBC, National Geographic, Discovery Channel) from the UK. For 

Professor Tanner’s classes, we acquired $45,000 of high-definition video equipment. Professor 

Tanner’s three new courses were fully enrolled, and student response was enthusiastic. In May 

2007, Professor Tanner’s students Geoff Boothby and Cullen Thomas won the Iowa Motion 

Picture Association’s top award in the college division for their short film We Are Theo. In 2007, 

we applied to the HLC to upgrade the minor to a major, and in August 2007 the HLC approved 

the new program, and marketing began. 

By the spring of 2008, the program had 12 majors and graduated 4 of them. A documentary 

by student Amine Kouider won a top award from the Iowa Motion Picture Association. The 2008 

senior project of Geoff Boothby and Cullen Thomas, a feature-length film Wormtooth Nation, 

won the top award, the Gold Eddy, in the student long-form category of the 2009 Cedar Rapids 

Independent Film Festival. Their film also won three awards at the 2009 Iowa Motion Picture 

Association, for screenplay, direction, and original music score, and it had been nominated in the 

categories of entertainment, lighting, and editing. Boothby and Thomas were hired by David 

Lynch Foundation TV (www.dlf.tv), which had recently set up operations in Fairfield. 

The C&M Assessment Plan shows that there are courses in the program that advance 

students’ development on each of our general education objectives, holistic development, writing 

skills, speaking skills, information literacy, aesthetic sensibility, leadership and teamwork. 

To evaluate students’ work in the major, the faculty developed a rubric for assessing their 

documentary video projects. The content of students’ major projects are evaluated each year by 

MUM faculty who teach in the program, by MUM faculty who do not teach in the program, and 

by an outside expert. Students’ success in film competitions is another direct measure of student


learning. Yet another measure is the placement of students into professional work or graduate 

study consistent with their degree. The awards received by the 2008 C&M graduates and their 

employment by David Lynch TV demonstrate the program’s initial effectiveness. 

In 2007–2008, the program had 12 majors. By Spring 2009 the number had swelled to 37, of 

whom 4 graduated in June. 

We are very pleased with the success of students in this program and with the rising 

enrollment it has attracted. One consequence of this success is that the faculty of C&M and of 

Literature/Writing have developed a proposal for a Master of Arts program in Communications 

and Media, which will have both a video track and a writing track. It essentially revives the MFA 

in Digital Media and the Master of Professional Writing degrees that were put on hold since the 

last HLC visit. That proposal is submitted to the HLC along with this self-study for evaluation 

during the October 2009 visit. 

COMP UT ER SCI ENC E – BEIJ ING CAMP US 

In 2008, the CS program in China graduated 16 students with BA degree. The BA degree is less 

technical than the Bachelor of Science program offered at the Fairfield campus. The BA program 

had two dimensions of learning objectives: computer hardware and software development. 

Students’ grades in the capstone course, Computer Architecture Capstone CS Course 

(at left), showed that the group met the faculty’s expectations 

Grade Students 

A 6 

quite well. All graduates of the MUM program in Beijing in 

B 10 

2007 were employed or continuing their education as of June 

2008, as reported by our Chinese partner Beijing University of 

C 

NC 

0 

0 

Civil Engineering and Architecture. After the Spring 2008 graduation, there was no continuing 

MUM CS program in China because of a lack of sufficient number of students and the limited 

availability of qualified faculty.


EDUC AT ION 

The four purposes of the Teacher Education Program are: 

• to promote the personal growth of teacher education candidates toward advanced levels of 

adult development 

• to prepare students with the general learning skills and knowledge necessary to be citizens of 

our modern age 

• to engender the knowledge and skills necessary to teach anything to anyone, with a special 

focus on teaching one’s own subject field in the schools of contemporary America 

• to help students grasp the relationship between the underlying field of consciousness, the 

“unified field of all the laws of nature,” and all branches of the field of education 

The teacher education program is designed to meet both the Iowa Department of Education’s 

standards and the competencies of Consciousness-Based education unique to MUM. Seven 

students completed the program in 2008. The department measures student learning outcomes 

along the following seven dimensions. 

1. Portfolio reviews with an outside evaluator – With an opportunity to revise, all students 

brought their portfolio to a level of pass by the time of graduation. 

2. Student teaching final ratings – Cooperating teachers rate their student teachers on ten 

criteria using a five-point scale. The median of the average ratings was 4.2. The lowest rating, 

at 3.6, was for “Uses a variety of methods to monitor student learning.” The highest average 

scores, at 4.4, were for “Demonstrates competence in classroom management,” and “Engages 

in professional growth.” 

3. Meeting of the Teacher Education Advisory Committee – This is a focus group meeting 

with alumnae, current students, and advisory committee members develop ideas for expanding 

the program. The group had no specific suggestions for the curriculum but did discuss ways to 

improve the program’s web site and the pros and cons of extending the program to three 

semesters rather than two. 

4. Alumni survey data – We invited alumni to complete an online form coded for anonymity 

and automatically returned to the department for analysis. The response rate was 35% (12 

invitations were undeliverable and 11 responded). The results analyzed in two ways: 

• they were given a quantitative summary for the 12 standards (including the ten INTASC 

standards) that were rated by respondents 

• they are analyzed qualitatively for open-ended responses to questions of strengths and 

suggestions for improvement.


In the quantitative summary of responses, a strong one was “understands and uses formal and 

informal assessment strategies,” an area we have consistently emphasized over the years (but 

interestingly was underrated in this year’s student teaching evaluations). Two themes stood 

out: the importance of quality instruction in classroom management strategies for new teachers 

and the wish for more assistance in job search. We responded to each of these concerns in our 

2008-2009 plan by adding another week of instruction in classroom management and three 

Saturday afternoon seminars in job search, given by the teacher education coordinator. 

5. Employer survey data – We sent requests to seven employers of our graduates who are 

currently teaching. Three supervisors responded (one response was lost in the mail). We had 

another three reports from employers of students who graduated the previous year. These 

reports say more about the beginning teacher’s life than our program but are worth noting. The 

most challenging area is “classroom management,” followed by “competence in planning” and 

“delivery of instruction.” As a result of these surveys, we renewed our commitment to stay in 

touch with graduates. Though a challenging task for busy faculty, it also can be among the 

most fulfilling. 

6. Graduate survey data and focus group discussion – At the end of each academic year, 

students fill out an end-of-program evaluation form and meet with the faculty to discuss their 

experiences with the program. This year, five of the seven graduating students completed the 

form and participated in the debriefing. The survey covers the same criteria we use in the 

student teaching evaluation. From the focus group discussion, the faculty identified the 

Secondary Methods course as a main weakness (also identified as a problem in the Iowa state 

report). Elementary education students identified assessment as another weak area. 

7. State of Iowa Program Review Summary – The program review made the following 

summary comments. 

• The Teacher Education Program (TEP) is well-respected across the campus. 

• The TEP Program has worked to establish solid relationships with area schools. 

• University administration indicates strong support for the TEP and views it as a valued 

component in fulfilling our mission. 

• The foundation of Consciousness-based Education provides a platform for a unique 

education program. 

• The mission is fully integrated throughout the education curriculum, university governance, 

teaching practices, and life choices of faculty, staff, and students. 

The Iowa Department of Education Program Review evaluated the programs’ strengths and 

made recommendations in six areas: governance and resources, diversity, faculty, clinical, 

candidate assessment and program assessment. Only in the clinical area did the review committee


identify items that needed to be addressed prior to State Board action. This concerned the 

secondary education program, where the team asked for a plan to increase student teaching and 

pre-student teaching clinical experiences in the secondary program and stated a concern that the 

small number of students in the program requires candidates interested in a variety of subjects to 

take the same secondary methods class. 

Based on all the evidence discussed above, the Education Department decided that the 

secondary methods course should be jointly taught by practicing secondary school faculty and 

MUM faculty. It should be highly differentiated requiring students to express the organization of 

the discipline they are teaching, methods special to that discipline, and develop a unit that they 

may teach. Students should also be required to order a journal in their discipline so that they start 

to get familiar with new methods in their field. The department is leaning toward a three-semester 

program, rather than the current two semesters, but has not made a decision. They will 

reinvigorate the program’s web site, consider offering a course on Consciousness-Based 

education by distance education. They identified six recommendations specifically made by 

students, and they decided that the students’ portfolio should be designed more along the lines of 

the teacher work sample methodology. 

We are pleased with the actions taken by the Education faculty to assess student learning by 

multiple direct measures and to improve courses and the program as a whole. The small number 

of students in the program is a matter for the Executive Committee to consider. Can enrollment 

be increased to sustainable levels 

LITE RA TUR E AND WRI TIN G 

The Literature and Writing program has been mindful of the changing role of English 

departments nationwide in the last ten years. Our program cultures reading, writing and critical 

thinking skills, like any traditional literature program, and honors both the humanistic great books 

approach as well as such current trends as textuality, new historicism, and environmental 

interpretations — but all on the basis of growing knowledge and development of consciousness. 

Our major’s specialty of developing thinking and analytic skills fulfills our goal to promote 

the holistic student development. We also provide a rich pool of elective courses for students in 

other programs. For example, the “Literature and the Environment” course appeals to Sustainable 

Living students, “History of English” fulfills a requirement for developing secondary teachers, 

“The Art of Film,” “The Evolution of Film,” and “The Science Fiction Film” serve as electives 

for the Communications & Media major. Maharishi Vedic Science students regularly take our 

courses on the Bhagavad-Gita, the Ramayana, and “The Bible as Literature.” Our writing courses 

serve as the basis of a writing minor, a rhetorical track in the communication major, and the 

composition element in other majors.


Our department aims prepare students to read in the fullest sense: to deeply read literary 

texts, but also to read the texts of Self, Nature, Culture, World, on the basis of their development 

of consciousness. We measure achievement of these goals in students’ critical essays, projects, 

and examinations as well as in their quality of life. 

The goals for student learning are set out in the Literature/Writing Assessment Plan according 

to the type of student served: there are six goals for the graduating Lit major, six for the major 

who emphasizes Writing, and different goals for courses taken mainly by students from other 

programs. At the end of each year, Lit majors write an “Exit Paper” that allows the faculty to 

assess all six competencies. 

In our evaluations of student learning outcomes, the weakest area was students’ ability to 

discover the linkages between literature and Maharishi Vedic Science. This confirmed the 

findings in students’ recent exit papers. We plan to address this by giving students shorter 

exercises and increased practice in this area. They also need more experience in research and 

documentation. We will earmark two courses every year as research courses. 

The Writing track is more popular than the Literature track, due to the attraction of nonmajors. 

Screenwriting had 11 students, Advanced Fiction Writing 13. Though students display a 

range of competency, the majority of advanced writing students fall into the excellent and very 

good categories, suggesting the program is successful. The weakest areas for students include 

mechanics and punctuation, with a good distribution of scores for original subject, organization, 

structure, and revision. 

The Freshman Composition courses get special attention in the Literature and Writing 

assessment report. Because we have a large international student body, our required composition 

courses contain both native and foreign writers. International students often need to go slower, 

while U.S. students want to move more quickly, so it is not always a perfect mixture. As a result, 

we revived our ESL program, and the writing faculty piloted composition courses for our nonnative 

speaking students needing more attention. 

The Literature and Writing faculty have thoughtfully formulated a major that advances our 

mission in many respects, and they have developed and implemented an assessment plan that 

gives a clear picture of how well students are achieving the purposes of their program. The only 

weakness of the program is its size. The 5 graduates in 2008 and 4 graduates in 2009 form a very 

small group. With the exception of courses that draw many majors from other departments, such 

as the Art of Film, the department’s courses have had less than 10 students enrolled, which may 

not be sustainable. But as overall enrollment grows, so should the number of students in the 

Literature and Writing major.


MAHA RIS HI VE DIC SCIE NCE 

From the world’s most ancient continuous tradition of knowledge, the Vedic tradition of India, 

Maharishi has formulated the 40 aspects of Veda and Vedic Literature into a complete science 

and technology of consciousness. Veda means knowledge. Maharishi Vedic Science offers the 

knowledge of consciousness — the understanding that human consciousness can settle inward to 

a silent state of pure consciousness, pure wakefulness, that this inner ocean of consciousness is a 

field of pure intelligence and creativity, and that pure consciousness is the source of all the laws 

of nature that give rise to all the forms and phenomena in the world around us. 

This program aims to give students a deep knowledge and appreciation of the nature and 

dynamics of consciousness and to rapidly and systematically develop their own consciousness, 

their own inner potential, so they can enjoy maximum personal fulfillment and professional 

success and contribute maximum to society. Students also explore the applications of the 

knowledge and technologies of consciousness in education, health, management, economics, 

political science, agriculture, defense, and architecture and city planning. 

In another unique feature of the program, students learn to read Vedic literature in the 

original Sanskrit Devanagari script. They learn to read for the sound value alone, not the 

translated meaning of the words. Reading the Vedic literature in this way is said to produce more 

integrated brain function, similar to what happens during Transcendental Meditation practice, and 

indeed some pilot research studies have founded more coherent EEG activity while students read 

Sanskrit, an effect not seen in the reading of other foreign languages for sound value. 

All degree programs in MVS share a similar set of goals. Students should gain 

• holistic progress toward higher states of consciousness, assessed through the optional Brain 

Integration Progress Report and through end-of-program interviews with students. 

• ability to read the Vedic Literature smoothly in Devanagari with correct pronunciation, 

measured through faculty observation of students’ reading in each MVS course. 

• appreciation of the value of Maharishi Vedic Science and its technologies for development of 

consciousness, measured through students written and oral presentations and projects and 

interviews in an end-of-program focus group. 

• understanding of key concepts and fundamental principles of Maharishi Vedic Science and 

how they can be applied to solving problems various areas of society, measured through a long 

writing assignment spanning two MVS courses, Vedic Science 1 and 2, as well as through 

shorter writing and oral presentations is several other courses. 

• understanding of key research findings on the technologies of Maharishi Vedic Science in 

various areas of life, as well as understanding the fundamentals of the scientific method, 

including the ability to answer theoretical research questions using source documents in


Maharishi Vedic Science, measured through three major presentations in the research course 

MVS 308 Research Design and Outcomes 

• effective oral presentation skills, including appropriate use of PowerPoint, measured through a 

presentation during the Final Project courses as well as in shorter oral presentations in all other 

classes. 

• preparation for personal and professional success, including careers in Consciousness-Based 

professions, the latter measured as participation in any of the following: the Invincible 

America program at MUM, the Transcendental Meditation Teacher Training course, work in 

presenting Consciousness-Based technologies to different areas of society. 

Unique though the orientation of this discipline may seem, it rests squarely in the tradition of 

the liberal arts. 

The BA program in Maharishi Vedic Science has regularly had about 10 majors over the past 

several years. Outcomes for the seven goals have been consistently positive. In addition, 

graduating students reported an average of 4.3 on a five-point Likert scale (between very good 

and excellent) for the effect of their coursework on inner development. 

The faculty were satisfied with students’ success in learning to recognize and speak out the 

sounds of the original Devanagari script during the one-month MVS102. 

In the area of students’ daily routine, over half of the undergraduate majors reported getting 

to bed before 10:00 p.m. and being rested and alert during the day. Some students commented 

that there was excessive repetition in the books and tapes used in the curriculum, but in the endof-program 

focus group, students said that looking at the same principles from different angles 

allowed them to more deeply appreciate the meaning and application of that principle. 

The final project presentations and papers of the five students graduating in 2008 

demonstrated good understanding of the logical, scientific, and empirical foundations of 

Maharishi Vedic Science. They also demonstrated understanding of the scientific method and 

how to test different questions using appropriate research designs. Two of the three winners in the 

2008 Knowledge Fair were students about to graduate from the MVS program. 

Overall, we are pleased with the content and execution of the bachelor’s program in 

Maharishi Vedic Science. The methods of assessment of student learning, while generally 

adequate for small numbers of students, could be improved by using formal rubrics for such 

student work as final project papers and presentations and research paper summaries. 

We see the undergraduate MVS degree as preparing students for life rather than as training 

for a career. It gives students a strong sense of self, of who they are and what they can do — and 

this is the basis for success later in life. A number of our graduates have gone on to the MA and 

PhD in MVS; others have gone to graduate school at other universities; some have gone on to 

train as professional teachers of the Transcendental Meditation program, some are working for 

the international Transcendental Meditation organization, and others have gone into business.


MATH EM ATI CS 

The Department of Mathematics serves several functions at the University: 

• Providing a major in mathematics to prepare students for jobs and graduate study (including a 

Master of Science in Computer Science). 

• Providing a comprehensive system of placement testing for entering students and, for those 

with some deficiency in high school math, developmental math courses in algebra and 

functions (algebra is part of the first-year program). 

• Offering service courses to support other disciplines such as Sustainable Living, Physics, 

Business, Computer Science, and Education. 

• Providing interesting courses, such as “Geometry for the Artist” and “Infinity,” through which 

non-math students can complete the second-year distribution requirement in mathematics. 

The department offers two tracks in the Math 

Major with a common core of courses. One is a 

track in pure mathematics leading to graduate 

study in mathematics or physics or a career in a 

math-related field. The other is a more applied 

track that allows students to also take some of their 

courses in math-based science such as computer 

science, physics, and biology. There is a demand 

for each, and there has been a rise in the total 

number of math majors over the past 10 years, as 

the chart at right shows. 

The past two years have seen a big rise in 

numbers of students taking service courses. Most 

now attract 15–20 students in a class. We now 

offer a special course for Sustainable Living 

majors, and our elementary math skills courses are 

now being used extensively by the PreMed majors and the Business majors. The sciences track of 

the math major is used by students proceeding to a Master of Science in Computer Science at 

MUM and both the sciences track and the math track are used by students completing a minor in 

Physics and students completing a degree in education with a math specialty. 

We evaluate student achievement using: 

Academic 

year 

Number of 

majors 

Number of 

graduates 

1999-2000 4 3 

2000-2001 5 2 

2001-2002 6 5 

2002-2003 2 1 

2003-2004 5 5 

2004-2005 10 3 

2005-2006 6 3 

2006-2007 8 2 

2007-2008 14 2 

2008-2009 13 1 

• Regular tests, exams, projects, essays, and a strong system of daily assignments handed in for 

grading and returned then next day. Connections of the topics of the math courses to principles 

from the Science of Consciousness are evaluated from essays, class discussions, and usually a


single question on any test and the final exam. We also expect projects to be connected to an 

underlying theme from the Science of Consciousness. 

• Rubrics for oral and written projects 

• Informal discussions with faculty teaching subsequent courses as to whether the students were 

well prepared mathematically for their courses, and what topics might be missing 

• We require students graduating from the math track to complete the Educational Testing 

Service Mathematics Test, and we require the students graduating from the sciences track to 

complete the general Graduate Record Exam, since they go into a wide variety of fields 

afterwards. 

• We monitor acceptance to graduate schools and jobs obtained. 

• Discussion at faculty meetings of accomplishment of General Education Goals of the 

university. We have a rubric of how these goals should be done for mathematics courses. 

The department is adding a faculty member to meet the teaching demands and help create a 

math club and prepare students for mathematics competitions. We hope to find qualified workstudy 

students to tutor after class. We have a good resource for diagnosing students with math 

disabilities and determining whether they will succeed at their studies but need a resource for 

treating these disabilities. 

PHYSI OL OGY AND HEAL TH 

The mission of the undergraduate major in Physiology and Health is to create health educators 

who can give knowledge and inspiration from Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care for 

prevention of imbalance and promotion of health. Graduates should be well prepared to: 

• care effectively for their own health 

• speak and write clearly and knowledgeably about all aspects of Consciousness-Based Health 

Care 

• offer health education by explaining to clients how imbalance has arisen and how the 

modalities of the Consciousness-Based approach to health can restore balance on the level of 

the body’s inner intelligence 

• for those who wish to go on to graduate study in medicine, perform well on the MCAT exam 

and achieve admission to medical school.


In the fall of 2008, 6 students majored in the Physiology and Health major. When the premed 

track was added in the spring of 2009, 20 students (mostly new entrants) declared an intent 

to take that program. 

In 2008, the department instituted a final presentation project for those completing their 

major requirements for Physiology and Health. Each student prepared an in-depth poster or 

Powerpoint presentation summarizing major aspects of the knowledge they had gained, which 

was evaluated using a rubric developed by the P&H faculty. 

In the final 3 courses of the major, Restoring Balance I, II, and III, students received sample 

health cases to demonstrate in written exams their understanding of the core concepts of 

Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care for identifying basic imbalances and common 

disorders of the 8 organ systems. Taken as a whole, the understanding of these concepts was 

excellent among all students. All students performed at the A– or better level on exams and oral 

presentations regarding physiological knowledge, and student feedback was positive and 

enthusiastic about the amount of modern physiological knowledge that was received. 

All the graduating students worked as Health Educators at The Raj Maharishi Ayurveda 

Health Center in Maharishi Vedic City for at least one month in the last 12 months. They 

routinely gave lectures to the guests, usually once per week. The feedback from the 

administration of the Raj, as given in a standard evaluation form, has been uniformly positive. All 

of the 6 graduates in 2008 were excellent in pulse assessment as determined by the faculty. They 

all have worked at The Raj as Health Educators and have had pulse practice under supervision of 

the health experts there. All graduates this year were deemed to be qualified to act as health 

educators and lecturers in Maharishi Consciousness-Based Health Care by their faculty. 

We are pleased with the addition of the pre-med track to the Physiology and Health major. 

The department must develop measurable objectives and assessment tools appropriate to that 

track. Also, a formal rubric for evaluating a student’s knowledge of pulse reading would help the 

department identify more precisely how well students have mastered that skill. 

SUSTAI NA BLE LIVI NG 

The bachelor’s program in Sustainable Living is one of our major growth areas. The table at right 

shows the rising number of majors in the program. 

The department has also 

promoted the offering of courses in Sustainable Living BS 2006 2007 2008 2009 

other departments that build on the Majors declared 29 36 56 62 

theme of sustainability and increase 

their enrollments. Among these are 

Graduating seniors 3 8 12 8 

Art in Nature, Mathematics for Sustainable Living, Managing for Sustainability, Literature and 

the Environment, Digital Arts for Sustainable Living. Courses in the Sustainable Living major


have been well-attended not only by majors but also by students taking elective courses or a 

minor in Sustainable Living. 

The Sustainable Living major includes courses that promote our general education goals, 

such as quantitative literacy, information literacy, communication skills, critical thinking, and 

leadership and team building. The annual assessment report of the department feeds such general 

education evaluations up to the undergraduate dean. 

The department has a core of 24 units (chosen from 36) that reflects the faculty’s expectations 

about the range of knowledge that any graduate should have. In addition, the department is 

developing some specializations in several areas. The department gives a Seniors Questionnaire 

to graduating students that, despite its title, is really an exit exam on the core all students are 

meant to master. Though students are not required to take a specialization, when they do, the 

faculty evaluate their achievement through the Senior Project in the Sustainable Living 

Workshop, in which they pursue their particular interest. 

In 2008, the faculty evaluated the Senior Project on 10 dimensions using a standard 

evaluation rubric, described in our assessment plan. Twelve students submitted Senior Projects, 

representing a wide variety of interest areas. Some topics accorded with what the faculty 

envisioned when the projects component of the program was developed, while others varied from 

that vision and some were unrealistic. But all students appreciated the opportunity to put their 

heart and creative thinking into a project of personal interest. They enjoyed the process and all 

earned an overall grade of at least a B. Going forward, the faculty plan to improve students’ 

performance by giving them a more tightly defined set of guidelines and more faculty attention. 

A major selling point of the SL program, and another method of assessing student learning, is 

the availability of internships. These may occupy as many as four of the six electives in the 

degree program. As of 2008, internships were not required but were viewed mainly as an 

enrichment option for those who desire real-world experience before graduating. Although a long 

list of companies or individuals have agreed to accept applications for internships, experience has 

shown that not every employer offers a worthwhile working and learning experience. Students 

who take an internship must prepare an Internship Report that includes a daily log and an analysis 

of a task or problem they encountered on the job that required knowledge of sustainability in its 

solution. 

Students’ achievement of professional certifications also reflects the program’s success. In 

2008, nine students attempted the LEED certification training, and eight did very well. (LEED is 

an internationally recognized green building certification system. We are no longer offering 

LEED certification training as there is now a requirement for building experience.) In other recent 

courses, 30 students completed Permaculture Design certification, another 30 completed a 

certificate on Green Building with the Center on Sustainable Communities, 20 earned a certificate 

from a Living Roof Workshop sponsored by the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities, and 7 

completed a beekeeping certification.


Program graduates have gone on to graduate school and into a variety of professions, 

including wind farm development, organic agriculture and farming, publishing and media for 

sustainable living, education about sustainability, employment with sustainability nonprofits, 

sales in building performance monitoring systems, organic and artisan food enterprises, and local 

food system development projects. One graduate is the director of an ecovillage in Fiji, another is 

a LEED building consultant, and yet another joined the Peace Corps. 

Overall, we are pleased with the growth of enrollment in this program, with the outcomes of 

student learning demonstrated in their projects and certifications, and with the creativity and 

resourcefulness of the faculty in responding to the diversity of students’ interests in this area. The 

main issue facing the department is to hire new faculty to meet the increased enrollment. 

OTHE R ED UCA TI ONA L PRO GR A MS 

Though the focus of undergraduate education is on the bachelor’s degree programs, we also offer 

other credit-bearing and non-credit-bearing programs that generate revenue. 

English as a Second Language 

We had an ESL program in the late 1990s, when more international students studied and worked 

on campus. ESL was tentatively restarted in August 2008, because we anticipated students from 

the Beijing campus who were not well prepared for study in English. One faculty member served 

17 students. She determined they were able to handle reading, writing, listening and speaking in 

their ESL class. In the end, 10 students were considered acceptable according to those criteria and 

7 needed to continue taking ESL. In the Spring 2009 semester, we organized to continue serving 

those 7 as well as an additional 25–30 Chinese students arriving for the 2009-2010 academic 

year. This includes setting specific graduation requirements and using standardized tests to 

measure those outcomes before students can qualify for a certificate or matriculate into regular 

undergraduate or MBA courses. 

Town Superradiance Program and Invincible America Assembly 

Out-of-town guests and members of the Fairfield community are invited to participate daily in the 

Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs held in our Golden Domes. Individuals who 

work during the day may attend the morning and afternoon mediation programs in the Domes as 

part of the Town Superradiance (TSR) program. There is no fee, but a donation box collects 

contributions. People who can give more time to the practice of the TM-Sidhi program attend the 

Invincible America Assembly program (IAA). Most of these participants are supported 

financially by the Howard and Alice Settle Foundation due to the contribution of this activity to 

the creation of peace in the nation and world.


EVAL UA TIO N OF THE 

UNDE RG RAD UAT E PR OGR AMS 

STRENGTHS 

1. Consciousness-Based education – This approach, including practice of the Transcendental 

Meditation and TM-Sidhi program, helps students become more creative, alert and awake and 

fulfill the goal of an educated person that has stood since the dawn of Western civilization — 

know thyself. 

2. A unified basis to knowledge — a new academic discipline – In Maharishi Vedic Science, 

which connects each branch of knowledge to the whole tree of knowledge, students gain a 

unified framework for studying any field. 

3. Systematic teaching procedures and materials – These contribute to the quality of 

classroom instruction. All courses have a printed syllabus including the main points of 

lectures. Through wall charts faculty give an overview of the course and relate the specialized 

knowledge of each class to the bigger picture — the entire discipline and the student’s own 

experience. This is done through the use of main point charts and “unified field charts” that 

conceptually map the entire discipline of study from its source in the unified level of nature’s 

intelligence to its application to all areas of society. MUM students report that, as a result, 

they feel more at home with every area of study. 

4. Active and engaged student learning – Longer class periods allowed by the block system 

and small class size favor classroom learning strategies in which students are involved as the 

co-producers of knowledge, in problem solving, writing, role-playing, internships, and 

demonstrations. 

5. Block system – This system of studying “one course at a time” full time allows students to 

assimilate knowledge with maximum efficiency, enables logical sequencing of courses, and 

eliminates many of the conflicts and pressures associated with the traditional semester 

system. It makes excellent use of the time in the students’ day with no time lost between 

classes. 

6. Strong undergraduate programs – The programs in Business Administration, Communi– 

cations and Media, Physiology and Health (pre-med), and Sustainable Living all tend to have 

course enrollments of 15 or more, which is financially sustainable, and they show increasing 

enrollments. Their faculty have good assessment plans in place and have demonstrated the 

achievement of student learning objectives.



A number of concerns about undergraduate education are based on the small size of the student 

body. Our current initiatives to increase enrollment are direct responses to these concerns. 

1. Student retention – Although students often return after leaving, the retention of 

undergraduate students, particularly in the first year, is a challenge. 

Response – The Spring 2009 retention initiative, under the leadership of Executive Vice- 

President Craig Pearson, brought out many good ideas to improve student satisfaction. The 

method by which students earn credit for their participation in the meditation program was 

liberalized at the students’ request, so they now have more options to earn a good mark 

through both individual and group practice. A strengthened Student Support Center is already 

helping more students who have academic or emotional difficulties. The new 128-credit 

bachelor’s degree requirement will reduce student indebtedness at graduation and potentially 

shorten the time to degree, so students see a shorter path to their goal after their first year. 

(Please see the section on “Retention,” page 189.) 

2. Serving students with different levels of academic ability – The student body varies in 

academic ability, yet the number of students does not justify multiple tracks or sections of 

courses. 

Response – We continue to offer an Honors option in the first-year courses to enrich the 

education for those at the high end. Remedial tutoring assists students who need to further 

develop their skills. For the past several years, during the annual Faculty Development 

Seminar, the faculty have been given guidance in differentiated learning, i.e., managing 

students of varying abilities within the time constraints of the block system. 

3. Serving first-year students with no prior experience in Consciousness-Based education – 

When MUM started in the 1970s, nearly all students who enrolled had learned the 

Transcendental Meditation program elsewhere and were familiar with its advanced programs. 

In the Spring 2009 entry of 58 new undergraduates, about 80% learned the Transcendental 

Meditation technique upon arrival on campus. Many had practiced other forms of meditation 

and knew little about Maharishi. Now only a small minority of entering students come from 

the Maharishi School in Fairfield, where they have been practicing the Transcendental 

Meditation technique since age 10. Teaching to this diversity in a way that engages both is a 

challenge. 

Response – In 2008-2009, we designed a new first-year course, MVS 101 Science and 

Technology of Consciousness, that surveys the basic ideas of Maharishi Vedic Science and 

shows their relationship to and uniqueness in relation to apparently similar lines of thought in 

physics, social science, and religion. The former required first-year course MVS 100 Science 

of Creative Intelligence, a 33-lesson course videotaped by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1972, is


now an elective in the Maharishi Vedic Science department. Students have responded that the 

new course gives them a satisfying understanding of Maharishi’s place in contemporary 

thought. 

4. The challenge of small majors – Although small class size and a low faculty-to-student ratio 

is a positive feature, upper-division courses in education, literature, Maharishi Vedic Science, 

mathematics and computer science tend to have less than 10 students and lack a sense of 

critical mass. 

Response – The education major should have a great potential, due to the extraordinary 

quality of personal development and training in educational methods that our majors receive. 

Literature has some marvelous faculty who deserve more students, and as overall enrollment 

increases, they will pick up additional majors. Mathematics is small at most universities, and 

it is smaller here due to the general weakness in math and science that we see in our entering 

students. Literature and mathematics, at most universities, sustain themselves not on their 

majors but on the freshman English and math courses that are required of all students and 

thus generate large enrollments. The same will be true of MUM. The Maharishi Vedic 

Science department attracts a small but steady flow of majors and will also be sustained by 

the general education courses it teaches, the Science and Technology of Consciousness and 

Higher States of Consciousness.


G R A D U A T E P R O G R A M S 

• Fred Travis, PhD, Dean of Graduate Studies (x3309 or 472-1600) 

MASTER’S PROGRAMS 

We have four active master’s degree programs — Computer Science (MS), Education (MAT), 

Maharishi Vedic Science (MA), and Management (MBA). 

All graduate programs are administered by their home departments under the rules 

established by the Graduate Committee, chaired by the Dean of Graduate Studies. The Graduate 

Committee meets bimonthly to consider issues pertaining to the master’s and doctoral programs. 

Master’s programs typically teach marketable skills along with an understanding of the deep 

principles operating in each discipline. Following market forces, two master’s programs have 

expanded in the last five years, the Computer Science Co-op program (known as the Computer 

Professionals or Compro program) and the Accounting Professionals MBA program. 

M.S. IN COM PUT ER SC IEN CE 

In 1997, the Computer Science faculty organized a co-op program for students to earn an M.S. 

degree in computer science by studying on campus for 8-9 months and then taking practicum 

under Curricular Practical Training for up to two years while completing the degree by distance 

education. This program is known as the Computer Professionals program, or Compro. The first 

students were placed in 

entrepreneurial firms in 

Fairfield. As the 

program expanded they 

were placed outside 

Fairfield at such firms 

as IBM, Microsoft, and 

Cisco Systems. Now, 

the program admits a 

cohort of 30-60 students 

three times each year. In the Spring 2009 semester, there were 93 students on campus and 490 in 

distance education. Almost all students in the program are foreign nationals. Calendar-year 

admissions data are shown at right. 

The Computer Science department upholds the University’s mission of promoting holistic 

development, academic excellence, original research, and service to society. The mission of the


Computer Professionals Program is to provide a full education in the principles of Computer 

Science and the skills of the computing industry, to enable young professionals who enter the 

program to be highly successful software engineers; to be leaders in their fields with the ability to 

make lasting contributions to the industry; and to lead fulfilling lives as a natural consequence of 

the life-managing skills they acquire through the MUM Consciousness-Based approach to 

education. 

The program is aligned with the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) guidelines for 

a general M.S. C.S. program that prepares students for work in various careers as a computer 

professional. While our current emphasis is on the career track, several students have gone on to 

enroll in PhD programs. The curriculum prepares students for a career path as computer science 

professionals that design and implement software systems. In addition to the knowledge and 

experience in computer science, the students in our program gain professional work skills (for 

example, teamwork, communication, and analytic skills) and strengthen more subtle character 

traits such as a developing a strong work ethic and building self-confidence. 

The goals of the program are achieved through the specific courses taken in the program and 

through an ongoing noncredit seminar that prepares students for job interviews and for the 

American workplace. The program is designed around the following assessable outcomes: 

1. Software engineering — In the Software Engineering, Advanced Software Development, and 

Distributed Computing courses, 30-50% of the student’s grade (directly and indirectly) is 

based on lab assignments and/or software projects requiring programming experience. During 

their practicum, students self-assess the relevance of their coursework to their on-the-job 

activities. Also, during job interviews with employers, students are routinely examined on 

their software development skills, so success in hiring is an indirect measure of how well 

students meet this objective. 

2. Teamwork and communication — Students will be able to work independently and in 

various roles on a software development team, as a member and a leader, demonstrating good 

communication skills in written and spoken forms. The Software Engineering course 

emphasizes developing skills in working in a team environment. The Advanced Software 

Development course emphasizes design and implementation. 

3. Learning new technologies — Students will demonstrate an understanding of the necessity 

of learning new technologies to maintain their professional status, and the ability to learn new 

technologies by researching appropriate knowledge sources. Students must demonstrate the 

ability to implement computer programs in a variety of different languages across the 

different programming paradigms. All of our students learn object-oriented programming and 

the Java programming language. The majority of students also take courses that use the C# 

language. About half take a course requiring them to use a functional programming language.


4. Critical thinking and problem solving — Students will be able to demonstrate critical 

thinking and analysis, creative problem solving, the ability to work in novel and unstructured 

problem areas. The courses with a principal focus in this area are Advanced Programming 

Languages and Computer Algorithms. The Database Management and Software Engineering 

courses require students to demonstrate the ability to analyze an unstructured problem 

description and structure it for implementation in a computing system. 

5. Professionalism – Students should exhibit a high degree of professionalism in behavior, 

expression (written and spoken), and appearance. Students self-evaluate and faculty also 

evaluate students using our Professional Etiquette report during each course. In the Software 

Engineering course, they are evaluated for their ability to work together on a group project 

laboratory. 

6. Healthy daily routine – Students should develop and stabilize the understanding and 

practice of an ideal daily routine as the basis of maximum success in life. This is indicated 

largely by the student’s practice of the group meditation program while at MUM and of their 

individual Transcendental Meditation program while in practicum. 

One overall measure of the program’s success is that students, upon finishing their oncampus 

study, should be able to find practicum employment in the area they are suited for, in a 

timely manner, at a level appropriate to their experience and education, and at a salary that 

permits them to repay their student loans by the time they graduate. Another overall measure is 

the graduation rate from the program. 

The program has been successful in fulfilling its goals for student learning. The program 

teaches toward its goals through specific courses, so students’ grades in those courses are a 

measure of student learning. In the Software Engineering course, that measures skill in software 

engineering as well as teamwork and communication skills, only 24% of the students received the 

unsatisfactory grade of B– or lower. All students demonstrated their ability to learn new 

technologies earning a grade of B or better in Modern Programming Practices, where the Java 

programming language is taught. In regard to the healthy lifestyle through the practice of the 

Transcendental Meditation technique, only 15% of the students earned a C or lower in their TM 

practice. 

In the overall measure of job placement, for the cohorts that left campus in May 2007, 

October 2007, and February 2008, the median time to be placed in a practicum job was just 9 

weeks, and the average starting salary was $73,000. The October 2008 and February 2009 cohorts 

took longer to place, averaging 12 weeks and with an average salary of $65,000. About 95% of 

the students in the program obtain a job in the U.S.. For the cohorts that began the program in 

2001-2005, the four-year graduation rate was 73%. 

The faculty are now looking at grading standards and levels, because some courses seem to 

have inflated grades (all A’s), and in a few other cases there are enough NC/W grades that they


need to look at issues and improvements. Comparisons of on-campus with DE courses also 

indicate situations where the faculty might look into strengthening the DE course delivery and 

content to compensate for the lack of in-class interactions. 

Overall, the University is very satisfied with the M.S. in Computer Science. Many of the top 

computer firms in the U.S. have hired our graduates regularly, including Microsoft and Google. 

Though placements were delayed and enrollment sagged somewhat during the 2001 dot-com 

crash, they recovered very well in the years afterward, so they are expected to do so again after 

the current recession. 

MASTE R OF ARTS IN TE ACH ING (MAT) 

The Teacher Education Program at MUM offers either the BA in Education or the Master of Arts 

in Teaching (MAT) according to the level of the student’s prior education. The program is the 

same for both groups. Please refer to the BA program description for an account of the student 

learning outcomes measures and assessment results. 

MASTE R OF BUSI NESS AD MIN IS TRAT IO N (MB A) 

The mission of the Department of Management is to provide students with the knowledge and 

skills they need to help conceive, design, organize, and operate organizations that are 

ecologically, economically, socially, and spiritually in accord with Natural Law. The department 

conducts three tracks of its MBA program: 

• full-time students take two years for non-majors and one year (42 semester hours) for business 

majors, 

• evening/weekend students study at a half-time rate and get some practicum credit associated 

with their work, typically completing the program in three years or less 

• the MBA for Accounting Professionals (AccMBA) is a cohort-style track for foreign nationals 

who have at least three years of experience in accounting or finance. They study on campus 

for 7 months and then, like the students in the M.S. in Computer Science, seek employment in 

the U.S. and complete their degree by distance education while engaged in Curricular Practical 

Training. The AccMBA program has its own assessment plan. 

We begin with a discussion of the plan for the regular and evening/weekend MBA. The first 

year of the MBA is nearly identical to the undergraduate major year, covering the foundational 

subjects in business. In 2005, the faculty focused the second year of the MBA on the theme of 

business process improvement. The BPI sequence consisted of five four-credit courses: 

operations management, statistics, quality management, and a two-course sequence on business


process improvement that ends in a project course. The Performance Improvement Project at the 

end of that sequence is the summative experience from which the faculty can assess student 

learning outcomes in the program. 

In 2007, the Director of Admissions noted a great interest in sustainable business and 

suggested the faculty extend the spirit of an existing course “Managing for Sustainability” and 

recast the program as an MBA in Sustainable Business. This attracted many more applicants to 

the program, but they were not strong in the statistical thinking necessary for managing quality 

and modeling business processes, so the BPI sequence was refocused around “lean” management. 

As of 2009, the BPI sequence remains the summative experience of the MBA program, but the 

faculty are preparing new concentrations of at least 10 credits each on topics such as Green 

Business, Communications & Media, and some traditional fields such as finance or marketing, 

which will be offered according to demand. 

The 13 students who took the BPI sequence in 2008 wrote papers on six projects that 

included as clients the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center, Fairfield School District (conversion 

of busses to biodiesel), the MUM Compro program, and start-ups in vermi-composting, organic 

farming, and biodiesel. The professor taught the course as a consultant to the students in what 

might be described as a “pull” system of knowledge transmission rather than the traditional 

lectured “push” system. His summative evaluation of the students’ projects was to report that all 

students got an A in the course. Though a rubric to evaluate the projects was subsequently 

developed, the 2008 report on the project course did not relate the projects’ characteristics to the 

attributes in the rubric nor to the goals of the MBA program, so assessment in the MBA program 

is still a work in progress. 

The Accounting MBA program is designed for foreign accountants to get general 

management training on campus and to become certified as a public accountant (CPA) or 

management accountant (CMA) through part-time study at a distance from campus during their 

two-year practicum. Thus, the objectives for student learning can be assessed through an 

integrative project while on campus and by taking the four parts of the CPA or CMA exam while 

off campus. The integrative project in the Accounting MBA has taken various forms over time. A 

business simulation (the Foundation simulation from Capsim) is effective as a test of students’ 

ability to think across the business functions and to work in teams. So is a strategic planning 

research project in the course Industry Analysis for Strategic Planning. More recently, we have 

had students take a course in business process modeling that ends with a two-week project. As 

with the Compro program, the speed and success of placing students into jobs after their oncampus 

study are also measures of the program’s success. Students’ performance in a mock job 

interview, evaluated using a locally created rubric, is also a measure of the success of the 

program. 

The first seven batches of Accounting MBA students, admitted between October 2005 and 

January 2008 had median placement times of between 69 days and 105 days, averaging 91 days.


However, due to the recession and the slowdown in the job market, the August 2008 batch has 

had greater difficulty, with only 20% of the students getting jobs even ten months later. 

The graduation rate for the Accounting MBA program has been quite high. Three batches 

have passed or almost reached three years since they started the program. Of these 57 students, 

82% have earned their MBA degree. 

MAHA RIS HI VE DIC SCIE NCE (M.A.) 

The Master of Arts program in Maharishi Vedic Science is offered in two tracks, a full-time 

program of one year and an evening/weekend program of 2-3 years. The table below presents the 

number of students in the fulltime and non-standard Masters program and the number of students 

graduating with a MA in MVS over the last three years. 

The 2008 assessment report 

indicated that full-time students 

were excited about their growth of 

knowledge and experience during 

the program, as expressed in focus 

group at the end with Dr. Egenes. 

They described growing 

experiences of higher levels of human development. Students in the internship program were also 

pleased with the holistic growth they are experiencing, particularly growth of consciousness. 

Both groups have achieved a good understanding of the fundamental principles of Maharishi 

Vedic Science along with the key research findings on its technologies. Both groups have 

achieved the objective of reading Sanskrit in the original Devanagiri script (they read together 

every class). Overall, their appreciation of Maharishi Vedic Science is excellent. All students 

have learned the advanced TM-Sidhi program, and they reported major transformations in inner 

experience of growth of consciousness. 

Regarding presentation skills, the faculty felt the full-time students would benefit from 

further training in sequencing a presentation and using PowerPoint. These issues will be 

addressed this coming year. 

Of the 2008 graduating class, one student became a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation 

technique, two others are taking the PhD in MVS, and another has gone on to a professional 

graduate school to apply the knowledge she gained in our program. 

DOCTORAL PROGRAMS 

Year 

Ending 

Masters 

Fulltime 

We have active doctoral programs in Management and Maharishi Vedic Science and have 

continued the PhD in physiology as a special research program. 

Masters 

Non-standard 

Graduated 

2008 8 17 8 

2007 7 15 9 

2006 5 18 12


As described in Part III of this document, our research function is concentrated in the 

graduate departments offering the PhD degree. The Maharishi Vedic Science department has 

produced a slow but steady flow of doctoral graduates whose work has brought out new 

knowledge about the Vedic literature and about the practical applications of the Transcendental 

Meditation program, and in this the program is achieving its purpose. 

Maharishi Vedic Science doctoral graduates over the past ten years have served in various 

positions at MUM. Three have served in administrative positions (one as Executive Vice- 

President, two as Dean of Men). Five have served as faculty (two in the Physiology and Health 

department, three in Maharishi Vedic Science). One is the director of our Film and Tape Library 

and has responsibility for developing and updating the web site for Vedic literature, with over 

60,000 pages, the largest in the world). A number have served as faculty at sister institutions, 

including Maharishi School (the current director), Maharishi University of Enlightenment (3), 

Maharishi Open University (1), as well as at other colleges (1 faculty). Two have gone into 

business. 

Expectations of the Graduate Committee for the doctoral programs 

The Graduate Committee expects the doctoral programs to train individuals who can extend the 

frontier of knowledge using the methodologies of research appropriate to their field. The 

Graduate Committee expects each doctoral program to be staffed by an adequate number of 

productive scholars and to admit students qualified to complete both coursework and research. 

Though some of the graduates may go into professional rather than academic fields, all are 

expected in their dissertation to make an original contribution to knowledge that is publishable 

according to the standards of their field. 

Assessment of the doctoral programs 

In a successful doctoral program, a sufficiently large percentage of the students should complete 

their degrees, publish their 

Doctoral Admitted Finished Continuing Left the 

research, and secure 

Enrollment 1996-03 by 2009 

program 

employment consistent with 

Management 17 2 0 15 

their training and personal 

interests. 

Maharishi 

28 7 5 16 

Doctoral study requires a Vedic Science 

special combination of Physiology 41 3 2 36 

persistence and ingenuity, so it 

is not unusual nationally for only about half of the doctoral students in an entering cohort to finish 

their degree. The table above shows the enrollment flows of the three doctoral programs active 

during the 2000s. All three doctoral programs show completion rates that are much lower than


desired and that are lower than what was reported in the 1999 self-study for the period a decade 

earlier. Though some students left with master’s degrees instead of staying on for the doctorate, 

the overall rate of persistence and graduation are a concern to be addressed. 

PhD IN MAH ARIS HI VEDI C SCI E NCE 

The PhD program provides more extensive exploration of inner pure consciousness through 

longer practice of the TM and TM-Sidhi programs and extended periods of reading Vedic 

literature. The PhD program also includes deeper 

intellectual analysis of five keys areas in 

Maharishi Vedic Science: 1) principles of 

Maharishi Vedic Science, 2) Veda and Vedic 

Literature with an emphasis on Vedanta, 3) Veda 

and Vedic Literature as reflected in human 

physiology, 4) research in EEG, brain and 

enlightenment, and 5) applying Maharishi Vedic Science programs to society. Each of these 

points is examined in a two-month course that uses a seminar format for students to deeply 

explore and to own these principles. The table at right presents the number of students in the PhD 

program in Maharishi Vedic Science and the number of students graduating with a PhD over the 

last three years. 

The goals for student learning in the PhD in MVS are the same as those for the master’s 

degree: holistic personal development, reading the Vedic literature, understanding and 

appreciating the concepts and principles of Maharishi Vedic Science, understanding key research 

findings, oral presentation skills, and career preparation. 

Understanding research and the ability to do research are, of course, emphasized more in the 

doctoral program than in the master’s. In their 2008 assessment report, the faculty concluded that 

PhD students performed well on research during the class work time, when they were guided in 

what to read by the class assignments. But many students had difficulty writing an original 

dissertation proposal. All students had a one-month seminar on the philosophy of science 

followed by three months to write their proposal. In 2007-2008, one student did very well; two 

others produced adequate but not “A” work; two others are still working on their proposals. The 

faculty suggested that the written proposal be clearly linked to the Philosophy of Science seminar 

and that students write the proposal in close communication with a Maharishi Vedic Science 

professor to accomplish this. 

Academic 

Year 

End 

PhD 

students 

enrolled 

The following table summarizes the career paths of the graduates over the past 7 years. 

Graduated 

with PhD in 

MVS 

2008 10 1 

2007 6 1 

2006 7 1


Year Graduate Career path 

2002 Craig Pearson Executive Vice-President of MUM, author of two major books, 

one on Yogic Flying, the other on higher states of consciousness 

2002 Graham de Freitas Faculty in the MVS department for 5 years, currently an 

international administrative leader for the TM organization 

2004 Tina McQuiston Instructor at Maharishi University of Enlightenment 

2004 Patricia Oates Faculty member in the MVS department, also teaches at 

Maharishi University of Enlightenment 

2004 David Pohlman Served as MUM Dean of Men for 5 years, now currently 

Assistant Professor in the MVS department 

2004 Keith Wegman Health consultant and administrator, teaches courses on Sanskrit 

to the general public 

2005 Evan Finkelstein Assistant professor in the MVS department 

2006 Peter Freund MUM Tape Librarian, continues to develop more pages for the 

Vedic reserve, which now has over 60,000 pages of Vedic 

Literature text in Devanagari script. 

2007 Lynwood King Worked at a Washington, DC, school project and now is Dean 

of Men at MUM in Fairfield 

2008 Susan Brown Served as Director of the MUM Evaluation Office, now 

Assistant professor in the MVS department while continuing to 

consult on evaluation 

PhD IN MAN AG EME NT 

We have had a doctoral program in Management since 1982. The program has been graduating 

about 1 person per year. However, since 2004, the program has admitted approximately 4 

students per year. There are presently 11 active in the program. 

The doctoral program is designed to prepare students for careers as professors, consultants, or 

researchers. The focus of the curriculum is on transforming the performance of individuals and 

organizations. Today, developing and utilizing human potential is widely recognized as the 

cornerstone of corporate transformation and economic development. Maharishi University of 

Management is an ideal place to learn how to unfold full human potential and create and study 

the transformation of organizations. The focus of the PhD is on topics typically located in a 

Department of Management in a business school: human resource management, organizational 

behavior, and business strategy.


The PhD program prepares each student to conduct original and significant research through 

courses in research methods and statistics. Students in the PhD program are trained in principles 

and practices for successful college teaching and corporate education. The doctoral course work 

consists of a PhD Core of 5 courses (20 units) covering organizational behavior, human resource 

management, performance evaluation, organizational excellence, and management theory. The 

required Research Methods Core is 5 courses (20 units) plus 6 units of seminars in teaching, 

writing and research. An advanced seminar of 6 units is also taken by all doctoral students. 

During their fourth semester, the student has the optional opportunity to take electives in business 

graduate courses that support the student’s academic and research goals. 

The effectiveness of the PhD program in management is assessed at the key evaluation points 

in a student’s progress: the comprehensive exam, the qualifying exam, the dissertation proposal 

defense, and the dissertation defense. No exams were given in 2007. The students taking 

comprehensive exams in 2008 and 2009 were evaluated in four areas: scholarly review of the 

literature on a topic, mastery of topics from doctoral course work, ability to critique a research 

study, and ability to deliver a lesson. All students taking these exams in 2008 and 2009 were rated 

between 6 and 7 on a 1-7 performance scale. 

Doctoral students gave presentations at the 2007 annual MBAA International conference in 

Chicago. Edi Shivaji presented his research proposal on “Outsourcing and Stress: The Role of the 

Transcendental Meditation program.” Wendy Wu Sanchez had a paper presented on her behalf 

titled “The Impact of Consumer Behavior on the Greening of the Environment in Taiwan.” Shih- 

Ming Huang spoke about sustainable building and ecological design as part of a panel on 

“Sustainable Living and Development.” And Sabita Sawhney also represented the University in a 

session on “Information Value of Secondary Statistics.” 

The assessment of student learning outcomes continues to drive change in the PhD program. 

In 2005, a review of assessment results on the research critique comp question showed that more 

practice in the skills of scholarly research needed to be built into the program. The faculty then 

created an evaluation rubric for critiques to be used in the courses Experimental Research 

Methods, Qualitative Research, and Research Practicum to provide students with opportunities 

for practice with feedback. Another suggested improvement concerned writing: Higher standards 

of writing were used in the admission process. In 2006, the faculty determined students would 

benefit from more experience with designing, writing, and critiquing research before attempting 

their own dissertations. 

By 2007, students were getting this experience, leading to greater success in the 

comprehensive exam. Students were also thinking about designing their own research, 

particularly in the two courses on research methods. Students’ training for critiquing and 

designing research was advanced through attendance at presentations by other PhD students who 

were defending a research prospectus or dissertation. Students were encouraged to attend 

academic conferences, such as Midwest Academy of Management, in order to see scholarly


research presentations and to gain resources to inform their own research, and in the fall of 2008 

two faculty and three advanced PhD students gave presentations at the Midwest Academy of 

Management conference, and two new PhD students attended. 

In 2008-2009 two curricular changes were implemented based on reviews of student 

performance. The department 

• Added a third required statistics course called Causal Inference in Non-Experimental Designs. 

This was added because our recent graduates needed additional statistical tools for their 

dissertations and had to be coached individually during their dissertation research. 

• Eliminated three required courses in which the PhD program had overlapped with advanced 

MBA level courses. These were Business Process Improvement 1 and 2, and Leadership. 

These courses were substituted by a requirement of 6 units of Advanced Seminar in 

Management, topics chosen by the students and faculty. 

Starting in 2010, dissertations will be required to include an article length (20-30 doublespaced 

pages) summary of the research. The purpose of this requirement is to give students 

momentum toward getting published. It also gives them the experience of writing their literature 

review, methods, findings, and discussion in more concise and synthesized form. 

During the prospectus and research stages, PhD students will have more frequent 

opportunities to present research ideas to each other through a monthly seminar. 

An overall measure of the effectiveness of the program is the career and publication record of 

the PhD graduate. Most of our graduates go into teaching at colleges or universities, and some are 

successful in publishing their research within a few years of their graduation, as the table below 

shows.


Year Graduate Dissertation Topic Next career step 

2009 Shih-Ming 

Huang 

2008 Pei-Chun 

(Petrina) 

Feng 

2006 Jiangning 

Zhao 

2004 Gareth 

Wallace 

2003 Richard 

Thompson 

2000 Bruce 

McCollum 

“Perceived health and indoor 

environmental quality in greencertified 

and non-green buildings 

in a public organization 

in Taiwan” 

“An empirical study of CPAs’ 

moral development, ethical 

evaluation and ethical intention: A 

selected group of Taiwanese 

CPAs” 

“The impact of environmental 

management on the corporate 

bottom line: An empirical study on 

the relationship between 

ISO-14001 EMS and corporate 

financial performance,” published 

in the International Journal of 

Business Excellence, 1:1/2, 210- 

230. 

“Development economics based on 

natural law: a comprehensive 

solution to the five faces of 

poverty through the principles of 

Maharishi’s program to eliminate 

poverty in the world” 

“Cultural aspects of success in 

strategic, international distance 

education collaborations in the 

Caribbean” 

“Self-development and the 

spontaneous expression of 

leadership behaviors” 

Assistant Professor at Diwan 

University and at Chia Nan 

University of Pharmacy and 

Science (part-time), Taiwan 

Assistant Professor, Nanhua 

University, Department of 

Accounting & Information 

Sciences, Taiwan 

Associate Professor of 

Management, Oregon Institute of 

Technology 

Director of project monitoring 

for the international TM 

organization 

Assistant Professor of Business 

Administration, Maharishi 

University of Management 

Assistant Professor of Business 

Administration, Maharishi 

University of Management


PhD IN PHYS IOL OG Y 

Students in this program conduct original research on the physiological effects of the 

Transcendental Meditation program, Maharishi Ayurveda herbal products, Maharishi Vedic 

Vibration Technology, or other aspects of Maharishi’s programs for 

development of consciousness and health. Research may be conducted 

on the cardiovascular system, the main interest area of the Institute for 

Natural Medicine and Prevention or any other physiology parameters for 

which the student has expertise, subject to faculty approval. 

Students were admitted to the PhD irregularly in the last decade. 

Admission often depends on department faculty having research grants 

to support doctoral students. In 2007, Robert Schneider, MD, received 

another NIH grant, this time for $2.7 million, to study the mechanisms 

by which the Transcendental Meditation program reduces hypertension 

in African-Americans, and that enabled the department to take a couple of new students in 2008- 

2009. The record of recent admissions to the program is shown in the table above. 

Year 

2000 4 

2001 8 

2002 1 

2003 1 

2008 1 

Recent graduates have gone either into teaching or health-related practice or consulting. 

New PhD 

students 

2009 1 

Grad 

Year 

Name Dissertation topic Current work 

2009 Paul Morehead 

2007 Mark Toomey 

2004 

Erika Vivier 

Crotta 

“Prevention of cardiovascular 

disease in Maharishi Ayur-Veda 

participants: A cross-sectional 

study of carotid atherosclerosis” 

“The effects of the 

Transcendental Meditation 

program on carotid 

atherosclerosis and 

cardiovascular disease risk 

factors in Native Hawaiians” 

“Effects of a multimodal 

approach of Maharishi 

Consciousness-Based health 

care on carotid atherosclerosis: 

A study of coronary artery 

disease patients” 

Assistant Professor 

of Physiology and 

Health at MUM 

Health educator 

Health practitioner 

We are examining persistence and graduation rates. Of the 11 students admitted in 1999, two 

have completed the Ph.D. Of the 12 admitted in 2000 and 2001, none have graduated, and one is 

continuing. We intend to have a completion rate of at least 40%, as we had 10 years ago, so this 

matter requires further study.


STREN GT HS AND CHA LLE NG ES 

IN GR ADU ATE EDU CAT ION 

STRENGTHS 

1. Topical study – The subject of mind-body research has come of age in the past few decades, 

so research on the effects of the Transcendental Meditation program is more easy to fund, 

conduct, and to publish. 

2. Publications, presentation, and exhibitions – The research-oriented faculty support the 

doctoral programs. In the period 2000-2009, the faculty of MUM generated numerous 

publications and conference presentations in the fields of cardiology, EEG, and management. 

(Please refer to the Scholarship of Discovery in the following section on Scholarship at 

MUM.) 

3. Grant support – During the 2000-2009 period, faculty brought to the University 18 research 

grants and contracts for a total of $7.1 million. (Please refer to the Scholarship of Discovery 

in the following section on Scholarship at MUM.) 

4. Innovative Master’s Programs – The two “co-op” master’s programs, the M.S. in Computer 

Science and the MBA for Accounting Professionals, have an innovative structure that allows 

students to earn a degree studying part-time and working part-time in a paid internship. 


1. Doctoral program in Management – Doctoral training became more competitive (some 

would say “anti-competitive”) in the past decade when the dominant accrediting body 

AACSB began encouraging its members not to hire faculty from doctoral programs that are 

not AACSB-accredited. Thus, MUM admitted one doctoral student in management who had 

been an instructor at Western Illinois University, but the student was told by WIU that if she 

took a PhD from MUM, she would not be allowed back on the faculty of WIU, because 

MUM is not accredited by AACSB. 

Response – In the 1990s, the Business Administration faculty looked into the possibility of 

AACSB accreditation, but the AACSB seemed to target only large institutions. They required 

at least 2 PhD faculty in each of 6 business disciplines as a condition of membership. As a 

result, in the last decade, MUM took accreditation with the secondary accrediting body, the 

International Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (IACBE). We will raise the subject 

of anti-competitive practices with IACBE to see if that body can influence the higher 

education community in its favor.


2. Doctoral program in Physiology – The current doctoral program has a tutorial form and 

admits students who are supported by research grants. The department has therefore admitted 

only two students in the past three years and thus does not teach formal courses. 

Response – The Graduate Committee will look into the content and form of instruction in the 

PhD program in Physiology to determine whether the program can effectively fulfill its 

educational purposes. 

3. Persistence and Degree Completion Rates in Doctoral Programs – Each of the three 

doctoral programs shows completion rates that are substantially below what they were a 

decade ago. Looking at the students admitted in the decade 1996-03, Management completed 

2 of 17 (12%), Maharishi Vedic Science completed 7 of 28 (25%) and has 5 continuing and 

likely to finish, so their graduation rate will be 43% if all complete their degree, which is 

satisfactory. Physiology completed 3 of 41 (7.5%) and has 2 continuing, so they would 

achieve a 12.5% graduation rate from those cohorts if these last two finish. The figures for 

management and physiology indicate a problem either in admissions, or in financial aid, 

instruction, or guidance at the proposal and research stage. 

Response – The Physiology Ph.D. had a particularly low persistence rate due to students 

registering for the Ph.D. program when their intention was first to get a masters degree and 

then perhaps go on for the Ph.D. Many of those who left the program had taken a masters in 

the process. Nevertheless, Graduate Committee will look into the admissions practices of the 

physiology and management programs as well as the practices and policies for advancing 

students to candidate, researcher and graduate status. 

4. Faculty time for research – With the increased teaching loads of the last decade, and the 

decrease in funded research compared to the 1990s, it has been more difficult for the faculty 

to keep up a program of original research. The emphasis has shifted toward the scholarship of 

teaching. The graduate faculty need more time for research and scholarly activities 

appropriate to each discipline, but the available resources do not support it. 

Response – This poses a significant strategic question for the Dean of Graduate Studies to 

consider with the graduate faculty. A doctoral program should have at least 2-3 strong, active 

researchers to serve as role models and guides to the doctoral students. The doctoral program 

in Maharishi Vedic Science depends less on that type of scholarship, but the doctoral program 

in management clearly requires active researchers.


SC H O LA R S H I P 

• Fred Travis, PhD, Dean of Graduate Studies (x3309 or 472-1600) 

THE CHAN GIN G RO LE OF RESE ARCH 

AT MA HAR ISHI UNI VERS ITY OF MANA GEM ENT 

Forty years ago, the very idea that a practice of meditation could have significant physiological 

effects was a controversial concept. It was not a trivial matter for Dr. Keith Wallace, later the 

founding president of MUM, to publish the pathbreaking research on the physiological effects of 

the Transcendental Meditation program in Science (1970), the American Journal of Physiology 

(1971) and Scientific American (1972). 

These studies set in motion a program of research that has been carried out all over the world 

since then. To date 600 scientific research students have been conducted. Together, these studies 

show there are measurable, beneficial effects of the Transcendental Meditation program to mind, 

body, and behavior. Many of the results have been unprecedented. Maharishi University of 

Management has been a center of this research. 

By the 1990s, it was an established fact that “meditation” has beneficial effects on mind and 

body. And though some researchers on other meditation techniques would cite research on the 

Transcendental Meditation program as evidence of a hypothesized benefit from any type of 

meditation, there was enough recognition of the specificity of Transcendental Meditation research 

that the National Institutes of Health began to fund multi-million dollar randomized controlled 

studies on the technique. 

In particular, these studies looked at the application of the Transcendental Meditation 

program to medical problems such as heart disease and its risk factors. In 1999, we reached an 

important milestone on the road to the goal of recognition as a major contributor of new 

knowledge to society when MUM was granted $8 million by the National Institutes of Health to 

create a Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention. The award of this grant and the creation of 

this national center for research — one of nine in the U.S. — honored the University’s 

contribution to research on alternative methods of health promotion over the previous two 

decades. 

As the U.S. government began, appropriately, to fund research on the Transcendental 

Meditation program, we felt we had less of a responsibility to continue funding such expensive 

research. That, and the financial pressures of the 1990s that led to higher teaching loads at MUM 

in the last decade, led the faculty to focus their research on externally funded topics.


That said, as the leading institution for Consciousness-Based education in the western 

hemisphere, Maharishi University of Management has the responsibility to validate this system of 

education in a publicly acceptable manner. Though the research programs of individual faculty 

members may differ, we encourage research on the nature and character of the unified field of 

natural law, on the individual and collective effects of the Transcendental Meditation and TM- 

Sidhi programs, and on the Maharishi Consciousness-Based Approach to Health. 

The Graduate Committee supports the University’s program of research focused around 

understanding and promoting advanced stages of human development. Though the faculty are 

free to pursue their own research programs, the special focus of research at the University may be 

expressed in the following statement suggested by the Graduate Committee: 

Research at Maharishi University of Management probes a new approach to knowledge, 

which we believe will be the guiding structure for research in the future. This view models nature 

as being fundamentally unified at its source, includes technologies from the Vedic tradition to 

directly contact this unified source of life, and applies this unified field to all areas of individual 

and collective health and behavior. 

SCHOL AR LY PR OD UCT IVI TY OF 

FACU LT Y AND STUD ENTS 

As an institution of higher education involved in the creation and dissemination of knowledge, 

We assess our progress using the four aspects of scholarship first articulated by Ernest Boyer in 

his 1990 paper, “The Priorities of the Professoriate.” These are: 

(1) Scholarship of Discovery — original research on topics and methods of scientific inquiry 

(2) Scholarship of Teaching and Learning — the organization of ideas into curricular materials 

that support effective learning and the development of assessment tools to validate learning 

(3) Scholarship of Integration — finding patterns among ideas and expressing them in review 

articles, edited collections, and organized conferences 

(4) Scholarship of Application — documenting how knowledge is put to practical use and how 

effective it is in that use. 

One measure of the promise and peer recognition of University faculty research is the support 

it has received in grants. 

(1) SCHOLARSHIP OF DISCOVERY 2000–2009 

Maharishi University of Management has pioneered several important streams of research, and 

this contribution of new knowledge to society has been an important activity on campus. Since


the early 1990s, we have received more than $24 million in grant funding to support institutional 

development and research. Seven grants were in excess of $1,000,000 and funded projects in two 

major areas: natural medicine including research on the Transcendental Meditation program and 

the modalities of the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health, and molecular biology. Eighteen 

grants of at least $100,000 each were received by eight faculty members for projects including 

molecular biology, alternative medicine, psychology, and math education. Nine other grants 

exceeded $50,000 and supported work including alternative medicine and criminal rehabilitation. 

Four areas of research brought national attention to the University. One is the work of Dr. 

Robert Schneider’s group on the medical effects of the Transcendental Meditation technique and 

the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health, particularly in the area of cardiovascular health. Two 

other are interdisciplinary research endeavors probing individual and societal effects of group 

practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs. One involves studying growth 

of advanced stages of human development. The other is investigating the effect of group practice 

of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs on indicators of social quality of life. 

In 1998, the National Institutes of Health established a Center for Natural Medicine and 

Prevention at MUM under the direction of Robert Schneider, M.D. Dr. Schneider and his team 

have received more than $20 million in research grants. The Center for Natural Medicine and 

Prevention has published its results on the medical benefits of the practice of the Transcendental 

Meditation technique in Hypertension (a journal of the American Heart Association), Ethnicity 

and Disease, Stroke, Archives of Internal Medicine, American Journal of Cardiology, Journal of 

Social Behavior and Personality, Cardiology in Review, Behavioral Medicine, Journal of Aging 

and Health, American Journal of Health Promotion, and others. 

In 2005, an independent non-profit research institute, Maharishi University of Management 

Research Institute, was established to conduct the scientific research that had previously been 

under the auspices of Maharishi University of Management. Previously, the University had 

operated under a waiver from the Office and Management and Budget (OMB) to allow a two-tier 

pay scale under which research faculty could work on grants and contracts at market wages even 

though their teaching was paid at a lower level. This waiver was revoked in 2004. The data on 

grants and contracts reported here include both MUM proper and MUMRI. 

PUBLICATIONS SUPPORTING THE SCHOLARSHIP OF DISCOVERY 

Publications by Dr. Robert Schneider and colleagues 

Many of the following published studies have received wide-scale media coverage in hundreds of 

newspaper, magazine articles, and television and radio shows: 

• Rainforth MV, Schneider RH, Nidich SI, King CG, Salerno JW, Anderson JW. Stress 

reduction programs in patients with elevated blood pressure: a systematic review and metaanalysis. 

Current Hypertension Reports 9:520–528, 2007.


• Jayadevappa R, Johnson J, Bloom B, Nidich S, Desa, S, Chhatre S, Razian, D, Schneider RH, 

Effectiveness of Transcendental Meditation on functional capacity and quality of life of 

African Americans with congestive heart failure: a randomized control study. Ethnicity and 

Disease, 17: 72-77, 2007. 

• Orme-Johnson DW, Schneider R, Son YD, Nidich S, Cho Z. Neuroimaging of meditation’s 

effect on brain reactivity to pain. NeuroReport, 17(12):1359-63, 2006. 

• Paul-Labrador M, Polk D, Dwyer JH, Velasquez I, Nidich SI, Rainforth M, Schneider RH, 

Bairey Merz CN. Effects of randomized controlled trial of Transcendental Meditation on 

components of the metabolic syndrome in subjects with coronary heart disease. Archives of 

Internal Medicine, 166:1218-1224, 2006. 

• Schneider RH, Walton KG, Salerno JW, Nidich SI. Cardiovascular disease prevention and 

health promotion with the Transcendental Meditation program and Maharishi Consciousness- 

Based Health Care. Ethnicity and Disease, 16(3 Suppl 4):S4-15-26, 2006. 

• Schneider RH, Alexander CN, Staggers F, Rainforth M, Salerno JW, Hartz A, Arndt S, Barnes 

VA, Nidich SI. Long-term effects of stress reduction on mortality in persons ≥ 55 years of age 

with systemic hypertension. American Journal of Cardiology, 95:1060-1064, 2005. 

• Schneider RH, Alexander CN, Staggers F, Orme-Johnson DW, Rainforth M, Salerno JW, 

Sheppard W, Castillo-Richmond A, Barnes VA, Nidich SI. A randomized controlled trial of 

stress reduction in African Americans treated for hypertension over one year. American 

Journal of Hypertension, 18:88-98, 2005. 

• Schneider, R., Alexander, C., Salerno, J., Rainforth, M. and Nidich, S. Stress reduction in the 

prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease in African Americans: A review of 

controlled research on the Transcendental Meditation program. Journal of Social Behavior and 

Personality, 2005. 17(1): p. 159-180. 

• Nidich, S.I., Schneider, R., Nidich, R.J., Foster, G., Sharma, H., Salerno, J.W., Goodman, R. 

and Alexander, C. Effect of the Transcendental Meditation program on intellectual 

development in community-dwelling older adults. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 

2005. 17(1): p. 217-228 

• Nidich, S.I., Nidich, R.J., Sands, D., Schneider, R.H., Sharma, H.M., Barnes, V.A., Jossang, S. 

and Smith, D.E. Maharishi Rejuvenation Program and speed of processing ability. Journal of 

Social Behavior and Personality, 2005. 17(1): p. 565-570 

• Walton, K.G., Fields, J.Z., Levitsky, D., Harris, D.A., Pugh, N.D. and Schneider, R. Lowering 

cortisol and CVD risk in postmenopausal women: a pilot study using the Transcendental


Meditation (TM) Program. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2004. 1032: p. 211- 

215 

• Walton KG, Schneider RH, Nidich S. Review of controlled clinical research on the 

Transcendental Meditation program and cardiovascular disease: Risk factors, morbidity, and 

mortality. Cardiology in Review, 12(5): 262-266, 2004. 

• Walton, K.G., R.H. Schneider, S.I. Nidich, J.W. Salerno, C.K. Nordstrom, and C.N. Bairey- 

Merz. Psychosocial stress and cardiovascular disease 2: Effectiveness of the Transcendental 

Meditation technique in treatment and prevention. Behavioral Medicine, 2002. 28(3): p. 106- 

123. 

• Fields, J.Z., Walton, K.W., Schneider, R.S., Nidich, S.I., Pomerantz, R., Suchdev, P., Castillo- 

Richmond, A., Payne, K., Clark, E.T., Rainforth, M. Effect of a Multimodality Natural 

Medicine Program on Carotid Atherosclerosis in Older Subjects: A Pilot Trial of Maharishi 

Consciousness-Based Health Care. American Journal of Cardiology Vol 89, (8), 952-958, 

April 15 2002. 

• Schneider RH, Alexander CN, Salerno J, Robinson DK, Fields JZ, Nidich SI. Disease 

prevention and health promotion in the aging with a traditional system of natural medicine: 

Maharishi Vedic Medicine. Journal of Aging and Health, 14(1): 57-78, 2002. 

• Schneider, R.H., Nidich, S.I., Salerno, J.W. “The Transcendental Meditation program: 

Reducing the risk of heart disease and mortality and improving quality of life in African 

Americans.” Ethnicity and Disease, vol 11(1), 159-160, Winter, 2001 

Publications by Dr. Fred Travis and colleagues 

• Travis, F. & Brown, S. (2009). My Brain Made Me Do It: Brain Maturation and Levels of 

Self-Development. In A.H. Pfaffenberger, P.W. Marko and T. Greening (Eds.) The 

Postconventional Personality: Perspectives on Higher Development. New York, Sage 

Publishing. 

• Travis, F.T. (2005) The Significance of Transcendental Consciousness for Addressing the 

“Hard” Problem of Consciousness, Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 16, 123-135. 

• Alexander, CN, Kurth, K., Travis, F, Alexander, V.K. (2005) Effect of Practice of The 

Children’s Transcendental Meditation Technique on Cognitive Stage Development: 

Acquisition and Consolidation of Conservation, Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 

16, 21-46. 

• Dixon, C., Dillbeck, M.C., Travis, F., Msemaje, H., Clayborne, B.M., Dillbeck, S.L., and 

Alexander, C.H. (2005). Accelerating Cognitive and Self Development: Longitudinal Studies


with Preschool and Elementary School Children. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 

16, 65-91. 

• Travis, F.T., Bonshek, A., Butler, V., Rainforth, M., Alexander, C.N., Khare, R., Lipman, J., 

(2005) Can a Building’s Orientation Affect the Quality of Life of the People Within Testing 

Principles of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda, Journal of Social Behavior and Personality. 

• Travis, F.T., Arenander, A. (2004) Psychological and physiological characteristics of a 

proposed object-referral/self-referral continuum of self-awareness. Consciousness and 

Cognition, 13/2, 401-420. 

• Heaton, D., Schmidt-Wilk, J., Travis, F.T. (2004). Constructs, methods, and measures for 

researching spirituality in organizations. Organizational Change Management, 17, 62-82. 

• Arenander, A, Travis, F.T. (2004). Brain patterns of Self-awareness. In B. Beitman and J. 

Nair, Eds. Self-Awareness Deficits. New York: W.W. Norton. 

• Travis, F.T., Arenander, A. (2004). EEG Asymmetry and Mindfulness Meditation. 

Psychosomatic Medicine, 66, 147-152. 

• Travis, F.T., Tecce, J., Arenander, A., Wallace, R.K. (2002). Patterns of EEG Coherence, 

Power, and Contingent Negative Variation Characterize the Integration of Transcendental and 

Waking States. Biological Psychology, 61, 293-319. 

• Travis, F.T., Tecce, J., Durchholz, C. (2001). Cortical Plasticity, CNV, and Transcendent 

Experiences: Replication with subjects reporting permanent transcendental experiences. 

Psychophysiology, 38, supplement: S95. 

• Travis, F.T., Olsen, T., Egenes, T., & Gupta, H.K. (2001). Physiological patterns during 

practice of the Transcendental Meditation Technique compared with patterns while reading 

Sanskrit and a modern language. International Journal of Neuroscience, 109, 71-80. 

• Travis, F.T. (2001). Autonomic and EEG patterns distinguish transcending from other 

experiences during Transcendental Meditation practice. International Journal of 

Psychophysiology, 42, 1-9. 

• Travis, F.T., Tecce, J.J., Guttman, J., (2001). Cortical Plasticity, Contingent Negative 

Variation, and Transcendent Experiences during Practice of the Transcendental Meditation 

Technique. Biological Psychology, 55, 41-55. 

• Travis, F.T. (2001) Transcendental Meditation Technique, Encyclopedia of Psychology and 

Neuroscience. 

• Travis, F.T. & Pearson, C. (2000). Distinct Phenomenological and Physiological Correlates of 

‘Consciousness Itself.’ International Journal of Neuroscience, 100, 77-89.


Publications by Dr. Dennis Heaton and colleagues 

• Heaton, D. (forthcoming). Transcendent experience and development of the postrepresentational 

Self. In A. Combs, A. Pfaffenberger, & P. W. Marko (Eds.). The 

postconventional personality: Perspectives on higher development. Albany, NY: SUNY Press. 

• Harung, H.S., Travis, F., Blank, W., & Heaton D. P. (in press). Higher development, brain 

integration, and excellence in leadership. Management Decision. 

• Heaton, D. P. & Kendz, S. (2008). Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s contribution to management 

thought: engaging the managing intelligence of Natural Law. 2008 Proceedings of the 

Midwest Academy of Management. 

• Heaton, D.P. (2008). An innovative model of management education for the poor: The South 

African experience. Journal of Management Education, 32 (6), 738-749. Special Issue: 

Management Education in the Context of Poverty. 

• Heaton, D.P., Schmidt-Wilk, J. and Nwoah, S. K. (2008). Training graduate students to be 

great teachers: Experiences and outcomes. Proceedings of the 35th OBTC: Teaching 

Conference for Management Educators, June 11-14, 2008, Babson College in Wellesley, MA. 

• Heaton, D. & Schmidt-Wilk, J. (2008) Leadership Development through Development of 

Consciousness. In G. Biberman and L. Tischler (Eds.). Spirituality in Business: Current 

Theory and Practice and Future Directions. London and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 

• Heaton, D.P. (2005). Harmonizing stability and change by enlivening creative intelligence. 

Management and Change (India). 

• Chandler, H.M., Alexander, C.N., & Heaton, D. P. (2005). Transcendental Meditation and 

postconventional self development: A 10-year longitudinal study. Journal of Social Behavior 

and Personality, 17, 93-121. 

• Steingard, D., Fitzgibbons, D., & Heaton, D. P. (2004). Exploring the frontiers of 

environmental management: A Natural Law based perspective. Journal of Human Values 

(India). 

• Heaton, D.P. (2004). Human Resource Practices to Enhance Employee and Customer 

Satisfaction. CSS&CSSI Forum. (China). 

• Heaton, D. P., Schmidt-Wilk, J. & Travis, F. (2004). Constructs, methods, and measures for 

researching spirituality in organizations. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 17 

(1), 62-82. Special Issue: Organizations and Spiritual Values. 

• Heaton, D.P. (2003). Assessing problem based learning in a business program. PBL Insight, 6 

(1). Available online at http://www.samford.edu/pbl/PBLInsight6/.


• Heaton, D.P. & Harung, H. S. (2001). Awakening creative intelligence for peak performance: 

Reviving an Asian tradition. In J. Kidd, Xue Li, and F.-J. Richter (Eds.), Human intelligence 

deployment in Asian business: The sixth generation project. London and New York: Palgrave. 

• Heaton, D. (2000). Holistic health for holistic management. In G. Biberman & M. Whitty 

(eds.) Work and Spirit: A Reader of New Spiritual Paradigms for Organizations. Scranton, 

PA: University of Scranton Press. 

Publications by Dr. Jane Schmidt-Wilk and colleagues 

• Schmidt-Wilk, J. and Fukami, C. (in press). Relevance With Rigor: Stories From the Journal 

of Management Education. In C. Wankel and R. DeFillippi (Eds.) Being and Becoming a 

Management Education Scholar, the. seventh volume in the Research in Management 

Education and Development series. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing. 

• Heaton, D. & Schmidt-Wilk, J. (2008). Leadership Development through Development of 

Consciousness. In G. Biberman and L. Tischler (Eds.). Spirituality in Business: Theory 

Practice and Future Direction. London and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 

• Broome, R., Orme-Johnson, D.W., & Schmidt-Wilk. J. (2005). Worksite stress reduction 

through the Transcendental Meditation program. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 

17(1), 235–276. 

• Heaton, D.P., Schmidt-Wilk, J., & Travis. F. (2004). Constructs, Methods, and Measures for 

Researching Spirituality in Organizations. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 

Special issue on Researching Spirituality in Organizations, 17(1), 62–82. 

• Schmidt-Wilk, J. (2003). TQM and the Transcendental Meditation program in a Swedish top 

management team. The TQM Magazine, 15, 4, 219-229. 

• Schmidt-Wilk, J. (2000). Consciousness-Based Management Development: Case Studies of 

International Top Management Teams. Journal of Transnational Management Development, 

5(3), 61-85. 

GRANTS SUPPORTING THE SCHOLARSHIP OF DISCOVERY 

• 2000 – The University receives $335,000 from the National Science Foundation for work by 

Dr. Sam James on earthworm ecology in the Philippines. 

• 2000 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture awards a grant of $72,000 for Dr. David Fisher’s 

research on horizontal resistance to the Colorado potato beetle. 

• 2001 – Dr. Steve McLaskey receives two grants supporting a workshop on energy-efficient 

buildings, $7,500 from the Iowa Energy Center and $3,600 from Alliant Energy.


• 2003 – Robert Schneider, M.D., receives $1.9 million from the National Institutes of Health, 

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, for a four-year study on stress reduction and 

cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality in African-Americans. 

• 2004 – The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture provides $22,000 to continue Dr. 

David Fisher’s research on potato breeding. 

• 2005 – The University receives $950,000 from the Abramson Family Foundation and other 

private donors to study the Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Program on the growth of 

intelligence, neurophysiological functioning, and other health related measures among 

students at American University in Washington, DC. 

• 2006 – Dr. Sanford Nidich receives $103,000 from the David Lynch Foundation for research 

on the effects of the Transcendental Meditation program and Consciousness-Based education 

in secondary schools. 

• 2007 – Robert Schneider, M.D., receives $2.7 million from the National Institutes of Health 

for a study of mechanisms by which meditation affects hypertension in African-Americans. 

• 2009 – Dr. Carolyn King receives $100,000 from the David Lynch Foundation to study the 

effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on diabetes among Native Americans. 

• 2009 – Dr. Steve McLaskey receives $13,000 from the Leopold Center for Sustainable 

Agriculture to study methods for growing organic produce in large unheated greenhouses. 

(2) SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING 

Since the University’s founding in 1971, the faculty have been engaged in a faculty-wide project 

in the scholarship of teaching and learning that is unique in higher education. 

Our Consciousness-Based educational approach includes a unified framework in which all 

teaching and learning take place. This framework is based on an understanding of the underlying 

field of consciousness, from which all academic disciplines (and indeed the entire universe) is 

understood to emerge. The Science of Creative Intelligence and Maharishi Vedic Science, both 

developed by Maharishi, examine the nature of consciousness, its dynamics, and its possibilities 

for development, and they provide a set of universal concepts and a terminology for 

understanding consciousness. 

If all knowledge is the expression of consciousness, then an understanding of consciousness 

has obvious relevance to teaching and learning in every academic discipline. The faculty-wide 

project has been to conduct all teaching and learning within this framework — that is, to discover 

how the knowledge of each discipline grows out of the field of consciousness and to identify the 

principles of consciousness in every aspect of every discipline, and then to guide student learning 

within this framework. This approach offers a number of advantages:


• It provides an organizing principle in which entire disciplines can be framed and displayed at a 

glance, enabling students to understand any branch of any discipline can be seen and 

understood in terms of the entire discipline. 

• It enables students to easily study and understand the deepest principles of the discipline — for 

they recognize these principles as reflecting the same dynamics at work in their own 

consciousness. This means that no matter what subject students study, they are also studying 

themselves. In this way knowledge becomes relevant at the deepest level. It also means 

students can move easily from discipline and readily grasp the fundamental principles. 

• It provides a rich body of fresh insights into every academic discipline and shows the ultimate 

unity among them. 

The faculty’s scholarship of teaching and learning is thus carried out in every academic 

department, in every academic program and course, in every lesson, every day, and will continue 

indefinitely. 

The faculty have published the results of their work in a variety of academic journals and 

presented them at many professional conferences over the past decade. In the 1980s, they created 

a journal, Modern Science and Vedic Science, with the mission of publishing this scholarship 

showing the contribution of these sciences of consciousness to the various disciplines. 

In 2008 they undertook to collect all of these publications, as well as as-yet unpublished 

work, into a set of books, one for each department, entitled Consciousness-Based Education: A 

Foundation for Teaching and Learning in the Academic Disciplines. These volumes, thirteen 

altogether, are expected to be published in the fall of 2009. For the first time, the results of this 

decades-long scholarship project will become available to the higher education community and 

the general public. Thus this book series represents a culmination of the faculty’s long work. (See 

list of volumes below.) 

On this foundation, the development and the employment of effective teaching tools is a 

distinctive competence of the faculty of Maharishi University of Management. Two examples: 

• In 2001, Professor of Mathematics Catherine Gorini received the “Award for Distinguished 

College or University Teaching of Mathematics” from the Iowa section of the Mathematical 

Association of America. The award recognized Dr. Gorini as an extraordinarily successful 

teacher who fosters curiosity and generates excitement about mathematics in her students, 

and notes that her influence in teaching extends well beyond Maharishi University of 

Management. 

• In 2003, Associate Professor of Business Administration Jane Schmidt-Wilk was appointed to 

the board of directors of the Organizational Behavior Teaching Society, an association of 350 

professors whose research and teaching focus on the dynamics of individuals, groups,


organizations, and cultures. In 2006, she was named co-editor of the association’s Journal of 

Management Education. In 2009 she was reappointed for a three-year term as editor. 

PUBLICATIONS SUPPORTING THE SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND 

LEARNING 

• Consciousness-Based Education: A Foundation for Teaching and Learning in the Disciplines 

– an edited collection of published and unpublished articles and research papers showing the 

contribution of Maharishi Vedic Science to the various academic disciplines. Edited by 

Executive Vice-President Craig Pearson and Professor Dara Llewellyn, the series has the 

following books, which are available in the Resource Room: 

Discipline 

Editor 

– Maharishi Vedic Science Frederick Travis, PhD 

– Education Christopher Jones, EdD 

– Physiology & Health Kenneth Walton, PhD and Janet Kernis, M.A. 

– Physics Gerry Geer 

– Mathematics Paul Corazza, PhD 

– Literature Terrence Fairchild, PhD 

– Art Matthew Beaufort, M.A. 

– Management Dennis Heaton, EdD 

– Government Rachel Goodman, PhD 

– Computer Science Keith Levi, PhD and Mark Rainbow, M.A. 

– Sustainable Living Mabel Scaroni and David Fisher, PhD 

– World Peace Rachel Goodman, PhD 

• Gorini, C. Facts on File Geometry Handbook, Facts on File, 2009. 

• Gorini, C. “Further Steps: Geometry Beyond High School,” New England Mathematics 

Journal, May 2003. 

• Gorini, C. Maharshi’s Vedic Mathematics: The Fulfillment of Modern Mathematics, Samskrita 

Sangha, 2003. 

• Herriott,,S. College Algebra Through Functions and Models, Brooks-Cole Cengage, 2005. 

GRANTS SUPPORTING THE SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND 

LEARNING 

• 2000 — Dr. Dennis Heaton receives $70,000 from the Kaufman Foundation as a matching 

grant for student interns in a program on entrepreneurship.


• 2001 — Dr. Eric Hart receives $92,000 from the National Science Foundation to support the 

Upper Midwest Leaders in Math project for four years. 

• 2001 — Dr. Claude Setzer receives software worth $821,000 grant from Agilent Eesof to 

support the M.S. program in Applied Physics. 

• 2002 & 2004 — Various donors including the Leopold Center, Iowa Energy Center, and 

Alliant Energy contribute $7,000 toward the activities of the annual EcoFair hosted by the 

Sustainable Living Department. 

• 2004 — Dr. David Goodman receives $10,000 from the Kaufman Foundation as a matching 

grant for student interns in a program on entrepreneurship. 

• 2009 — Dr. Andrew Bargerstock receives a $3,700 grant from the AICPA to attend a 

workshop on “lean accounting,” from which he develops MUM’s Graduate Certificate in Lean 

Accounting Transformation. 

• 2009 — Dr. Christopher Jones receives a $50,000 grant from the Iowa Department of 

Education to develop curricula and workshops for professionals in science and mathematics 

who want to enter the teaching profession through an accelerated certification process. 

• 2009 — Dr. Dennis Heaton and Dr. Scott Herriott of the Business Administration department 

were contracted to administer a $180,000 project to develop business administration course 

packages that can be inexpensively reproduced and taught in South Africa. 

(3) SCHOLARSHIP OF INTEGRATION 

In her role as editor of the Journal of Management Education, Associate Professor of Business 

Administration Jane Schmidt-Wilk practices the scholarship of integration. 

In 2000, the Mathematical Association of America published a collection of papers, 

Geometry at Work, edited by Dean of Faculty and Professor of Mathematics Catherine Gorini. 

The EcoFair, an annual event that has been held for eight consecutive years now since it 

began in 2001, is a knowledge and experience service to the MUM, Fairfield, and Southeast Iowa 

communities. It typically consists of talks given by eminent speakers, workshops and 

demonstrations, films, and trade fairs held over a weekend, dispensing knowledge about a wide 

range of sustainability topics. Students are always involved, in some years take a leading role in 

planning and putting on the event (in fact, students conceived and organized the first EcoFair). In 

some years it includes the EcoJam, a sustainable organic/recycled apparel fashion show run by 

students, using students as models. In 2008, the EcoFair and EcoJam was held for the first time in 

the brand-new Fairfield Arts and Convention Center. It was also held for the first time in 

conjunction with the Fairfield First Friday Art Walk. Both of these developments help to make 

the EcoFair/Jam more available to a wider audience than when held on campus.


Lonnie Gamble, Assistant Professor of Sustainable Living, is on the organizing committee of 

several conferences and events each year. He also gives about a dozen radio and newspaper 

interviews a year, and about a dozen invited talks per year, and hosts dozens of visitors interested 

in Sustainable Fairfield. 

PUBLICATIONS SUPPORT THE SCHOLAR SHIP OF INTEGRATION 

The book series described above, Consciousness-Based Education: A Foundation for Teaching 

and Learning in the Disciplines, also exemplifies this form of scholarship. 

(4) SCHOLARSHIP OF APPLICATION 

The scholarship of application is demonstrated in projects that document how knowledge is 

applied in a practical context. 

The research work of Dr. Robert Schneider and his colleagues over nearly two decades has 

demonstrated the feasibility and efficacy of the Transcendental Meditation program in preventing 

and treating cardiovascular disease and its risk factors. Other projects in the past decade that have 

focused on the application of the Transcendental Meditation program to benefit specific 

populations, and that have been studied by MUM faculty, include Indians tribes in Nebraska and 

Maine, college students at American University in Washington, D.C, and school students with 

ADHD in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. 

The faculty have conducted other projects that apply knowledge, but they have not been 

extended from the practice of application to the scholarship of application. The Sustaintable 

Living faculty have conducted many projects such as organic agriculture in Hawaii, community 

development in Alaska, and energy efficiency in Fairfield, Iowa. 

The faculty of the Department of Art and Design regularly produce works of art and exhibit 

them in galleries around the U.S. This may be interpreted as a form of the scholarship of 

application. 

GRANT SUPPORTING THE SCHOLARSHIP OF APPLICATION 

In 2008, the Maharishi University of Management Research Institute received approval in 

principle from the Iowa Power Fund for a $2 million grant to fund research on making biodiesel 

fuel from algae. The board voted to proceed with the grant subject to a technical review, 

negotiation on payments, and contract. As of the spring of 2009, the review is still pending.


T H E I N T E R N A T I O N A L P R O G R A M 

I N B E I J I N G , C H I N A 

• Dennis P. Heaton, Dean of Distance Education and International Programs (470-1399) 

• Yunxiang Zhu, Director of the China Program and Associate Professor of Business Admin. 

History of the international program in China 

Since 2002, we have conducted an international program in Beijing, China, a “two plus two” 

partnership with a Chinese educational institution. Originally, we collaborated with a private 

college Oxbridge University Business School (OUBS), which subsequently acquired another 

private college Yanjing Overseas Chinese University (YOCU) and changed its name to 

International Business School. YOCU-IBS itself merged into a public university, the Capital 

University of Economics and Business (CUEB) and changed its name to the Overseas Chinese 

College of CUEB. Our program is located in CUEB’s OCC campus. 

The two-plus-two arrangement called for the partner to provide English language training and 

general education courses to students for two years, after which the students would be admitted to 

MUM and complete their undergraduate major (business or computer science) in the last two 

years by studying wholly in China. Students also had the option to transfer to the Fairfield 

campus of MUM for their third or fourth year. 

CUEB has a campus in the southwest region of Beijing between Third Ring and Fourth Ring 

roads. The campus offers both classrooms and housing and meals to 20,000 residential students. 

The Overseas Chinese College campus of CUEB has 1,000 students from first-year to fourthyear. 

It has its own facility across the street from CUEB and consists of one large building of five 

stories containing classrooms for 2,000 students and residence facilities for about 300 students. 

There are a few smaller residence halls nearby that can hold another 300 students. The remaining 

400 students live in CUEB housing. 

According to CUEB policy, some students (“in-plan”) receive a government subsidy for their 

educational expenses and a low tuition rate. Others, who had lower college entrance exam scores, 

pay higher tuition (“out-plan” students.) 

CUEB shares the OCC complex with its overseas partners. CUEB has its own Englishlanguage 

four-year degree program at the OCC campus and also has partners to offer foreign 

degrees. The major partners are MUM and Plymouth University in the UK, which also has a 2+2 

deal with OCC, but their students all transfer to the UK to complete their degree. MUM is the 

only partner that teaches courses at the OCC campus.


In 2008-2009, MUM had 76 students in the upper division program. CUEB-OCC assigns 

classrooms to MUM courses as needed. CUEB has at least 4 computer labs in the OCC building 

with about 50 computers that are available to MUM, and CUEB has always made them available 

to MUM when needed, except for a few occasions when CUEB was holding exams in the labs. 

The Library at CUEB consists of two facilities. On the OCC campus, the Library is on the third 

floor of the building. Most of the books in the collection are in English. The other library is at the 

CUEB main campus. 

Students cannot go to the computer labs on their own, because they are for class use only. 

The Internet may not be very convenient on the OCC Library or labs, but each dorm room has its 

own Internet connection. Almost all students on the OCC campus have private Internet access. 

MUM students may log on to the MUM Electronic Library to access the Library’s electronic 

books and its bibliographic databases such as EBSCO, Lexis-Nexis, First Search, and S&P 

NetAdvantage. 

In the 2008-2009 academic year, only the business administration major was offered in 

China, due to the difficulty of attracting qualified faculty for computer science. 

The curriculum in the BA program in Business Administration is nearly the same curriculum 

as taught in Fairfield. MUM has kept one full-time faculty member from Fairfield on site in 

Beijing and rotates two more FTE through Bejing on assignments of several months duration. 

Extra electives developed in China are for a specialization in finance offered in the last two years. 

Also MUM-China offers courses of general education that are not available at OCC. 

As of July 2009, about 30 students are expected to transfer to the U.S. for the fall 2009 

semester. However, if they cannot get a visa or cannot afford U.S. tuition, then MUM may teach 

the fourth year in China. 

The issue of degree recognition for MUM students in China is complex. An MUM degree 

taken by study in the USA is recognized by the Chinese government, because MUM is accredited 

by the Higher Learning Commission. Recognition is a status that permits the graduate to go to 

graduate school at public universities in China, or to become a civil servant, or to work for a 

state-owned enterprise. The government agreed to recognize the degree earned by the 2004 

entrants to OCC who graduated in 2008. However, around 2005, due to changes in the 

government’s attitude toward foreign universities operating in China, the Chinese government 

stopped issuing new licenses to all foreign universities offering degree programs in China. To 

comply with this policy, MUM will teach out the students who had begun the first year of our 

cooperative program at CUEB in the fall of 2007, so MUM will issue its last degrees in China in 

2010. However, the partnership with OCC-CUEB will continue as MUM teaches third-year 

students under MUM registration with the understanding that those students will transfer to the 

U.S. to complete their degrees. Despite the odd situation regarding foreign universities, the recent 

graduates of MUM have not had difficulty getting jobs. About one-third go overseas for graduate 

study, one-third find work in private sector, and about one-third work in family business or as


entrepreneurs or work in a foreign joint venture in China. About 90% of the 46 students who 

graduated in July 2008 graduates had firm plans for further study or work at the time of 

graduation. 

Student learning outcomes 

The BA program in Business Administration at the Beijing campus graduated 46 students in 2008 

and 51 in 2009. Program evaluation in Beijing follows the same assessment plan as in the USA, 

using the Entrepreneurship Project report, a “fast pitch” oral presentation, and surveys of 

graduating students. 

In 2009, the assessment reports will summarize students’ performance on various aspects of 

the entrepreneurial project related to program objectives. In 2008, the 

report focused on students’ overall grade in the course, which is not 

as helpful in guiding program changes. More than 80% of the 46 

students in 2008 received grades of B or higher on their 

entrepreneurship projects, as shown in the table at right. However, a 

closer look at the data reveals that in the B range, 13 of the 31 

students received a B– on their business plans. This, together with the 

9 students receiving a C grade, indicates that attention needs to be put 

on increasing students’ scores in future classes. Comments from the 

faculty indicate that the average quality of the Business Plans could be stronger. 

Students’ oral exams, the Fast Pitch presentations of their business plans, were not as strong 

as their written reports, as shown in the table at left. In addition, of those students scoring in the B 

range, 14 of the 25 students received a B- on their 

Presentation. Part of the problem here is the fact that for 

these students, English as a Foreign Language continues to 

be an ongoing challenge. Although these students have been 

taking classes in English for the four years of their college 

career, they are all native speakers of Mandarin living in an 

environment that supports the use of Mandarin, and not English, as a primary means of 

communication. This combined with the large size of the class, where students work in groups, 

has provided a challenge for development of presentation skills in English. 

Nearly all of the students find productive uses of their time after graduation. The Associate 

Director of the MUM China program, commented: “As for job placement, I am afraid that I do 

not have this information. However, I feel that most of our graduates here get jobs within four 

months, I would say more than 90%. Very few students went to graduate school or are selfemployed. 

I would count these two categories for the remaining 10%.” 

2008 

Project 

Grade 

Oral Exam Grade 

Students 

A 6 

B 31 

C 9 

NC 0 

Total 46 

Students 

A 8 

B 25 

C 12 

NC 1


A total of 35 of the 46 graduating students (76%) completed the Graduation Survey. All 

(100%) of the respondents said that Business Plan project helped them apply or learn what they 

were studying in your business courses. One student wrote, “It helped me use the technology and 

knowledge in real life.” Other students referred to the benefit of using “all of knowledge learnt 

from business courses.” Some students referred to the development of specific skills, such as 

“analytical” or “research” or “financial” skills. 

When asked if they would 

implement their business plans, two 

students said they were likely to do 

so. Most suggested they might like 

to implement their plan but needed 

more work experience, research 

information, or financing. 

Students were asked how much 

each course was useful in the task 

of writing their business plan. 

Almost all courses got an 80% 

rating or higher as “Very useful” or 

“Extremely useful.” 

The laggard courses were, 

oddly enough, Communication 

Skills (78%), Human Resource 

Management (77%), and Business Law (57%). 

Students were asked how effective the program was overall in helping them develop toward 

the goals of the program. The results, on a 5-point Likert scale, were strongly positive from the 35 

respondents in 2008. 

Development toward program goals 

The MUM-China faculty made 9 specific recommendations pertaining to written business 

plans, oral presentations, and placement based on these assessment data. During the 2008–2009 

year, they were able to act on several of the recommendations — for example, urging the OCC 

partner to develop students’ English language skills in the first and second years of college. They 

also provided students with models of good and weak presentations on videotape to use as 

benchmarks. We are still working to source good examples of actual business plans as models for 

student work, and we still need to better align the business courses to the requirements of the 

capstone course on entrepreneurship. As time and resources allow, we will also arrange more 

opportunities to give students feedback on individual writing skills, and we will develop a China 

alumni database and promote alumni events to facilitate placement of our students. 

Very useful or 

extremely useful 

Presentation skills (22 responses) 19 (86.3%) 

Effective thinking and reasoning 31 (88.5%) 

Research skills 30 (85.7%) 

Synthetic thinking: problem 

formulation and creativity in identifying 

options for decision 

Analytical problem solving using 

knowledge of the business functions 

Clarity on personal strengths and career 

goals 

Holistic development — development 

of consciousness 

25 (71.4%) 

32 (91.4%) 

27 (77.1%) 

29 (82.9%)


The future of international education at MUM 

The Transcendental Meditation organization worldwide is active in almost all countries. As a 

result, we receive inquiries about once a month from individuals who would like to see a branch 

campus in their country. In the last decade, we have responded to requests from 27 countries. A 

few have gone as far as applications to the local country’s Ministry of Education for site 

approval, and some have been approved, but largely for financial reasons none have made it all 

the way through the MUM decision process and on to the Higher Learning Commission. 

That may change in the near future. There are projects in the works, with resources behind 

them, in Singapore, the Caribbean, in Africa, and in Scandinavia. When those projects mature, we 

will apply to the HLC for international programs or branch campuses. 


IN IN TER NAT ION AL PROG RAMS 

STRENGTHS 

1. Assisted site-based model for distance education — The faculty in the School of Business 

Administration successfully implemented this model in India in the 1990s and have had the 

right combination of intercultural sensitivity and adherence to academic standards to make 

this model work well in other contexts. The original program in China evolved from this 

model to a fully-fledged instructional site. This is a developmental pathway that MUM will 

continue to employ in its international programs. 

2. Global educational network — We share the goal of making Consciousness-Based 

education widely available with over 100 educational organizations affiliated with the 

Transcendental Meditation program worldwide. Access to this global network is an 

invaluable resource for advice, feedback, local content, local facilities where necessary, 

promotion and implementation of a program. 

3. Grant to support the creation of distance education resources — In the summer of 2009, 

two senior business faculty of MUM are expecting to be invited by a foundation to lead a 

$300,000 project that will create a distance education curriculum in general education and 

business administration. This will put a full BA in Business Administration in a form that can 

easily be replicated at sites in developing countries. 


1. Political Environment in China — The Chinese government has increased its restrictions 

on foreign universities in recent years. We have noted that the government would rather have


students go overseas to get a foreign degree rather than take a complete foreign degree 

program on Chinese soil. As a result, we have fewer fourth-year students at our Beijing 

campus and more students transferring to the Fairfield campus to complete their degree. 

Response – The flow of students to the Fairfield campus is welcome, but it has reduced the 

affordability of the MUM education to Chinese students. We expect to have about 25 students 

taking courses at the Beijing campus in the Fall 2009 semester. We will do more to market 

the program as a gateway to an American educational experience, but if the enrollment 

continues at a low level, we will have to re-examine the program’s feasibility. 

2. Initial Investment — The cost of implementing a new program can be considerable, and it is 

difficult to assess whether a program will be successful until it is offered. 

Response – We essentially rely on individuals locally in the foreign countries to develop the 

resources needed to launch an international program or branch campus, while we provide the 

knowledge and curriculum. Thus, our international expansion is ready to happen when 

supported by local resources.


A C A D EM I C SU P P O R T 

T 

hree departments of the university support students in the primary academic function: the 

Library, the Information Systems Department, and the Learning Resources Center. One 

other function, the Faculty Development Seminar, supports the faculty in their academic 

role. We will consider these individually. 

LIBR AR Y SERV ICES 

• Martin Schmidt, MLS, Librarian & Library Director (472-1148 or campus ext. 1148) 

• Suzanne Vesely, MLIS, PhD, Reference/Instruction Librarian (472-1154 or 472-7000 ext. 

3733) 

• Lyle Nelson, MLS, Circulation/Interlibrary Loan Librarian (472-1154 or 472-1121) 

• Peter Freund, PhD, Audio/Visual Librarian (472-7000 ext. 4045) 

The Library has a specific focus: to improve knowledge of our own clientele with their unique 

needs for improved scholarly performance, to give access to the fullest possible range of 

resources, and ensure that our clients have full awareness of the range of services that we provide 

to faculty, staff, students and the community. 

This section of the self-study is abstracted from a fuller self-report conducted by the Library 

staff and available in the Resource Room. All references to the professional literature in this 

section may be found in that report. 

The Library measures student success using the following metrics: 

• Self-development — MUM students possess both traditional and 21 st century media-rich 

strategies for lifelong learning that integrate technological advances with traditional library 

functions and develop research skills: 

– They are able to access information through the intelligent use of reference assistance, 

discriminating between a variety of available electronic resources and consortial 

arrangements outside of the database collection. 

– They know when to use print materials, interlibrary loan, and 24/7 remote access to library 

resources. 

– They integrate University programs for the development of consciousness, realize the goal 

of ethics instruction by growing in health and well-being, and generate an enlightened 

approach to society and environment with support from the Library’s special collections.


• Expertise in a field — Students become proficient in using sources of information specific to 

their future employment or field of interest, including electronic, print, and government 

resources. 

• Ability to integrate new knowledge effectively in any field — The Library’s professional 

staff supports faculty to teach students to use multiple modes of inquiry on any subject, to see 

the connections between issues, and to extend their societal, civic, and global knowledge in a 

manner that supports and preserves natural, human, and informational resources. 

Library trends 

Understanding that a library is a means to fulfill the institution’s mission (Smith, 101), we aim to 

achieve the University’s ideal student graduate profile — a student with a consciousness-based 

education who effectively contributes to building a society and a world of stable peace and lasting 

abundance. We have selected some predictions for the field of library and information science 

that appear to correlate well with changes driven by new formats as they affect MUM Library. 

These are the changes we are addressing or should address in the future. For more comprehensive 

lists of predicted trends that we have considered, see Banks and Pracht (2008), Gordon (2007), 

CLIR Issues Newsletter (Council on Library and Information Resources), Liu (2008), Smith 

(2006), and Woodward (2009). 

• Service orientation — According to Woodward (2009) libraries that are customer-driven are 

successful libraries, offering a friendly and user-friendly environment. Today libraries provide 

well-designed and easy-to-follow signage inspired by retail operations, experiment with nontraditional 

descriptive titles (e.g., “Information Specialist” or “Research Assistance” for 

“Reference,” “Loans and Returns” for circulation, “Learning Resource Center” for Library, 

etc.), customize space for user needs, and continue to replace old unused books that occupy 

prime space with lounges, recreational reading areas, and innovative spaces like event areas 

that attract students and student groups. Other solutions include maximizing Internet access 

and offering weekly events and workshops that successfully attract students to the Library. 

• Research strategies are based on convenience — Students search Google first when they 

look for information, trading quality information for time saved searching (Griffiths and 

Brophy, 2005). This affects the way they search the Library web site (Augustine and Greene, 

2002). The observations of these studies are reflected in a basic question on our survey: 

Google is used daily, library resources weekly or monthly. Academic libraries are focusing on 

how to make library resources more appealing to users. Liu (2009) suggests a Web 2.0 model 

for academic libraries, including customizing user interactions, allowing people to configure 

their own library interfaces, encouraging users to provide library content creation and 

exchange, allowing online communities on the page, and offering a mix of current and


emerging technologies for users to explore (Liu, 14). Social networking also informs library 

innovation. For example, the Iowa Library Association’s well-tended Facebook page keeps 

track of librarians in the state and offers new information. The MUM Library is developing a 

Facebook presence that will publicize events and link patrons to the Library box.net site, 

which offers basic library information and archives of monthly newsletters. Facebook 

members are also driving the choice of content with various suggestions about what they want 

us to add. 

• Shift from locally stored journals to distant access — As our circulation statistics 

corroborate, the tendency to look for articles online has led to a sharp decrease in the usage of 

paper journals and magazines. Students now expect to find all articles searchable and 

retrievable electronically (Smith, 104), yet students who use MUM Library are not ready to 

enter a paperless age: they still consistently print articles to read them. 

• Print book usage is still the same, but not for long — EBooks are offered and have been 

useful for a small item (such as reference) but students have traditionally disliked reading 

entire eBooks online if they are doing course work. EBooks have been criticized for their lack 

of interactivity. Because of this trend, the budget for books has remained the same while the 

investment in databases continues to rise. In the very near future, however, given over 300,000 

books being available for reading on the eBook reader Kindle and Amazon’s remarkable 

success with it, there should be a trend in acceptance of eBooks academically, as there was for 

eJournals. 

We predict the next generation of eBook readers will be aimed at academics: they will 

include color for art and graphics. The current generation reader has just come out in a larger size 

at a reasonable price. Necessary interactive features similar to what is available on NetLibrary 

have already been included in the current issue of the reader, and students have the convenience 

of carrying to classes an easily searchable lightweight device with a note-taking feature rather 

than a stack of heavy books. Universities are already beginning university-wide trials (Amazon, 

2009). As competition to Kindle emerges, universities are likely to get readers at a discount as 

they do with laptops, becoming eBook universities. These universities would have an advantage 

if they can supply the readers to their distance students. Considering the high cost of textbooks, 

this could be an attractive alternative to print. What seemed impossible to many information 

specialists in early 2008 is becoming a reality: the public is beginning to view the electronic 

reader as something more desirable than a book. 

Some information specialists do not foresee incorporation of eBooks in academic settings 

(e.g., Herther, 2008, Neilan, 2009). Others have confidently predicted this important trend for 

some years (Haank, 2006). As a library serving a campus committed to sustainable living, our 

close monitoring of this trend should be an added appeal to conservationists.


• Increased interlibrary loan services — Shared resources are easier for students to access. 

Through EBSCOhost or WorldCat, students can request resources online with no need to fill 

out paper forms, and in many cases they can also receive the document electronically, directly 

from the lending library. Currently, ILL articles arrive in an average of 3 days, books in 6 

days. Speed is vital for the MUM block system, and interlibrary loan has to be especially 

attentive to any student requests. 

• Effectiveness in supporting institutional goals rather than holdings —Libraries are now 

evaluated on whether their materials and professional staff are able to fulfill the educational 

goals of the institution. Libraries must make a difference in the learning process. Materials 

held in the collection should be used, not just shelved. Academic librarians’ skills must shift 

towards the enablement of learning, according to Smith (101). The ASIS&T Issues Study on 

Graduate Information Programs and Accreditation identifies over 900 distinct programs in 

graduate school that deal with information science, of which Library and Information Science 

is a small portion. 

• A bottom line of all possibilities — Futurists agree that many unanticipated technologies will 

continue to affect library service in unpredicted ways (Smith, 101). Academic libraries must 

remain aware of emerging trends and innovate and self-evaluate continuously. 

Specific objectives and performance measures 

The Library assesses its effectiveness primarily by three measures: 

• Quality of faculty and student research 

• Equitable participation in interlibrary lending 

• Circulation of library holdings 

• Quality of faculty and student research — The University’s performance on this measure is 

best known to the instructors who read students’ papers and to the research faculty themselves. 

The Library Director requested faculty to submit student bibliographies for thesis assignments. 

The details are in the Library Self-Study in the Resource Room. Students’ papers showed the 

need for much more emphasis on information literacy on campus, underscoring the need for 

the information literacy component in each department that was adopted as University policy 

in April 2009. 

• Equitable participation in IPAL and other interlibrary consortia — We seek to be an 

equitable participant in interlibrary lending. For this measure, “equitable” means being a net 

provider of resources to other libraries over any three-year period. Iowa libraries record the 

provision and borrowing of resources, which permits us to assess our performance in this


respect. In our survey, professors who responded most frequently described the research done 

for their students’ papers as good or average. 

MUM belongs to four consortia: IPAL (Iowa Public Academic Libraries), the eight-state 

regional Bibliographic Center for Research (BCR), and two ILL resource sharing groups: the 

multi-regional BCR-AMIGOS and the Iowa Libraries ARIEL® Network (ILAN). 

In 2006/07, MUM borrowed the same amount (7.16 %) in relation to its own circulation, 

compared with the average IPAL member (7.09 %). In 2007/08 the Library was a net 

provider. 

The University Library has been a net lender during two of the past three years. In 2005- 

2006, the Library loaned 66% more documents than were borrowed. In 2006-2007, the figure 

was 11% net lending, and in 2007-2008 lending exceeded borrowing by 3%. 

• Circulation of Library resources and use of services — The University ensures faculty and 

students library resources to the extent their research and teaching requires. Without being able 

to measure student use of the web and other electronic resources for research, an evaluation of 

circulation data alone is incomplete. But the circulation data give some insight into the extent 

to which the Library collection and interlibrary loan capabilities are useful to students and 

faculty. 

IPAL membership consists of 33 institutions, including one chiropractic college, one 

theological seminary, 26 predominantly undergraduate colleges, and five universities with mixed 

graduate/undergraduate enrollment, including MUM. IPAL data include separate circulation 

statistics for faculty, staff, and students. 

The 2007-2008 IPAL data shows that on the average, individual students, staff and faculty 

members borrowed 13 items. MUM’s statistical mean was 17 items for the average number of 

loans to students (including DE students), faculty, and staff, about 23% higher than the IPAL 

average. The average student check-out of academic materials has been rising in the last three 

years at MUM, with an average of 11 in 2006/07 and 10.8 in 2007/08, higher than in the previous 

9 years. A new book area encourages browsing new books by subject, perhaps influencing the 

higher check-out rate. 

In 2007-2008 students and faculty participated in 19,000 unassisted EBSCO online searches, 

three times as much as in 1998/99. Expenditures for online database searches rose threefold in the 

same time, from $4,732 to $14,583 in 2007/08. In 2008/09 we also started to subscribe to the 

Elsevier Health Sciences Database, which added $11,000 to our expenses. The decline in the use 

of password-protected FirstSearch databases from 5,000 searches to a negligible 100 annual 

searches follows a trend for use of OCLC’s FirstSearch’s databases. Many of these databases are 

now being replaced by more user-friendly EBSCO databases, which are not password-protected. 

No reliable usage statistics exist for other online databases or Google searches. In our 2008


survey, 92% of faculty and 87% of students reported they use Google and other non-library 

information sources daily. The most common descriptions for usage of online resources by 

students and faculty include “weekly,” “monthly,” or “rarely.” This behavior reflects international 

trends and indicates the importance of marketing the Library and educating students to use 

resources intelligently. Besides regular classroom presentations, we are currently reviving the 

student orientation program for freshmen and expanding orientation to include the graduate 

programs. 

Availability of Library resources 

Although measures of equitable participation in consortia and measures of student and faculty 

usage are the key indicators for a library, statistics on physical holdings and budgets still convey 

some information to external observers. This section summarizes the key statistics. 

The Library’s physical holdings are now at about 140,000 volumes. This takes into account 

the weeding of an estimated 30,000 unused volumes since 1999. The microfilm collection has 

been steady at 60,000. The non-print films, tapes, and CDs have risen from about 12,000 to over 

21,000 over the last few years. These include a collection of popular DVDs and VHS tapes that 

were offered to us when our Student Services office could no longer find the staff to circulate 

them. We decided to add them to our collection to attract more traffic for our Library. The 

collection is popular with our academic and local community. We have a reciprocity agreement 

with our local public library and have advertised our services to the public in the local newspaper; 

nonacademic community members may use the Internet and check out books and videos. 

Serial print subscriptions have declined to 202, reflecting the increasing availability of 

electronic resources and the demand of students and faculty for accessing articles online. To 

offset declining print subscriptions the Academic Council may pay for individual subscriptions as 

part of the faculty’s compensation. In such cases, the faculty member maintains ownership of 

these journals. Another program reimburses faculty and doctoral students for expenses incurred 

when they must travel to nearby research libraries, such as at the University of Iowa or Iowa State 

University, to do research and make journal photocopies. In the west entrance foyer, we have 

created a reading area of newspapers and magazines to encourage their daily usage. 

Our current subscriptions to electronic database services include: EBSCOhost, S&P’s 

NetAdvantage, OCLC FirstSearch® OCLC and FirstSearch® Core, Lexis®-Nexis® Academic 

Universe, Elsevier Health and Life Sciences (added in 2009), Encyclopedia Britannica®, and 

netLibrary. 

The number of public workstations in the Library has risen from 16 to 33, all with Internet 

connections. We also had a wireless Internet connection in our Library but this service was 

discontinued campus-wide because of possible harmful radiation.


The Library’s combined annual book budget for the last three years is about $104,000. 

According to IPAL data, this is comparable to other small colleges in Iowa that have a similar 

enrollment. MUM has spent 23% less on the average student then the average IPAL book budget. 

The annual expenditure per student without salaries came to $205 per FTE student in 2007-2008, 

placing MUM at the lower end of IPAL libraries (27 of 32). This figure includes our high 

percentage of DE students. Like many other academic libraries in these economically difficult 

times, we are especially called upon to do more with less. 

We are also now participating in a BCR consortial purchase of recent digitized scholarly and 

professional books provided online by netLibrary. Our electronic collection consists of 9,400 e- 

books. 

In our recent survey, our staff were rated highest among all categories, consistent with 

previous surveys. Users either agreed or strongly agreed that our staff are knowledgeable and 

provide a caring, friendly service. Based on a 40-hour week, our 5.8 FTE staff consist of 1.4 FTE 

working as librarians, 2.4 other professionals, and 2.0 support staff. 

Past surveys revealed that “hours of operation” was the most important issue to the students 

but it least satisfactory in meeting their needs. Our most recent survey shows our users are more 

satisfied — we increased our open hours from 50.5 hours per week to 64.75 hours. While other 

university libraries keep open hours well past midnight, our university has a different philosophy 

that the Library supports: promoting both student learning and overall self-development through 

the Transcendental Meditation technique. Both are optimal if students’ minds are rested and clear. 

To this end, the University encourages a 10:00 p.m. bedtime, and it institutionalizes this by 

closing the Library at 9:00 p.m. 

Collection development 

The faculty are extensively involved in developing collections. Apart from reference and general 

materials selected by librarians, faculty order most books. Student input into departmental 

selections is also encouraged. We also offer students and faculty a 5-day rush service to purchase 

books needed for their research if they fit into our collection. 

Electronic resources play an ever-larger role in collection development. A large number of 

full-text periodicals (currently 23,000), full-text eBooks (9,400), and other databases are readily 

available in the Library, campus-wide, and are also available to distance students around the 

world via links on the Library web page. 

With the growth of the worldwide web in the last few years, information has become 

available instantaneously. With the ARIEL system and the ILAN consortium to which MUM 

belongs, the average time to receive a requested journal article from ILAN members is 3 days. 

Rush requests can be filled within a day. The average time to receive a book within Iowa is 6 

days.


Outreach and marketing 

Efforts to increase the number of Library patrons have been quite successful in the past three 

years. These include: 

• Well-publicized cultural events with refreshments, i.e., the Persian Poet Series and other 

poetry readings, music, and information lectures, and more. These have attracted groups of 30- 

80 people each time. 

• The monthly newsletter, distributed electronically and posted in the student union and in the 

Library, has received many compliments. 

• Monthly displays, including the Unity Art Gallery which hosts major art exhibitions by 

visiting and local artists. The Library displays include a televised video display and book 

tables with themes for browsing. 

• Developing a Facebook presence for reaching students and other patrons who use this popular 

social format. It includes announcements of events and changes in Library hours. 

• Making the student-purchased entertainment video collection available through the Library, is 

a popular service. 

Conclusion 

This Self-Study addresses our successes and challenges in implementing continuous improvement 

of service and access to resources. Beyond patron satisfaction with service, which is high, how 

well our collection strategy works is also reflected in our survey. The 2008 Annual Survey was 

announced and distributed by email to faculty and students or was handed out in the Library. 

Forty faculty, 59 students and 24 other users responded. Selected results appear below.


Selected findings from the most recent Library Survey 

Plans 

Many patrons, especially students, have asked for sustainability-oriented renovations. We are 

collaborating with the Sustainable Living department on plans.


INFO RMA TI ON TE CH NOL OGY D EPAR TM ENT 

• Tom Hirsch, Co-Director of Information Systems (472-1170) 

In 2008-2009 the IT Department served approximately 200 staff, 75 faculty, and 540 students on 

a 278-acre campus with 60 buildings, which are used for instruction, administration, or residence, 

and 630 students located off-campus in distance education. 

The Department serves the administrative and academic departments and students of the 

University by maintaining and improving: 

• Central computers and servers 

• Campus network and Internet connectivity 

• Support client workstations, and printers 

• Support of generally used client software 

• Printing large charts for academic and administrative use 

• Software implementation and maintenance 

• Phone services and connections 

• Audio-visual systems on campus 

• Campus Cable TV network 

The IT department is organized into three groups, each discussed below. 

• Operations-Network-Support Group 

• Software Implementation Group 

• Communications Group 

How the IT Department contributes to the University’s mission 

The IT Department maintains the efficient computation and flow of information within the 

University and to and from outside sources. Whether it is phone, Internet, intranet, or various 

software applications that maintain and communicate data, these capabilities depend on the 

smooth functioning of the IT infrastructure. The department’s highest priority is serving academic 

and administrative functions that support the University’s mission. This includes: 

• Classroom and instruction support 

• Research and collaboration 

• Record keeping and processing for administrative functions 

• Student quality of life


IT organization, planning, and budgeting 

The IT department reports to the Treasurer for its Operations-Network-Support, and Software 

Implementation groups, and to the Chief Administrative Officer for the Communications group. 

• University Technology Planning Committee (UTPC) — makes overall decisions about the 

direction and priority of IT projects and resource allocation. Members: the Treasurer, the Chief 

Administrative Officer, and the IT Director. 

• Academic Technology Committee — makes decisions based on requests from the Academic 

Department heads about academic systems and projects and determines the allocation of 

expenditures from the student technology fee fund. Members: the Dean of Faculty, a 

technologically savvy faculty member, and the IT Director, 

• Administrative Technology Committee — makes recommendations to the UTPC about the 

administrative systems and projects. Members: the department heads from the Accounting, 

Admissions, Enrollment Center, Library, and IT departments. 

Operations - Network - Support Group 

This group has 6.5 FTE staff and is tasked to the following: 

• Availability: To keep the systems and networks up and running 

• Security: To keep the systems and networks secure and data backed up 

• Performance: To provide satisfactory levels of server and network response time 

• Support: To provide prompt, effective, and courteous support to client system users 

• Other: To print plotter charts, and maintain e-mail and modem accounts in an effective and 

timely manner. 

MAJOR COMPUTING RESOURCES 

• 4 Dell Servers with RAID running MS-Windows 2000/2003 Operating Systems – used for 

administrative software (Domain Controller, File Server, MS-SQL Database server, and 

General Server for Library Mandarin software, online purchase order system, Helpdesk 

system, and Symantec Anti-virus server) 

• 1 Dell Server with RAID running Solaris 10 – used for Mail server, and other key network 

functions 

• An outsourced Verio server hosts the university’s main web site 

• Various other Intel and Sun “non-server” class machines used as servers for specialized 

applications


MAJOR NETWORK RESOURCES 

• 30 Mbps bandwidth connection to the Internet equally split between two ISP’s 

• Power Link 100 WAN aggregator / router, and Cisco 2600 series router 

• Watchguard 6500e enterprise firewall with DMZ, and four 2nd layer firewalls protecting 

administrative systems / networks 

• NetEqualizer Appliance to distribute Internet bandwidth more evenly 

• Gigabit fiber optic backbone to 20 major buildings 

• ADSL / DSL connections to 40 other remote buildings via copper pair 

• Multiple networks sharing the inter-building cabling and Ethernet switches through VLAN 

technology 

• 50+ managed Ethernet switches which connect all major parts of the network 

• Ethernet Cat5 cabling to every student residence room and classroom 

• Beeper / email alert system when the network or parts of network go down. 

The group aims to maintain a central server availability of 99.5%, a common expectation for 

colleges and universities. Our experience in 2007-2008, though not precisely recorded, met client 

expectations based on a lack of complaints and high scores on helpdesk surveys. 

The availability of the network depends on client’s location in the network topography. Both 

peripheral nodes served by copper leased lines and ADSL technology are more likely to suffer 

downtime events. Though our experience in 2007-2008 was not tracked precisely, we plan 

improvements at the more peripheral nodes, primarily due to the less reliable nature of copper 

pair(s) used with ADSL for delivering higher speed data communications. In 2009 we added four 

densely populated buildings to the Fiber Optic network. 

Server / network response time is influenced by the level of traffic on the network. Our 

network-server response time for intra-campus traffic has been quite adequate. 

The department’s online helpdesk system tracks and processes helpdesk requests and other 

issues that arise. It also links to a survey system presented to the requester when a request is 

closed. The survey tracks timeliness, effectiveness, and courteousness of the service. It also 

allows for comments. The department needs to monitor this survey more frequently. 

In December 2007, students’ biggest complaint was slow and unreliable Internet access. We 

now make it a habit to incorporate student network performance experience, and to talk with the 

Global Student Council members about their perception of student satisfaction. Recent initiatives 

of the Information Services department have included: 

• Increased bandwidth to the Internet from 9 to 30 Mbps 

• Added another ISP (Internet Service Provider) for redundancy of Internet Connection, and a 

Powerlink 100 WAN Aggregator router which routes and balances traffic between the ISP’s


• Added Fiber Optic cable connections to 8 more Student Dormitories, and improved the fiber 

optic backbone to Gigabit speeds to 19 major buildings – for better performance. 

• Planning to install a new and more powerful server to support the Library software, PO 

system, and Helpdesk system and to establish a Windows 2003 Server Domain for network 

file service and Network Access control. 

Communications Group 

The Communications Group includes telecom and audiovisual support. It has 3.75 FTE staff and 

is tasked to: 

• Keep the phone system up and working and keep phone systems secure 

• Make requested changes in a timely and effective manner 

• Provide reliable, effective, and courteous operator support 

• Support audiovisual events and systems on campus, including the Campus Cable TV system 

Our resources include: 

• A 25-year-old NEC PBX whose usage is nearing its limit of 592 extensions. 

• Copper wire connections all converging back to the PBX switch in Verrill Hall that are either 

leased from Iowa Telecom or owned by MUM for 10 nearby buildings. 

• The newly installed A/V systems in Dalby Hall and Festival Hall of the Argiro Student Center, 

older systems in the Golden Domes, and small systems in various classrooms. 

• The Campus Coaxial Cable system that reaches about 25 campus buildings and is served from 

the Tape Library in the Library building. 

The group aims to maintain a telecom availability of 99.5%, a common expectation for 

colleges and universities. In 2007-2008 we maintained an uptime of at least that. The existing 

switch, while lacking in voice mail integration and certain other modern functionality, is 

extremely reliable. 

Since January 2008, the group received approximately 210 formal requests for new or 

changed telephone service by faculty and staff and served each in an average of 3.0 days. 

With the opening of Dalby Hall in the Agiro Student Center in 2008, the demand for A/V 

support has increased significantly. An A/V support person has been hired to support classes and 

events. The Campus Cable TV system is important to the University’s instructional mission 

because MUM courses use the resources of the MUM Tape Library, especially the extensive 

collection on Maharishi Vedic Science. 

Recent initiatives include:


• Installing a large UPS for phone switch and related equipment to increase reliability resulting 

in no downtime events for the phone switch. 

• Beginning research on a new IP based phone switch to replace problems mentioned above 

with existing one, and to make available more extensive features of the modern switches. It 

was decided not expand into this area at this time due to the high cost of such a system. 

• Installing new phone systems in Admissions to better handle calls and avoid missed calls due 

to busy signal, relieving pressure to replace the main phone switch. 

Software Development, Implementation and Support Group 

This group has 2.75 FTE staff and is tasked to effectively purchase, or build, and maintain high 

quality administrative information systems. These systems 

• Increase the number of new students or retention of existing students 

• Increase revenue 

• Enable more efficient operations or reduce staff 

• Deliver excellent customer service to students, faculty, staff, and other constituents 

• Generate management information for timely and effective decision making. 

This unit provides support for: 

• The Accounting Department’s Solomon 4 Accounting package 

• The Admissions Department’s Goldmine Contact Management system to manage prospective 

student recruiting and application processing 

• The Registrar’s home-grown MS-Access application for data entry, storage, retrieval, and 

reporting of student academic records. An MS-SQL Server database stores the data. 

• Financial Aid and Student Accounts home grown RBase DBMS applications 

• The Library’s SIRS-Mandarin Library software that permits remote access through a web 

portal 

• Accounts Payable’s online Web PO system developed for MUM by a consultant 

• Housing and Locksmith’s Intuit Quickbase solutions developed in-house, hosted by Intuit and 

are web applications 

• The Compro program’s ACT Contact management plus a home-grown web application to 

receive and process applications for this program 

• The Accounting MBA program’s Moodle for its web-based instruction


The availability, security, and performance of these administrative applications have 

adequately served the involved departments, with no significant complaints. 

CHALLENGES AND ISSUES – IT DEPARTMENT 

We have two long-standing needs: 

• We need to develop a web application that enable students to get information about their 

academic records or class schedules online, avoiding a call or visit to the Enrollment center. 

• We need to integrate the several separate databases containing redundant data on student 

information. Currently we need to maintain each of these separately. These include databases 

for Admissions, Registrar, Student Accounts, and Financial Aid systems. There are also 

separate databases for group meditation Attendance, Housing/Locksmith, Mailroom, and 

several other ancillary systems that serve students. 

The chief obstacle here is that that MUM is on the block system, and all off-the-shelf systems, in 

addition to being very expensive to buy, implement, and maintain, are designed for schools on the 

semester system. But some of the lower-priced systems now have integrated databases across 

their various applications, and many are web-based, with portals for students and faculty. These 

may prove usable at MUM in some areas. At the moment, the IT department is relatively small 

and its staff lack the web development skills to create a sophisticated integrated system from 

scratch. 

Another challenge is hiring and retaining competent staff, given the volunteer nature of the 

University’s staff compensation system. We must attract individuals who have outside support or 

are highly motivated to work and contribute in this special environment. This somewhat restricts 

our ability do many projects that could improve the University’s success. 

STUDE NT SU PPO RT SE RVI CES 

AND THE LEAR NIN G ASSIS TAN CE CE NTE R 

We accept approximately 50% of undergraduate U.S. applicants. Students are admitted only if 

they are expected to succeed academically. But the admissions process is not perfect, so we are 

prepared to give appropriate assistance to students who find themselves in difficulty, whether it 

be academic or personal. 

The classes are small enough that the teaching faculty have a good sense of which students 

need help. Often, the faculty themselves provide this assistance to the student. The Student 

Support Office is currently staffed with one recent college graduate, a part-time counselor, and a 

part-time professional counselor. The Student Support Office is located next to the mailroom for 

easy visibility to students.


The Learning Assistance Center, located in the same building as the Literature and Education 

departments, provides learning assistance for students who need an extra boost in their study 

skills so they can take full advantage of our unique educational experience. The Learning 

Assistance Center coordinates scheduled programs to help students with study skills and 

coordinates individual consultation in spoken English, in writing, and in mathematics. The 

director also gives special attention to students in specific courses when invited by the instructor. 

Academically weak students are identified in the course Science and Technology of 

Consciousness, the first course students take. Those who are weak are introduced to the Learning 

Assistance Center. Ongoing referrals to the Learning Assistance Center are made by faculty. 

Students also refer themselves; all are introduced to the Office in their University orientation. 

The Center also provides assistance in English as a second language, and supports cultural 

experiences with host faculty and staff families for international students. 

Writing Skills 

We do not require the ACT or SAT. International students rarely offer these test results 

voluntarily, but about 80% of the American students report an ACT or SAT score. Overall, about 

40% of the admitted undergraduate applicants give neither test result. 

To identify students who may be at risk, all freshmen take a Writing Placement Test after 

they arrive on campus. The students’ performance on this test places them into one of two 

courses, College Composition I or College Composition II. In 2008-2009, of the 103 freshmen 

who took the Writing Placement Test, 65 placed out of College Composition I. 

Language Skills 

For some students, the challenge of developing good writing skills is compounded by their 

international origin. This is particularly acute for the Computer Science and Accounting MBA 

students, almost all of whom are foreigners and who must get their English up to a level that will 

permit them to land a job in the American job market. In some countries, taking the TOEFL or 

any acceptable standardized test is difficult, even impossible, especially at short notice. Thus the 

Admissions Office sometimes uses other internal means for determining applicants’ English 

proficiency. 

Since Admissions staff are not themselves trained for this purpose, students are sometimes 

admitted but are found to have inadequate English upon their arrival. In such cases, students are 

either referred to the ESL department or they limp through academic courses, eking out whatever 

help in English they may find. 

In the fall of 2008, we reinstated the ESL program due to the difficulties experienced by 

transfer students from the Beijing China campus. Referred students may be unhappy with the 

ESL services, for several reasons. They may not have planned to take this additional time or


expense in their studies. They think they will need less for ESL training than they actually need, 

which leads to frustration and dissatisfaction when they are forced to extend it or to an unhealthy 

pressure to finish as quickly as possible. And those unable to raise the additional tuition money 

for ESL face the prospect of returning home, looking for a donor, or some other solution. 

Mathematical Skills 

To identify students who may be at risk, all freshmen take a Mathematics Placement Test after 

they arrive on campus. The students’ performance on this test places them into Elementary 

Algebra to fulfill the University’s mathematics requirement, or it places them into Intermediate 

Algebra, Functions and Graphs, or Calculus according to the requirements of their future majors. 

In 2008-2009, 117 undergraduate students took a math placement test. Of these, 28 placed 

into Elementary Algebra, 57 into Intermediate Algebra, 18 into Functions and Graphs 1, six into 

Functions and Graphs 2, five into Calculus 1, and three into Calculus 2. 

In 2008-2009, 19 graduate students took a math placement test (MBA students). Of these, 1 

placed into Elementary Algebra, 10 into Intermediate Algebra, four into Functions and Graphs 1, 

one into Functions and Graphs 2, and three into Calculus 1. 

Plans for Student Support 

In the Spring 2009 semester, we established a Student Support Services office, with three 

experienced staff who are available to speak privately with students about any question or 

concern. We are now integrating Student Support with the former Learning Assistance Center 

to create Student Success Center. This center will support learning and study skills and include 

the office of Career Counseling and Job Placement. The directorship of the Student Success 

Center is open at the time of this writing, and the Dean of Faculty is soliciting applications 

from qualified individuals. 

FACU LT Y DEV EL OPM ENT 

An important program supporting the University’s academic function is the Faculty Development 

Seminar. New faculty take a two-week seminar that introduces them to our unique approach to 

teaching and learning, including practical classroom teaching and management strategies, such as 

the use of various types of summary charts. All faculty take a four-day seminar in August, just 

before the start of the academic year, to upgrade knowledge and skills and review policies and 

procedures. These seminars are organized by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and 

the Dean of Faculty in conjunction with the Executive Vice-President. 

Professional development opportunities for the faculty are available in principle but used only 

infrequently. The Dean of Faculty has offered to reimburse one-half of the expense of a faculty


member subscribing to an academic journal, but no money was requested by any faculty member 

for journals in 2008-2009. In the same period, no funds were expended for sabbatical leave, and a 

total of $9,250 was used for professional memberships, conference fees, and associated travel. 


IN AC ADE MIC SU PP ORT 

STRENGTHS 

1. Learning support strengths – Small classes and the block system enable frequent facultystudent 

interaction. This in turn allows faculty to notice and attend to learning support needs 

as they arise. A Student Success Center is being planned to enrich the learning experience of 

all students. This Center will include the newly formed Student Support Center and Peer 

Mentoring Program and will offer academic and study skills support. A director is being 

sought. We currently employ a highly trained, part-time Learning Assistance Center director 

who works with both faculty and students to resolve academic skill deficiencies. 

2. Library Director – Our Library Director is focused on staying on the cutting edge of 

electronic information delivery. He helped develop the new Information Literacy 

Competency objectives and has been helping the faculty implement them. A new Reference 

and Instruction Librarian was hired four years ago and has developed programs to increase 

library use and awareness, including library exhibits and events and a regular newsletter. 

3. Library technology – The Library has made excellent use of technology to maximize student 

access to resources, and many Library resources are available online to faculty and students. 

Library technology and resources are upgraded frequently. 

4. Student to computer ratio – There is an excellent student-to-computer ratio of about 2 to 1, 

and all on-campus dorm rooms and most classrooms have Ethernet connections. Students are 

encouraged to bring their laptops to class. 

5. Technology – We have strong leadership for the planning and implementation of educational 

technology. The Student Technology Fee ensures that instructional technology and 

infrastructure are kept up-to-date. Many classrooms now have ceiling-mounted computer 

projectors. There is an active schedule of faculty development in the use of technology. 

6. Internships – The University appointed an Internship Coordinator in 2008. The role of this 

individual is to help students find appropriate internships.



1. Technology needs for the Communications and Media program – The popular new 

Communications and Media major is growing quickly and requires more computers, cameras, 

and software this program. 

Response – A lab fee for these courses has recently been instated so that new equipment can 

be obtained. This equipment is leased to spread the cost over three years. To meet the need 

for more space in the future, the department faculty are planning to develop a proposal for a 

new building. 

2. Laboratory space for the Sustainable Living program – The Sustainable Living program 

has varied needs for its wide range of courses. 

Response – To meet some of these needs, students under the guidance of faculty have 

renovated classrooms, added a kitchen, and built a storage shed. A new building, currently 

under construction, will house classrooms, laboratories, and offices and will provide enough 

facilities for the next several years. 

3. Studio space for the Art Department – Studio space was lost when the Learning Resource 

Center and Vishwakarma Hall were demolished. 

Response – The need for studio space has partially been met by renovating space in the Art 

Center (the former student union), and more areas in the Art Center will be renovated. 

4. Classroom space is needed – As the enrollment grows, we will need more classroom space. 

Response – We are renting rooms in the Gate Ridge Court Building (a commercially built 

office building on campus). We are renovating classrooms that have been unused for some 

time and are discussing other rental options.


G O V E R N A N C E, A D M I N I S T R A T I O N , 

P LAN N I N G , A N D D EV E L O P M E N T 

• Craig Pearson, PhD, Executive Vice-President (472-1186) 

• Michael Spivak, Treasurer (472-1377) 

• David Streid, PhD, Chief Administrative Officer (472-1130) 

BOAR D OF TRUS TEES 

The University Board of Trustees is its ultimate governing authority. The Board’s primary powers 

include: 

• Appointing the President and other principal officers 

• Approving the University’s academic and administrative plans 

• Reviewing and approving University finances, including its budget and financial statement 

• Creating the fundamental policies that guide University development 

• Helping secure the resources, particularly the financial resources, for our ongoing operation 

and development 

• Inspiring our staff, faculty, students, and supporters through creative advice and appreciation 

of their activities and achievements 

Other powers, including implementing plans and policies, are delegated to the officers, 

faculty, and administration. 

University bylaws provide that the number of Trustees shall be established by resolution of 

the Board. The Board of Trustees currently has 33 members, elected on a self-perpetuating basis. 

Trustees are chosen for their expertise, experience, and commitment to the University’s mission. 

Each member serves for a three-year term and may be re-elected. The President serves as an ex 

officio member of the Board. In 2009 Jeffrey Abramson was elected by the Board to serve as its 

chair. Prior to that, since 1980, President Bevan Morris served as chair. 

The Board of Trustees convenes three times annually. Meetings are usually held in Fairfield; 

Board members who live out of town participate by telephone. Meetings have been attended by 

an average of 17 members during the last three years. 

As part of the June meeting, which out-of-town Trustees are encouraged to attend in person, 

the Trustees typically meet with the University Council, Faculty Senate, staff, and the Global 

Student Council. The Board also has subcommittees related to different University areas.


Subcommittee meetings also bring the expertise and creativity of the Trustees to bear upon each 

area and provide a way for the Trustees to express the Board’s appreciation to the staff and 

faculty for the work they are doing. The Trustees also monitor University progress through 

reports from the Executive Vice-President and Treasurer. 

An Executive Committee of Board of Trustees is empowered to make decisions on urgent 

matters arising between meetings of the Board. Executive Committee decisions are presented to 

the Board at the next full meeting. If the bylaws require the full board to act, the Executive 

Committee may contact the rest of the board by conference phone to reach a decision. 

Members of the Board of Trustees 

Following is a list of the members of the Board of Trustees. An asterisk (*) indicates an 

appointment to the Board since the last comprehensive visit in the spring of 2000. 

BEVAN MORRIS – PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY 

Chairman, Board of Directors of Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment • Prime Minister 

of the Global Country of World Peace 

• BA, M.A., Psychology and Philosophy, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge University 

(England) • MSCI, DSCI, Maharishi European Research University • Doctor of World Peace, 

Maharishi University of World Peace • Residences: Fairfield, Iowa, and Vlodrop, Holland 

JEFFREY ABRAMSON* – CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD 

Partner in The Tower Companies, a family-owned, award winning real estate development 

company in the Washington, D.C., area committed to the principles of socially responsible and 

environmentally sensitive commercial, residential and retail development • Builder of the first U.S. 

Green Building Council/LEED-certified rental apartments • Residence: Potomac, Maryland 

VINCENT ARGIRO* – VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD 

Founder, former Chief Technology Officer, and former member of the board of directors of Vital 

Images, Inc. (retired) • Professor of cell biology and neuroscience and associate chair of the 

Department of Physiology at Maharishi University of Management, 1984–89 • BA, Biology, Yale 

University • PhD, Neural Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis • Residences: Salt Spring 

Island, British Columbia, Canada, and Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa 

RAMANI AYER* 

Chairman and CEO of the Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., Hartford, Connecticut 

• Board member of the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters/Insurance 

Institute of America, Insurance Information Institute, The Financial Services Roundtable, Hartford 

Hospital • B. Tech., Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology • M.A., PhD, Chemical 

Engineering, Drexel University • Residence: Hartford, Connecticut


ROGERS BADGETT* 

Entrepreneur • Founder of The Raj Health Spa • Member of the City Council of Maharishi Vedic 

City • Residence: Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa 

MARSH BELDEN* 

Trust Manager, McBel Trust, Canton, Ohio • Grandnephew of former First Lady Ida Saxton 

McKinley, and in 1999 donated $1.5 million to restore McKinley’s house in Canton, Ohio; the 

building now houses the First Ladies Library, the only facility dedicated to the life and work of 

presidential spouses • Residence: Canton, Ohio 

ROBERT BROWN* 

Past president and CEO (1992–2001) of ZD Market Intelligence, a division of Ziff-Davis, a $1.3 

billion integrated media and marketing firm for technology companies • Prior to ZDMI, founder 

and president of a consulting group • From 1984 to 1988, president of Quadram Corporation, 

where he grew the company from $30 million to over $65 million in three years • MBA, Harvard 

Business School • Residence: Greensburg, Pennsylvania 

LARRY CHROMAN* 

Minister of Trade and Commerce, Global Country of World Peace • Former Vice-President, Surya 

Financial • M.A. in Education, California State University • Ph.D., Maharishi European Research 

University • Residence: San Francisco 

BRUCE CURRIVAN* 

Director of Systems Analysis at Broadcom • B.S., Electrical Engineering, Cornell University 

• M.S.E. in Electrical Engineering, Princeton University • Residence: Irvine, California 

JIM DANAHER* 

Founder and Partner, Danaher Oil Company • BSCI, Maharishi European Research University 

• Residence: Fairfield, Iowa 

BOB DANIELS* 

Owner and Manager of Farris Properties LLC • Nationally recognized advisor to thousands of 

home service professionals • One of the first members of the Maharishi University of Management 

administrative staff • Former trustee of Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment • B.S. in 

Finance, California State Polytechnic University • Residence: Fairfield, Iowa 

MICHAEL DILLBECK* 

International Professor of Maharishi University of Management • BA, Benedictine College 

• M.S., PhD, Purdue University • Doctorate of World Peace, Maharishi University of World Peace 

• Residence: Champaign, Illinois


SUSAN LEVIN DILLBECK* 

International Professor of Education for Maharishi University of Management • President of the 

International Foundation of Consciousness-Based Education for Mothers in Every Generation 

• BA, University of Illinois • M.A., PhD, University of California at Berkeley • Residence: 

Champaign, Illinois 

MICHAEL DIMICK* 

Businessman • Philanthropist • B.S.C.I., Maharishi European Research University • MBA, 

Maharishi International University • Residence: Boise, Idaho 

BARBARA L. DREIER* 

A.B., Biology, Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges • MFA, Yale University School of Art 


JOSEPHINE BAIN FAUERSO 

Educator and businesswoman • B.S., Education, University of California at Berkeley • M.Ed., 

Maharishi International University • Residence: San Antonio, Texas 

PAUL GELDERLOOS* 

CEO Sahara International Ventures NV • National Director, Transcendental Meditation 

organization, The Netherlands • Chairman, Students International Meditation Society, 

Netherlands • Treasurer, Development Company Fortunate Living BV • CEO Pantheres Capital 

BV, a.o. owner and director of a Spa and five private schools in the Netherlands • Board member, 

Stichting Maharishi Global Financing Research • former professor of Psychology, Maharishi 

University of Management • PhD, Catholic Univerity of Nijmegen, The Netherlands • Residence: 

The Netherlands 

FRED GRATZON* 

Author and Entrepreneur • BA, Rutgers University • MSCI, Maharishi European Research 

University • Doctorate of Maharishi Master Management, Maharishi European Research 

University • Residence: Fairfield, Iowa 

JOHN HAGELIN* 

Director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy • Professor of Physics, 

Maharishi University of Management • International Director of the Global Union of Scientists for 

Peace • A.B. summa cum laude, Dartmouth College • A.M., PhD, Harvard University 

• Doctorate of World Peace, Maharishi University of World Peace • Residence: Fairfield, Iowa 

CHRISTOPHER HARTNETT* 

Businessman • Chairman of Global Central Bank, Global Country of World Peace • BA, 

Interdisciplinary Studies, Maharishi University of Management • Doctorate of Business 

Management, Maharishi European Research University • Doctorate of World Peace, Maharishi 

University of World Peace • Residence: Boone, North Carolina


BRUCE HAUPTMAN* 

Founder and CEO of B. Hauptman & Associates, LLC • Member of the Board of Directors of 

Transilica, Inc., Lakshmi Technologies, LLC • General Partner of the Gamelan Capital Fund, L.P. 

• B.S.C.I., Maharishi European Research University • Residence: Fairfield, Iowa 

VERNON KATZ 

Adjunct Professor of the Science of Creative Intelligence and Philosophy, Maharishi University of 

Management • Writer • Businessman • BA, PhD, Oxford University, England • Doctorate of 

World Peace, Maharishi University of World Peace • Residence: London, England 

JONI STEELE KIMBERLIN* 

Philanthropist • Supporter of nature and arts organizations • Residence: Greenwich, Connecticut 

CAROLYN GAYLORD KING 

Professor, Department of Physiology and Health • Senior Researcher, Maharishi University of 

Management Research Institute • BA, Southern Arkansas University • M.A., PhD, University of 

Michigan • Residence: Fairfield, Iowa 

TOBY LIEB* 

President of PTA and Founding Member of School Board of Maharishi School of the Age of 

Enlightenment, Washington, D.C. • BFA, Rhode Island School of Design • Enlightenment 

Conference Graduate • Residence: Fairfield, Iowa 

ARTHUR “BUD” LIEBLER 

Principal at Liebler MacDonald Communication Strategists • Former Senior Vice President of 

Marketing and Senior VP of Communications at Chrysler Corp., which became Daimler-Chrysler 

in 1998 • Residence: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 

DAVID LYNCH* 

Film Director • Founder and Chairman of the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based 

Education and World Peace • Doctor Honorarius, The Royal College of Art, England 

• Residence: Los Angeles, California 

EDWARD MALLOY* 

Mayor, Fairfield, Iowa • Previously member of the Fairfield City Council • President and Partner, 

Danaher Oil Company, Fairfield, Iowa • Founder and present board member, Fairfield 

Entrepreneurs Association • Board member, Iowans for a Better Future • Advisory Board 

member, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation • member, Citizens Advisory Council, Iowa State 

University Extension • Advisory Board member, Institute for Decision Making, University of 

Northern Iowa • BA, Ricker College • Residence: Fairfield, Iowa


TED McLAUGHLIN* 

Businessman and private investor • Philanthropist • BA, Accounting, University of Dayton 


LEONARD A. OPPENHEIM* 

Private investor • Former partner at the law firm of Geiger and Oppenheim • Former Managing 

Director at Banc of America Securities LLC • BA, Columbia College; JD, New York University 

Law School • Residence: Fairfield, Iowa 

RAVI PATEL, M.D.* 

Bakersfield/UCLA Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center • Chief, Division of 

Hematology/Oncology Kern Medical Center • Residence: Bakersfield, California 

STEVEN RUBIN* 

Chairman, United Fuels International • Residence: Boone, North Carolina 

PETRA STANLEY* 

Homemaker • Artist • Private investor • Former model • Trade and Business School, Germany 

• Residences: Fairfield, Iowa and Paderborn, Germany 

TOM STANLEY* 

Financial Consultant, Fairfield Investment Corporation • B.S.C.I., Maharishi European Research 

University • Residence: Fairfield, Iowa 

KEITH WALLACE 

Professor of Physiology and Director of Research (International), Maharishi University of 

Management • B.S., Physics, PhD, Physiology, University of California at Los Angeles 

• Doctorate of World Peace, Maharishi University of World Peace • Residences: Meru (Holland) 

and Fairfield, Iowa 

ROBERT G. WYNNE* 

Mayor of Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa • Professor of Management, Maharishi University of 

Management • BA, Stanford University, 1971 • S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1973 

• Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration, Maharishi European Research University • 

Doctor of Laws in Public Administration, Maharishi University of Management • Residence: 

Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa 

The Board of Trustees is organized in the following committees: 

• Endowment Committee – Joni Kimberlin, Chair 

Purpose – To raise endowment funds to support the University’s financial stability, to create 

funds to offset expenses not met by tuition through investments, and to provide scholarship 

opportunities.


• Development Committee – Fred Gratzon, Chair 

Purpose – To raise monies for the annual fund and other specific or restricted donation projects 

such as the Sustainable Living Center and the College of Natural Medicine; grant proposals. 

• Executive Committee / Finance Committee – Bob Brown, Chair 

Purpose – To maintain financial oversight and meet monthly to review policies with the MUM 

Executive Council. 

• Expansion Committee – Petra Stanley, Chair 

Purpose – To develop strategic plans to grow our prospering academic programs, create global 

relationships with other Universities, explore opportunities for Internet/web-based educational 

opportunities, executive training programs, and others. 

• Marketing / Public Relations Committee – John Hagelin, Chair 

Purpose – To grow the popularity and enrollment of MUM, create conferences, position MUM as 

a leader of education and support the Endowment and Development Committees. 

• Academic Committee – Michael Dillbeck and Susie Dillbeck, Chairs 

Purpose – To provide oversight of all academic programs, teaching, and faculty training. 

• Technology Committee – Bruce Currivan, Chair 

Purpose – To harness the potential of our faculty and students in creating technologies and 

patents that can provide a continuous flow of income to the University. It could also help support 

the development of software used in the University. 

• Health and Happiness Committee – Carolyn King, Chair 

Purpose – To assure the health and happiness of the students, faculty and staff. Also work with 

the student government and on issues of attrition and cultural integration. 

• Sustainability Committee – Michael Dimick, Chair 

Purpose – To support and advise on the designing, building, and renovating of our campus in 

accord with Natural Law, creating an all-Vastu campus and the first off-the-grid university.


UNIV ERSI TY ORGA NI ZA TIO N, 

ADMI NIST RA TIO N, AND EVA LU ATIO N 

The corporate entity Maharishi University of Management has two organizational arms, the 

University and the Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment (please refer to organization 

chart in the Resource Room). The audited financial statements describe the entire corporate 

entity, but this Self-Study Report concerns only the postsecondary unit. 

The Board of Trustees, by majority vote, appoints the principal officers of the University, 

who are the President, the Executive Vice-President, the Treasurer, and the Secretary. Other 

University leaders are appointed by the President. 

The administration of daily affairs is conducted by an Executive Vice-President, who reports 

to the President, in conjunction with the other administrative and academic leaders. The 

Executive Vice-President chairs the University Council, the body principally responsible for 

University planning. Administrative departments report to the Chief Administrative Officer. 

Academic departments, institutes, student services, and academic support departments report to 

the Dean of Faculty, who chairs the Faculty Senate. 

Principal officers 

PRESIDENT 

The President of the University is Dr. Bevan Morris. His qualifications were described in the 

previous section. Dr. Morris was appointed President in 1980 and served as Chair of the Board of 

Trustees from 1980 to 2009. 

As Chief Executive Officer, the President exercises general policy supervision over the 

University’s activities. This primarily involves inspiring and monitoring the major developmental 

objectives. The operational duties of the President include: 

• Approving faculty appointments, major academic and administrative policies, and 

development plans. 

• Generating support for the University from its external constituencies. 

• Serving as the University’s representative internationally and presenting its programs to 

government and educational leaders of other nations. 

Dr. Morris guides the University’s global mission and also helps guide the activities of its 

affiliated organizations around the world. In this capacity he is currently based in the Netherlands, 

but he makes a number of trips to the Fairfield campus each year. He maintains very close 

communication with the University’s leadership by telephone and email and is always available 

for consultation.


EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT 

Craig Pearson was appointed Executive Vice-President in 1998. He holds a BA degree from 

Duke University in German, an M.A. degree in higher education administration from Maharishi 

University of Management, an M.A. in English and Writing from the University of Iowa, and a 

PhD in Maharishi Vedic Science from Maharishi University of Management. The Executive 

Vice-President chairs the Executive Committee. He reports to the President and is responsible for 

the strategic planning process and for implementing the initiatives and tasks of the plan and 

monitoring the results. 

TREASURER 

Michael Spivak established the University’s first accounting system in 1973 and has been 

Treasurer since 1997. He served as Assistant Treasurer and as a consultant to the University prior 

to that. Before joining the University, he was a CPA and financial executive in California. He has 

a BA from the University of California at Berkeley. 

SECRETARY 

Susan Tracy has been the Secretary of the University since 1977. She has a B.Mus. degree from 

the Boston Conservatory of Music. 

University Council 

The University Council is responsible for strategic planning and implementation, along with 

ongoing administration. Its members include: 

• Executive Vice-President – Craig Pearson 

• Treasurer – Michael Spivak 

• Vice–President of Finance – David Todt 

• Chief Operating Officer – Tom Brooks 

• Chief Administrative Officer – David Streid 

• Dean of Faculty – Cathy Gorini 

• Dean of Admissions – Ron Barnett 

• Deans of Men and Women – Lynwood King and Snezana Petrovski 

• Director of International Expansion – Scott Herriott 

• Directors of Development – Nick and Sandra Rosania 

• Director of Special Projects – Brad Mylett 

The University Council’s responsibilities include:


• Working with the Trustees to develop the overall institutional objectives and priorities that 

provide the framework for University and departmental planning. 

• Reviewing department plans, assigning priorities, reviewing implementation, and evaluating 

results. 

• Conducting the administrative affairs of the University. 

• Reporting regularly to the President and Board of Trustees. 

The University Council meets for an informal working lunch meeting several times each 

month. 

President Morris has appointed a smaller Executive Committee of University Council to 

manage week-by-week affairs. Members include Dr. Pearson, Mr. Spivak, Dr. Streid, Mr. 

Brooks, Mr. Todt, Dr. Gorini, and Mr. Mylett. This group meets weekly, and more frequently as 

necessary. 

ACAD EM IC AD MIN ISTR AT ION 

The academic departments are represented on the University Council by the Dean of Faculty, Dr. 

Cathy Gorini, who also chairs the Faculty Senate and Academic Council. Dr. Gorini, who holds a 

BA from Cornell University and an M.S. and PhD from the University of Virginia, has been with 

the University for 30 years. Prior to becoming Dean of Faculty in April 2003, she chaired the 

Mathematics Department and the Curriculum Committee and served as Dean of the College of 

Arts and Sciences. 

Academic governance is based on collegial decision-making. Each academic department 

meets weekly to discuss issues concerning its programs, administration, and planning. Certain 

decisions, such as those about new programs and faculty, are referred to appropriate committees 

of the Faculty Senate. 

The faculty and administration enjoy an unusually harmonious relationship. The harmony and 

coherence within the University is a special strength that permits the institution to make decisions 

and achieve results that might be more difficult elsewhere. 

FACULTY SENATE AND ACADEMIC COUNCIL 

All full-time faculty are members of the Faculty Senate, which has ultimate responsibility for all 

academic affairs. However, the major academic issues are discussed and decided by the 

Academic Council, the executive body of the Faculty Senate, at its twice-monthly meetings. It is 

chaired by the Dean of Faculty and is comprised of the deans, all academic department chairs, the 

Director of Evaluation, the Director of the Library, and the Registrar.


The Academic Council reviews all decisions of Faculty Senate committees and monitors 

academic programs. Actions of the Academic Council on academic matters are subject to Faculty 

Senate approval, while more limited or routine decisions are reported to the Faculty Senate 

through the publication of the Faculty Senate docket. If the Faculty Senate raises a concern about 

any such decision, the question is referred back to the committee from which it originated. 

(Please see the description of the Faculty Senate and procedures in the Faculty Handbook.) 

The Academic Council meets with the University Council on an as-needed basis to consider 

issues in long-range planning. 

GRADUATE COMMITTEE 

The Graduate Committee has representatives from each graduate degree program. The committee 

is chaired by the Dean of Graduate Studies, Dr. Frederick Travis. The Graduate Committee sets 

and administers all policy regarding graduate studies. 

CURRICULUM COMMITTEE 

The Curriculum Committee of the Faculty Senate functions as the undergraduate programs 

committee and has representatives from each of the undergraduate degree programs. It is chaired 

by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Chris Jones. The Curriculum Committee 

sets and administers all policy regarding undergraduate studies. 

INFORMAL GOVERNANCE MECHANISM 

In addition to the formal committee structure outlined above, the academic and administrative 

leaders primarily concerned with the undergraduate student experience meet weekly in a working 

lunch. This includes the Executive Vice-President, the Dean of Faculty, the Dean of the College 

of Arts and Sciences, the Deans of Students, the Director of Evaluation, the Dean of Admissions, 

and others. Though not a formal decision-making body, this group considers broad issues related 

to student satisfaction and retention and relays issues to academic committees as appropriate. 

NON-AC ADE MI C ADM INIS TRA TI ON 

The administrative departments are represented on the University Council by the Chief 

Administrative Officer, Dr. David Streid, who began working for the University in 1983. The 

administrative departments include the Human Resource Office, Facilities Management, Housing 

and Housekeeping, Food Services, the University Press, Purchasing, Accounting, 

Communications, and recreation facilities.


ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF 

One of our strengths is the substantial involvement of volunteers in staffing the University. The 

ability to draw upon the contributed services and skills of hundreds of individuals has been, and 

continues to be, an invaluable asset and a foundation for our continued development. 

Staff are of two types. Those in the Ideal Administrator program, who work at less-thanmarket 

rates of cash compensation but receive many non-cash benefits, comprise the majority of 

the administrative staff. The second type, hourly workers who are paid at market rates, are not 

subject to the same work requirements as the Ideal Administrators and receive a narrower range 

of benefits. 

STRAT EG IC PL ANN IN G 

Planning has always played a central role in the University’s governance. At the end of the 1990s, 

the primary focus of strategic planning was expanding the enrollment. That initiative has proven 

successful and remains a focus of planning. But planning has expanded to include a number of 

other areas. The current strategic planning initiatives are directed at: 

(1) Expanding enrollment 

(2) Reconstructing the campus 

(3) Planning for a growing on-campus population 

(3) Making the campus increasingly sustainable 

(4) Improving retention 

(5) Continuously improving the student learning experience. 

This section gives a brief history and summary of each planning focus. 

(1) Planning for expanding enrollment 

In 1998-1999, we undertook a strategic planning process that extended previous planning 

initiatives. The primary goal emerging from this process was enrollment growth. The primary 

strategy was termed the growth center strategy. This involved identifying a small number of 

academic programs with potential for substantial and rapid growth. The approach aimed to give 

greater focus and leverage to the following areas: 

• Recruiting – by recruiting for specific academic programs as well as for the University 

generally, building bridges into the University for larger numbers of students. 

• Public Affairs — by providing new opportunities for publicizing the University.


• Fundraising – by providing donors opportunities to support expansion of specific academic 

programs, including new construction for these areas, leading to increased enrollment, tuition 

revenue, and public recognition that expansion of these programs will bring. 

Enrollment growth was also envisioned to provide additional support for faculty 

compensation and scholarly activities. 

This approach proved highly successful, and we have continued executing this plan over the 

past decade, supported by increased investment in the Admissions Office. In the spring of 2000, 

total enrollment stood at 399. By the spring of 2009, it had risen to 1,231, an increase of 309%. 

Four academic areas were identified as growth centers in the original plan 10 years ago — 

computer science, business, Maharishi Vedic Medicine, and digital media. These fields were 

selected due to their prospects for enrollment growth and job placement as well synergy with 

other programs. 

COMPUTER SCIENCE 

In 2000, the Computer Science department had only recently restructured its M.S. program as a 

co-op program, and its enrollment had increased significantly, to 46 enrolled students from 

around the world, with high demand for skilled IT workers in the U.S.. Enrollment in the 

Computer Professionals program in the spring of 2009 was 624 (including full-time on-campus


students and off-campus DE students doing curricular practical training), making this the largest 

graduate computer science master’s program in the country, as far as we know. Since 2000, 579 

students have graduated from the program, and the students have been employed by more than 

800 companies throughout the United States. 

BUSINESS 

Business was a logical choice as a Growth center because we had graduated more students with 

undergraduate or graduate degrees in business and management than in any other single 

program — and business, of course, was and remains a highly popular field of study nationwide. 

The department had a solid core of faculty and had recently reorganized the curriculum to give it 

a more entrepreneurial focus. The MBA had led the way in our distance education initiatives, 

with five assisted sites in India and a developing collaboration in China. 

The distance education program in India spanned the years 1996 to 2003, a partnership with 

Maharishi University of Management, India (MIM), which assisted MUM locally in the sitebased 

distance education programs through study centers in that country. In 2002, MIM requested 

of the Indian government the ability to offer a local Indian MBA degree without a U.S. partner, 

and this program was spun off from MUM in 2003. Altogether 878 students received MBAs from 

MUM (another 15 received masters degrees in computer science). 

We obtained recognition from the Higher Learning Commission for an international program 

site in Beijing, China, and since 2003 we have been offering degree programs in business 

administration and computer science at our international program site in Beijing, in collaboration 

with a Chinese partner, the Overseas Chinese College of Capital University of Economics and 

Business. As of Spring 2009, undergraduate enrollment in Beijing was 78 students, and the 

program has graduated 184 students. This program has also been a source of enrollment for our 

Fairfield campus: In 2008-2009, 30 students transferred from Beijing and were enrolled at the 

Fairfield campus. 

In 2005, the department added a specialized, accelerated track in accounting for experienced 

accounting progressions, in a co-op format modeled after the Computer Science Professionals 

program. Enrollment grew quickly. The first year’s two cohorts comprised 39 students — and by 

Spring 2009 total enrollment had risen to 198 students, including full-time on-campus students 

and students completing their degree by distance education. 

Responding to student interest and demand, the department added a sustainability emphasis to 

the MBA. The standard MBA program is currently identified as an MBA in Sustainable Business, 

with principles and examples of green business, natural capitalism, ethical integrity, and social 

responsibility integrated into the curriculum. MBA students can also take up to 8 units of 

designated courses in Sustainable Living. This emphasis has been evolving since 2003-2004, the 

first year in which the catalog described the MBA program in terms of ecological 

entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability.


MAHARISHI VEDIC MEDICINE 

In response to suboptimal enrollment, the graduate programs in this department were placed on 

temporary hold, while the undergraduate program was reframed as a major in Physiology and 

Health. An undergraduate pre-med program began in the spring semester of 2009 as a track in the 

Physiology and Health major, with strong participation from existing undergraduate students and 

interest from prospective students. Admission to the doctoral program in Physiology was 

suspended in 2004 but resumed in 2008. 

In 2008, planning began to create a medical school that would offer an M.D. with 

specialization in the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health with some training in all other 

modalities of natural medicine — making this the first truly integrated medical school in the 

country. Planning and fundraising efforts are being led by Robert Schneider, M.D., Director of 

the Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention; since 1990, Dr. Schneider and his collaborators 

have received $23 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health for research on the 

Transcendental Meditation program and health, particularly cardiovascular health, and he has 

gained a national and international reputation for his research. The process of establishing a 

medical school is expected to take several years, and we will submit a formal proposal to the 

Higher Learning Commission when we are ready. We expect the medical school to be very 

successful, considering the burgeoning interest in natural medicine over the past decade and the 

fact that the demand for training exceeds the ability of current medical schools to supply it. 

DIGITAL MEDIA — COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA 

In 2000, the Fine Arts Department had the largest on-campus full-time enrollment, with 40 or 

more students in the major and many more taking art courses as electives. A co-op program in 

Digital Media & Website Design, modeled after the computer science co-op program, began in 

the fall of 2000 but did not experience the growth we anticipated. In 2007 the program was 

relaunched as Media and Communications, with 12 students. The next year, 2008–2009, 

enrollment grew to 37, and demand appears to be escalating. Current plans include adding a 

masters degree program to meet demand from prospective students and inquirers. 

SUSTAINABLE LIVING 

A growth center unforeseen in the 1998-1999 planning process grew out of the undergraduate 

major in biology. The director of that program, Dr. David Fisher, reframed the program as 

Sustainable Living — the first such undergraduate degree program in the U.S. Its mission is to 

provide students with the skills and knowledge they need to help design, build, and maintain local 

sustainable communities in the context of regional, national, and global communities. 

This program began in the fall of 2003 with six majors. By the spring of 2009 this number 

had risen to more than 60, making it by far our largest undergraduate program Prospective 

students have been visiting this program’s web page in much higher numbers as well.


Students are drawn to the program both for its Consciousness-Based foundation and for the 

broad, multidisciplinary knowledge offered. Students gain knowledge in the foundational 

principles in self-sustainability, eco-geophysiology, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, 

green architecture, sustainable business, and bio-cultural ethics along with hands-on activities 

such as building wind generators, solar panel trackers, and biodiesel conversion units that provide 

ongoing support to the University. Extensive field trips and internships for credit round out this 

broad holistic training in sustainability. 

Current plans for the Sustainable Living Department include: 

• Adding greater depth to the program through specialized tracks in such fields as renewable 

energy and sustainable agriculture, as well as bringing in more experts as guest speakers and 

visiting faculty 

• Adding a masters degree program to meet the demand from prospective students interested in 

sustainable living who already have bachelor’s degrees. 

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE 

With approximately 25 Chinese students arriving for this program this fall from our partner 

institution in Beijing, and with indications of interest by many more, this area looks to be another 

growth center. 

In the summer of 2009, we began a process of refreshing the original Growth Center plan. 

Immediate areas of focus are the programs in Sustainable Living, Communications and Media, 

and ESL. We will also begin planning lectures, seminars, and courses to individuals by distance 

education. We are creating a three-year plan for each area that projects enrollment growth, 

financial and faculty requirements, and space needs. 

(2) Planning for reconstructing the campus 

One of the most striking changes in the University over the past decade has been the 

reconstruction of its campus. This unprecedented project began in 2000 with the opening of the 

Dreier Building, a 19,000-square-foot building housing administrative offices and classrooms. 

(As its first function, it provided meeting space for the 2000 comprehensive visiting team.) 

The 1990 and 2000 teams had expressed concern about the deferred maintenance of the 

campus. Shortly after the opening of the Dreier Building, the Board of Trustees resolved to 

undertake a multi-year project to rebuild the entire campus. All new buildings would take 

advantage of the principles of architecture brought to light from the ancient Vedic tradition of 

architecture by Maharishi. These precise mathematical principles result in buildings that promote 

the health and well-being of those who live and work in them. This initiative represented another 

facet of our commitment to provide an optimal living and working environment for students,


faculty, and staff, as well as our mission to apply the knowledge of this ancient tradition of 

knowledge. 

This initiative gave rise to a capital fundraising campaign that inspired a flood of donations. 

Prior to 2000, we had received $403,744 in donations for new building construction (for 

construction of the Dreier Building). Since January 2000, we have received more than $11 

million in donations toward reconstructing our campus, as well as more than $500,000 for 

demolition of old buildings. 

Since 2000, we have demolished 42 old buildings. Of the 70 buildings inherited from Parsons 

College, only 28 remain. Over the same period, 70 new buildings have been built on campus, 

some built by the University, others privately. These include residence halls, classroom buildings, 

homes, apartment buildings, condos, and, on campus land purchased from the University, a 

commercial office building and a condominium. The campus has been transformed. 

The current project is the Sustainable Living Center, a building that will be unique in the 

world. Off the grid in every respect, it brings together the principles of Vedic Architecture, Bau- 

Biology, and sustainable construction in a structure expected to be the first building to meet the 

Living Building Challenge of the Cascadia Region Green Building Council. 

In addition, we have done major renovation projects in a number of student dormitories. 

(3) Planning for a growing on-campus population 

This reconstruction process has proceeded hand in hand with strategic planning for growth of 

overall student enrollment. We have also developed a model showing the University’s additional 

needs for financial support, faculty and other human resource support, and residential, classroom, 

and office space as overall enrollment expands. Since we cannot predict the rate at which 

enrollment will grow, this plan is based not on achieving specific enrollment targets by certain 

dates but rather on identifying the elements that must be in place as we approach critical 

enrollment thresholds. 

(4) Planning for campus sustainability 

In 2007 we signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. A 

more detailed discussion of plans in this area is given in the “Campus Sustainability” section on 

page 160. 

(5) Planning for improving retention 

This planning is discussed in detail in the “Retention” section on page 189.


(6) Planning for continuously improving the student learning experience 

Continuous improvement of student learning has always been a faculty focal point. The annual 

Faculty Development Seminar prior to the start of each academic year always includes sessions 

on enhancing student learning, and best practices are shared at faculty meetings during the year. 

But the comprehensive analysis of student retention in the Spring of 2009 brought even greater 

focus to this long-standing work. It became even clearer, for example, that our students desire 

even more opportunities for hands-on learning in many courses, and that some students need 

greater flexibility in the requirements for a major. 

As a result, we brought together in a single plan the threads of our ongoing efforts with the 

new ideas that emerged from the many discussions during this period. This will enable us to 

monitor the progress of each element in a more coherent manner. 

One immediate outcome of the process, well received by students, was completion of an 

interdisciplinary studies plan for students who would like to take courses from more than one 

major, also called at some colleges a “self-designed major.” 

ASSESSME NT OF INS TIT UTI ONA L EFF ECT IVE NESS 

We are effective as an institution if we are achieving our purposes and making progress toward 

the broad goals presented in the Mission Statement. Institutional effectiveness therefore includes 

both achieving academic outcomes and promoting institutional development and growth. 

Assessment of academic outcomes 

We discuss student outcomes assessment in the Undergraduate Programs section (page 52). In 

brief, we assess general educational outcomes through a set of measures taken on students in their 

freshmen year and again in their senior year. These measures assess our progress in achieving our 

first purpose, the holistic development of the student. 

A second purpose of the academic programs is to promote excellence by developing students’ 

expertise in their fields of study. We evaluate this by assessing student outcomes in each degree 

program. Each academic department has filed a program assessment plan with the Director of 

Assessment. At the end of each year, the departments submit an annual program assessment 

report to the Dean of Faculty. This becomes part of the Annual Assessment Report that goes to 

the Executive Committee and the Trustees. 

In 2007, the faculty began writing Closing the Loop reports on the courses they teach. In 

these reports, the faculty relate the course outcomes assessment to the educational goals of the 

course and relate their recommendations for change to the actual student learning outcomes. 

Faculty send these reports to their department heads to be aggregated in the annual program


assessment report, which is forwarded to the deans for academic planning. Thus, the faculty play 

an essential role in using student learning outcomes to drive organizational improvement, and 

through this they have come to appreciate the purposes and significance of assessment. 

Monitoring the achievement of other purposes 

Our mission includes two additional elements: conducting original research to extend the frontiers 

of knowledge and improving the quality of life for the individual, the nation, and the world. 

The Executive Committee monitors the scholarly output of the faculty through the annual 

departmental reports, and it has staffed the Sponsored Programs Office with two full-time persons 

who help the faculty apply for grants. 

University leaders take very seriously their responsibility to use the knowledge of the societal 

effects of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs to improve social quality of life. 

A substantial body of scientific research indicates that when the number of people practicing the 

Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs as a group reaches the square root of a 

population, the quality of life for the population as a whole increases significantly — as indicated 

by such measures as reduced crime and sickness and accident rates. 

Over more than three decades now, we have undertaken a number of projects toward this end. 

A long-standing goal has been to increase the number of participants in the Transcendental 

Meditation and TM-Sidhi program in Fairfield to at least 2,000 — enough to create a positive 

effect for the entire United States. This effort received a significant boost in July 2006, with the 

launching of the “Invincible America Assembly.” Financial support was provided by the Howard 

and Alice Settle Foundation for Invincible America. This foundation offers support for 

individuals committed to substantial participation in these programs for the development of 

consciousness. The number of participants grew steadily and has been hovering just under 2,000 

at this writing. The results of this effort have been monitored through analysis of the national and 

international news, the economy, and the number of hurricanes reaching U.S. shores. 

Another way to improve the quality of life worldwide is to implement Consciousness-Based 

education with or through other educational institutions. Two members of the faculty, Dr. Dennis 

Heaton and Dr. Scott Herriott, focus on such projects. 

Summary of key indicators of institutional effectiveness 

The annual review of the University’s strategy is based on an evaluation of the trends in the 

following variables, which the University’s leaders believe to be the principal features of 

institutional effectiveness.


R E C R U I T I N G 

Undergraduate 

• Number of student inquiries 

• Number of applications (and percentage of applications to inquiries) 

• Acceptance rate (%) 

• Yield rate (conversion of accepted applications to matriculations) 

Graduate 

• Number of inquiries 

• Number of applications (and percentage of applications to inquiries) 

• Acceptance rate (%) 

• Yield rate (conversion of applications to matriculations) 

E N R O L L M E N T 

• Total enrollment, and enrollment broken out by graduate and undergraduate programs, by U.S. 

and international students, by on-campus and distance education, by standard and nonstandard 

tuition rates, by various programs of special interest 

• Percentage of international students and total number of countries represented 

• Student meditation status 

– percentages of new students who are meditators, who have taken advanced TM training, or 

are Transcendental Meditation teachers 

– percentages of student body overall who are meditators, who have taken advanced TM 

training, or are Transcendental Meditation teachers 

– percentage of undergraduate students learning the advanced TM-Sidhi program by 

graduation 

• Retention rates 

– first to second year 

– overall undergraduate retention annually 

– graduate student retention 

A C A D E M I C P R O G R A M S – G R A D U A T E A N D U N D E R G R A D U A T E 

• Average class size in each program 

• Graduation rate (percentage of undergraduate students who graduate within six years) 

• Number of students graduating from each program annually


• General education outcomes: writing, speaking, technology, critical thinking, problem-solving 

ability, understanding of Maharishi Vedic Science (MVS) 

• Discipline outcomes evidenced in annual program assessment reports: knowledge of discipline 

content, research skills, applications, relationship to MVS 

• Measures of student development of consciousness 

• Student satisfaction overall 

F A C U L T Y T E A C H I N G A N D R E S E A R C H 

• Indicators of faculty teaching performance 

• An index of scholarship — of discovery, teaching, integration and application — based on the 

count of books, journal articles, conference presentations, course development activity during 

the year 

F A C U L T Y A N D ST A F F 

• Student-faculty ratio 

• Student-support staff ratio 

• Faculty and staff compensation 

• Faculty and staff retention 

A L U M N I 

• Percentage of students employed six months out (and starting salaries) — undergraduate and 

graduate 

• Percentage of students going to graduate school 

• Average undergraduate indebtedness upon graduation 

• Alumni satisfaction with curriculum and programs as preparation for career 

FI N A N CI A L 

• Annual change in net assets 

• Student revenues 

– Average net tuition and fees per student, undergraduate and graduate 

– Financial aid dollars per student, institutional and funded 

• Total revenue from grants and contracts for research 

• Donations 

– Annual Fund — total dollars, number of donors, average gift size


– Capital Gifts 

– Planned Giving 

• Endowment and Ancillary Businesses 

– size of endowment 

– total annual revenue on endowment 

– Utopia Park, value and income 

– Monthly sales and net revenue from Bookstore, Dome Market, MUM Press, Recreation 

Center 

• Monthly insurance expenditures, insurance claims, Workers Comp expenditures 

• Budget Report – dials on the dashboard – examples: 

– total enrollment 

– student receipts 

– undergraduate enrollment in Fairfield 

– graduate enrollment 

– Computer Professionals program – student status 

– Computer Professionals program – number of loans, actual vs. budget 

– Computer Professionals program – net amount of loans, actual vs. budget 

– Computer Professionals program – new enrollment 

D I S SE M I N A T I O N O F C O N S CI O U S N E S S - B A S E D E D U C A T I O N 

W O R L D W I D E 

• Number of previously non-affiliated institutions incorporating Consciousness-Based education 

N E W C O N ST R U C T I O N 

• Number of people living and working in Maharishi Sthapatya Veda buildings 

C O M M U N I T Y 

• Golden Dome participation — students, staff, faculty, townspeople, Invincible America 

Assembly participants 

Strengths and challenges in governance, administration, planning, 

and development 

STRENGTHS 

1. Active Board of Trustees — We benefit from a committed and active Board of Trustees.


2. Dynamic leadership — The University is led by Dr. Bevan Morris, who became President of 

the University in 1980, making him the longest-standing university president in Iowa and one 

of the longest-standing in the country. As both an administrative and academic leader, Dr. 

Morris is widely respected by faculty, administration, and students. A global leader in 

Consciousness-Based education, Dr. Morris has traveled to more than 100 countries meeting 

with heads of state, ministers of education, and other government, business, and social 

leaders, which is crucial to the outreach component of our mission. Day-to-day 

administration is overseen by the Executive Vice President and the University Council. 

3. Dedicated administrators and staff — We are fortunate to have exceptionally dedicated 

administrators and staff, many of whom work essentially as volunteers. Our ability to draw 

upon the contributed services and skills of hundreds of individuals has been and continues to 

be an invaluable asset. 

4. Collegial decision-making — Our academic governance is based on collegial decision 

making, implemented through committees of the Faculty Senate, with policies and decisions 

reviewed by the Academic Council and by the Faculty Senate as a whole. As a small 

institution with many years of service and leaders who have served the University for many 

years, the faculty know each other well and work together in an atmosphere of respect and 

appreciation. 

5. Planning — We have a strong planning process, which has led to robust enrollment growth 

and substantial progress in reconstructing the campus. The rising enrollment in turn keeps our 

leadership focused on planning. 

6. Assessment — We have a strong commitment to evaluation, especially of the holistic growth 

of students through psychological and physiological testing. Almost all the faculty have 

written Closing the Loop reports on the courses they teach, which relate their 

recommendations for change to the experienced student learning outcomes. These reports are 

aggregated at the program level and give useful information to department heads and deans 

for academic planning. 

7. Financial management — We steward our financial resources carefully and conservatively. 


1. Attrition — Please refer to the discussion at page 189. 

• Expanding fundraising efforts — We have enjoyed great support from donors over the past 

two decades and continue to benefit from stable support for the Annual Fund and major gifts 

for special projects. But we need to expand our donor support, and we to build our endowment 

from its current level (about $6 million) to $50 million or higher.


Response — We are establishing an office of Planned Giving within our Development Office, 

as a strategy for building the endowment. We are planning to expand our fundraising efforts 

to focus more intensively on alumni who have graduated within the last 10-15 years. 

• Increasing staff compensation — To continue attracting staff and ensure retention, 

compensation must be increased over the next five years. 

Response — Rising enrollment enabled us to modestly increase the average faculty and staff 

compensation in the last few years. Further increases in compensation will be made possible 

by a combination of expanded fundraising, increased enrollment, and increased endowment. 

The Growth Center plan and the capital fundraising campaign are directly aimed at increasing 

both revenue and enrollment.


FACI LIT IES MANA GEM EN T 

The Facilities Management department is responsible for maintaining about a million square feet 

of usable space in more than 50 buildings on 262 acres at the Fairfield campus. Through its 

energy management activities, the department helps to reduce our operating costs, and through its 

maintenance, renovation, and building programs, it provides for the campus’s future needs. 

Outsourcing of Facilities Management 

In June 2009, we contracted with Aramark to take over facilities management. We needed more 

sophisticated management systems, including computerized maintenance management systems, 

along with the experience in best practices that a company such as Aramark can provide. 

We expect (and have started to see) that Aramark will provide better services at or below our 

previous costs. They provide state-of-the-art cleaning equipment and better training for our 

custodial staff, which will lead to improved cleanliness of our campus buildings. We expect that 

their detailed preventive maintenance program will better predict our-long term maintenance 

needs and enable us to budget for them, thus reducing the number of unexpected deferred 

maintenance issues we have seen in the past. 

Energy management 

As a charter signatory to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, 

we are dedicated to reducing our carbon footprint to near zero over the next decade. We intend to 

achieve this through energy conservation, reducing energy demand, and converting to renewable 

energy sources. Please see the section on “Campus Sustainability” below. 

The Facilities Management department also has an active program to educate students, 

faculty, and staff about practices for efficient energy use. The department also seeks to replace 

inefficient appliances and lighting with more efficient ones. All new appliances and equipment 

must be Energy Star rated. In addition, Aramark is conducting a campus-wide energy analysis to 

determine cost effective ways of reducing our energy consumption and costs. These efforts, 

combined with our interruptible power agreement with Alliant Energy, have reduced our annual 

energy costs on campus to $0.76/square foot, quite low by industry standards. 

Maintenance 

Aramark is installing a computerized management system that will allow us to accurately track 

the maintenance needs of all campus buildings. This system will enable work requests to be 

submitted online, with prompt feedback on the status of the request. Aramark is also conducting a 

complete assessment of our current and future maintenance needs, allowing us to better budget 

for the associated expenses over the coming years.


Building construction and renovation 

This past decade has been a time of great transformation in the physical campus. We demolished 

36 small dorms and 7 other old buildings inherited from Parsons College days and long past their 

expected life. We built six eight-room student residences using Maharishi Sthapatya-Ved 

architectural design. In just the last five years, we renovated ten 40-room residence halls at a cost 

of more than $1,000,000. We spent another $2,000,000 to renovate roofs, to provide geothermal 

energy to the library, Henn Mansion, and a small storage building, to renovate two more 40-room 

residence halls, and to renovate two of the five three-story “high rise” residence halls that account 

for 130 rooms now used for undergraduate men. We also did extensive maintenance on the 125- 

room Hildenbrand women’s residence hall. 

Several new buildings have been constructed in recent years. In addition to the 13,000 square 

foot, $2 million Dreier Building completed in 2000, we constructed the McLaughlin building for 

the Computer Science department in 2001 (12,000 square feet at $1 million), the Maharishi Veda 

Bhavan building for Education and Maharishi Vedic Science in 2002 (8,000 square feet at $0.8 

million), Headley Hall in Maharishi Vedic City for the Center for Natural Medicine and 

Prevention (12,000 square feet at $1.3 million), eight residences for university administrators 

(13,200 square feet for $0.8 million), and the magnificent Argiro Student Center (50,000 square 

feet for $8 million). 

We are now raising funds for a 9,000-square-foot Sustainable Living Center that will cost 

$1.5 million and be certified LEED Platinum. 

We expect our existing capacity in student residences and classroom space to be sufficient for 

the University’s growth until the Fall 2010 entry. 

Plans 

We plan to continue the major renovations of our campus residence halls over the next three years 

to accommodate our growing student population. We are also developing plans for building new 

residence halls and classroom buildings to accommodate the student population as it begins to 

exceed our current campus capacity.


CAMP US SUST AIN ABI LIT Y 

In 2007 President Morris signed the American College and University Presidents Climate 

Commitment, making MUM a Charter Signatory. Our aim is to become the first college or 

university in America to become truly carbon neutral. In this section we summarize our efforts 

thus far. 

Energy conservation has been a priority for many years, both for limiting our environmental 

impact and for reducing operating costs. Recent upswings in energy prices, along with the 

planned addition of new buildings, further highlight the need for reducing energy demand and 

developing and local, renewable energy sources. 

But the signing of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment 

brought to our university a commitment and responsibility to become carbon-neutral by a specific 

but yet-to-be-defined date. On or before September 15, 2009, we will file with the sponsoring 

organization, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education 

(AASHE), our Climate Action Plan (CAP) in which we will publicly announce a target date for 

carbon-neutrality and outline in detail the planning and implementation of specific projects and 

policies that will fulfill that goal (this report is in the Resource Room). While many universities 

may opt to dip into their large endowments to purchase carbon offsets as a means of fulfilling this 

pledge, Maharishi University of Management will, by all possible means, actually achieve this 

goal. 

A side-benefit to making swift and visible progress on achieving climate neutrality will be 

national publicity and a marked increase in new student enrollment. 

Progress and plans in sustainability education 

• Our undergraduate program in Sustainable Living is the first of its kind in the country. Due to 

demand we are planning a master’s degree program in Sustainable Living. 

• Our student-conceived and organized EcoFair, an annual event since 2002, features nationally 

known experts on sustainable practices and draws hundreds of people from around the region. 

Progress and plans for geothermal 

• In the next four years we plan to convert the heating and cooling of our buildings to 

geothermal energy. This will save more than 45% of our energy expenditures and greatly 

reduce our carbon footprint. 

• We have leased a horizontal boring machine and our Sustainability Coordinator, Mark 

Stimson, is training a crew to operate the machine.


• The Golden Dome Market storeroom is now on-line, with air-conditioning provided using 

geothermal energy and the heat banked for use next winter. 

• Boring is 80% completed to install geo-thermal in Zone 1 of the Sustainability Wing of the 

Library, to be commissioned later this summer. 

• Henn Mansion will be the third project and will be completed in September. 

Progress and plans for wind development 

We wish to convert to wind-powered electrical generation as soon as possible. Mark Stimson is 

leading an initiative to explore all the issues associated with a wind farm development near 

campus. 

• Two turbines of 1.5 MW each would provide enough net energy to service campus. 

• We have located a site about two miles north and east from campus, just west of Cambridge 

Investment on Pleasant Plain Road. 

• The owner, a local farmer, has agreed to lease us land for locating the turbines. Cambridge 

Investment (a company located several miles north of campus) has agreed to provide an 

easement for using the old railroad right-of-way they now own. This easement will provide 

access for turbine installation and service vehicles. 

• We have spoken with consultants who coordinate all phases of the wind project, including 

turbine purchase, site location and wind studies, legal issues, and interconnect issues. 

• To manage the project, we have created three new Limited Liability Companies and a 

Managing Partner (Fairfield Renewable Energy, Inc.). 

• We have applied for grants from the USDA that would provide $1,000,000 and 30-50% in 

loan guarantees. Of the total project cost, 30% will be covered by a cash grant from the U.S. 

Treasury ARRA fund. We have also applied for other financing, including zero-interest and 

low-interest loans. 

• The total project cost, as it is now envisioned with three turbines, is estimated at about $7 

million and would take two years to implement. 

Progress and plans for solar development 

• Solar energy currently provides power for three classrooms and six offices in the 

Sustainability Wing of the Library complex. 

• We have applied for a USDA grant to install approximately 1,000 solar photovoltaic panels on 

campus rooftops. Other funding will come from the U.S. Treasury 30% ARRA cash grant 

program and various lenders.


• We have applied for a grant from the Iowa Office of Energy Independence for putting up 40 

solar hot water panels on rooftops to provide hot water for showers and laundry in one or more 

dormitories. 

Solar photovoltaic systems 

• The Sustainable Living department has purchased and set up a 1.7 kW tracking array, which is 

providing clean power for three classrooms, six offices, and one hallway. 

• We are working on spreadsheet models for using Solar PV to assist in Peak Shaving, a strategy 

to reduce demand at peak times, on which our entire electric bills are calculated. These models 

suggest that large solar arrays of 500 kW or more may become economically feasible within 2- 

3 years, based on rapid declines in solar panel prices due to increased competition and new 

technologies. 

Energy conservation campaign 

Our campaign includes: 

• Newly designed printed materials designed to remind campus residents to turn off lights and 

electrical devices when not in use. 

• A poster being placed in each residential room on campus, providing simple and practical 

steps for saving energy. 

• A PowerPoint presentation on energy conservation was given to all student classes and all 

faculty and staff. 

• A new website is being developed that will focus on campus energy conservation. 

• A newly-created Energy Conservation Committee meets regularly to discuss how we can 

reduce its energy consumption through practical projects. 

• Trustee Jeffrey Abramson (an award-winning commercial office builder in the Washington, 

D.C., area) arranged for his Sustainability Coordinator and one of his engineers to advise us on 

campus energy conservation and what we might to do reduce costs. 

• Regular articles on energy conservation appear in our two campus publications, The Review 

and the Conscious Times. 

• Campus residents in Utopia Park are receiving energy reminders, and individual trailer energy 

use is being tracked. Those with more than average usage will be encouraged to conserve. 

• Indoor and outdoor laundry lines are being discussed as a way to reduce energy consuming 

clothes dryers. Buildings are being selected as test sites.


More efficient campus lighting 

• Incandescent light bulbs are being replaced with compact fluorescent lights (CFL), which are 

more than 4 times as efficient as incandescent. More than 2,000 bulbs have already been 

replaced. 

• The new Campus Lighting Committee is setting lighting standards that are dark sky rated and 

energy efficient. New lighting on sidewalks around the Argiro Student Center are LED which 

we are making our lighting of choice for exterior applications. 

• New streetlights along Granville Avenue (along the Frats) have been replaced with energy 

efficient, dark sky lighting. 

Sustainable Living Wing renovation 

The students and administrators of the Sustainability Living major are in the process of making 

this space a model of green energy and sustainable living. Features being developed include: 

• Electricity from solar panels 

• Electricity from a wind turbine (City of Fairfield zoning issues) 

• Skylights installed in offices and classrooms 

• Creation of a sustainable garden (edible landscaping) 

• Rain catchment and storage from rooftops 

• Solar water heating 

Native prairie restoration 

MUM Organic Farms received preliminary approval for their 2009 grant application of $17,890 

(and $18000 in in-kind contributions) to the Iowa Living Roadway Trust Fund (LRTF) with 

additional funding available in subsequent years. 

This 3-year project will revitalize 14 acres of previous demolition sites in the center of 

campus adjacent to Highway 1 and reconstruct an inviting native prairie parkland with a wide 

diversity of species, mown paths and borders, park benches, educational kiosks, and plant 

identification signs. These sites will be open to the public and will complement our 30-year 

commitment to sustainable landscaping ethics. 

The project will follow sustainable practices inspired by the National Organic Program 

(NOP) guidelines used on our certified organic farm to reconstruct the prairie sites, including site 

preparation, greenhouse plug production, and managing invasive species.


No toxic chemicals 

• We have had a long practice of not using chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides in 

managing our 272 acres. 

• Our Facilities Management provider, Aramark, uses all natural and biodegradable cleaning 

supplies. 

Sustainability in food 

• We serve an all-organic, all-vegetarian diet. Besides the advantage of individual health, 

moving to a plant-based diet makes a very significant contribution to reducing carbon 

emissions (the livestock industry is a primary source of greenhouse gases). 

• All food waste is composted. 

• As much as 20% of vegetables are locally grown on our campus farm and in our greenhouses 

(lower in the winter). Our milk and yogurt come from an organic dairy farm in Fairfield. 

FINA NCI AL PLAN NIN G AN D TH E 

FINA NCI AL COND ITI ON OF TH E UNIV ERSI TY 

Operating budget 

The final operating budget, based on actual fall enrollment, is approved by the Board of Trustees 

at the end of October or beginning of November. A preliminary operating budget for each fiscal 

year beginning July 1 is presented 

to the Board of Trustees in June. 

The process of developing the 

budget begins in the spring when 

the Executive Council solicits 

proposals for changes to the 

previous year’s departmental 

budgets from the department 

heads. The Executive Council then 

develops a proposed budget to 

submit to the Board of Trustees. 

The budget is modified twice 

annually due to the imperfect 

Receipts as a percentage of 

operating expenditures 

Student tuition & fees, net of 

insurance and activity fees 

Annual Fund and other 

unrestricted donations 

06-07 07-08 08-09 

60% 65% 58% 

16% 18% 13% 

Endowment income 6% 11% 3% 

Aux. business income 18% 12% 11% 

Other income 3% 2% 2% 

Deficit funding (surplus) (2%) (7%) 14% 

Total operating expenditure 100% 100% 100% 

predictability of the major revenue source, student tuition and fees. As the table shows, the


portion of the operating budget covered by student tuition and fees has varied between 63% and 

70% during the last three years. 6 Due to the rolling admissions policy, the number of students to 

be on campus in the fall semester is not known precisely until October. 

In the fall, the Executive Council reviews and modifies the preliminary operating budget 

consistent with the level of fall semester enrollment and submits the final budget to the Board of 

Trustees. 

Operating surpluses are used to fund construction, expansion, and public service activities. 

In 2008-09, The University experienced an operating deficit resulting from sharp and 

unexpected shortfalls in endowment income and receipts from student tuition and fees. Student 

receipts from the University’s graduate computer science and accounting programs depend 

largely on students’ ability to find relevant employment for practicum credit. In the last couple of 

months employment of our computer science students has begun to improve. We expect that 

trend to continue in 2009-10, and with it a recovery in receipts, which, together with various 

measures taken to control costs, will reduce or eliminate the operating deficit 

Consolidated financial statements 

The University’s audited financial statements consolidate the University, the MUM Foundation (a 

supporting organization), and Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment (MSAE) which 

shares the campus in Fairfield. The School, with an annual budget of slightly more than $2 

million, has been breaking even operationally. 

Looking at the entire MUM enterprise, including the University and the School, the financial 

results have been a surplus (change in unrestricted net assets) averaging 7.3% of unrestricted 

revenue from 2006 through 2008. The 2009 audited financials will be available in November, 

after the HLC team visits the University, however we are expecting a deficit of about $1.5 million 

and have financed that with a bank loan. 

The role and results of the Annual Fund 

The Annual Fund continues to cover about 15-20% of the operating budget. For this reason, an 

effective system of fundraising for operational expenses is essential to the University’s financial 

wellbeing. Total donations to the Annual Fund have increased significantly beginning with the 

2002-03 fiscal year, exceeding $1.5 million in each of the past six years: 

6 This table is based on operating receipts and expenditures only, taken from each year’s internal budget 

reports. The table is not drawn from the audited financial statements. The point of the table is to show the 

large proportion of student tuition and fees.


The total number of donors giving each year has declined from about 1,583 in 1998-99 to 

1,306 in 2006-2007. The 2007-2008 fiscal year was difficult, because a competing local project 

of the Transcendental Meditation organization attracted many donors’ support. Thus, although 

June 2008 saw the largest Annual Fund total ever, the number of donors declined to 1,107. The 

decline in the number of donors accompanied by increased total donations means that the average 

donation was increasing over the decade, from $660 to $1,760. 

The Annual Fund Giving Clubs continue to play a major role in yearly donations, accounting 

for 95% of the Annual Fund during the last fiscal year. 

University Council members and Trustees will take a more active role in planning fundraising 

strategies and in cultivating the University’s financial supporters. The Development Office and 

the Alumni Office will work more closely to inspire greater participation by alumni in supporting 

the University financially as well as volunteering to organize campaigns by graduating class. 

Additional staff are needed in the Development Office to free the directors of development to 

focus strategically and put more attention on the top donors. Personnel are needed in operations 

management, data management, and donor research. 

The Development Office is also creating a comprehensive plan for deferred giving.


Financial condition of the University 

The University’s high ratio of change in unrestricted net assets to total unrestricted expenditures 

over the past few years is one indicator of a strong financial condition. The U.S. Department of 

Education, working with the accounting firm KPMG, developed a Composite Financial Index 

(CFI) to summarize the financial condition of educational institutions. 

The University has consistently operated on a sound financial basis. Our composite financial 

index was 2.6 and 2.7 in the middle of this decade and has been the maximum (capped) value of 

3.0 over the past three years, meaning that each of the three component ratios were at their 

maximum capped value. These CFI values are well above the 1.40 level at which the HLC redflags 

its members. The 2008-2009 year has been more challenging than in the past, and audited 

financials will not be available until November 2009, but preliminary indications are that the CFI 

will remain above 2.3. 

Long-term fundraising and capital budgeting 

Since our 1999 self-study, the University has received over $31 million in donations — $12.6 

million for the Annual Fund and $18.9 million in restricted gifts. 

Campus reconstruction plan 

The first phase of campus reconstruction began in 1998. This included the 19,000-square-foot 

Dreier Building to house administrative offices and classrooms, eight single-family homes, and 

two four-plex apartment buildings. A new east entrance to campus was completed in 1999. 

Since 1999 over $9.2 million in capital gifts has been raised to support construction of the 

12,000-square-foot McLaughlin Building, the 6,000-square-foot Maharishi Veda Bhavan, and the 

48,000-square-foot Argiro Student Center, as well as to demolish 43 buildings, and repair and 

renovate the Golden Domes, and renovate residence halls.


Outreach to donors 

Since our last report, the Development Office created a website offering our donors the ease of 

making online donations. The website also includes sections on giving clubs, planned giving, 

charts on revenues and expenses of the University, and subscription options for University 

publications such as the annual University Report, bi-weekly MUM Review, the Golden Domes 

Quarterly and the Achievements e-zine. All of these publications are archived and available for 

viewing online. 

Cultivating the next generation of donors, primarily from our alumni and associate alumni, is 

a top priority. Unlike most universities, an unusually high percentage of our donor base has been 

from individuals who have never attended MUM. Since 1999, in fact, 83% of all University 

donors are non-alumni. 

A new Young Alum Board has been formed to cultivate the most recent graduating classes. 

They are also working to update alumni contact, upgrade the alumni website, create an online 

community so prospective and current students can communicate with alumni, and organize 

alumni reunions. 

Planned giving 

Since 1999, we have received $1.1 million in bequests. In addition, an alumnus purchased 

$1,000,000 of permanent life insurance naming the University as owner and beneficiary of the 

policy. 

In 1999, we established the Legacy Society to acknowledge and honor those individuals and 

families who have included the University in their estate plan. More than 65 individuals and 

families have informed us of their inclusion of the University in their will or estate plan. Many 

others have expressed their wish to be anonymous members of the Legacy Society. 

A number of free planned giving seminars have been held on campus. Brochures have also 

been sent to our alumni and donors. In addition, web pages on planned giving have been added to 

the Development section of the University website. We have worked with a professional firm 

specializing in planned giving websites to create such a site to support our own planned giving 

efforts. The Board of Trustees has recently formed a committee to focus on building the 

endowment through such strategies as planned giving.


Strengths and challenges in finance and development 

STRENGTHS 

• Financial Management – The University enjoys careful and conservative financial 

management and a stable financial condition. 

• Stable Donors – The growth of contributions to the Annual Fund continues to strengthen the 

University. 


1. Expanding the donor base – We have enjoyed great support from donors over the past two 

decades and continue to benefit from stable support for the Annual Fund and major gifts for 

special projects. However, we have increasingly faced competition for donor funds for other 

worthwhile Consciousness-Based programs around the U.S. and worldwide. A challenge the 

University now faces is the need to expand its donor base to assure that its long-term plans 

will secure the necessary support. 

Response – The Board of Trustees has formed two new committees, one focused on 

increasing support for the Annual Fund, the other on building the endowment. With the 

support of the Board of Trustees, we are planning a campaign for this fall to raise “$1,000 

from 2,000” — i.e., to contact 2,000 alumni with the goal of raising $2 million for the 

endowment. This fall we will also engage 2-3 qualified work-study students to call alumni in 

the evenings to keep them abreast of campus news and connect them to the University. 

2. Staff compensation – To continue attracting staff and ensure retention, compensation must 

be increased over the next five years. 

Response – Increased compensation will be made possible by a combination of expanded 

fundraising, increased enrollment, and increased endowment. The Growth Center plan and 

the capital fundraising campaign are directly aimed at increasing both revenue and 

enrollment.


STUDE NT SE RVI CES 

We supplement our academic programs with additional services to students and with cocurricular 

activities. The Financial Aid office assists students in finding sources of funds to pay 

for their study. The Registrar maintains students’ academic records and ensures compliance with 

the requirements for continued progress and graduation. Several other departments support 

campus life — recreation and athletics, student activities and organizations, housing, and food 

service. The Placement Office, soon to be a part of the Student Support Center, helps students 

find employment during the summers and after graduation. The Alumni Office maintains 

relations with University graduates and former students. 

Financial Aid and Student Accounts 

• Bill Christensen, Director of Financial Aid (472-1156) 

The Office of Financial Aid and Student Accounts has 2.6 FTE staff. The bulk of the office’s 

work is to serve students in the full-time undergraduate and standard graduate programs, which 

amounts to 274 students. The MS in Computer Science and Accounting MBA programs, whose 

students are all international, have standardized financial aid packages that do not require 

additional work by the Financial Aid Office. In the office, one person focuses on aid for U.S. 

students, one assists the director, and one member of the Front Desk staff works about 2/3 time 

on student accounts. 

The office is dedicated to providing each student as much assistance as possible to help them 

meet their educational expenses. About 90% of the undergraduate students apply for financial aid. 

Financial aid is awarded primarily on the basis of need, but need is not considered when 

determining the qualification for admission. The Financial Aid Office makes every effort to 

provide students with financial aid packages generous enough to enable them to attend the 

University, based on financial need analysis as determined by the Free Application for Federal 

Student Aid (FAFSA) for US students and the institutional financial aid application for 

international students. 

SERVICE 

The Office of Financial Aid seeks to give students a high level of service by counseling them 

about available opportunities and processing their applications quickly. The office is open to 

walk-in students and takes questions by email and telephone. The office does not restrict students 

to short appointments. The office has a “same day” policy for response to email questions, and 

phoned questions. The Admissions Office will accept applications up to the date of fall 

registration, so the Financial Aid Office has organized its staff to be available during the summers 

to work with these students to secure available aid.


The office is staffed by experienced financial aid counselors. The director has worked in 

financial aid for 15 years, and the average staff member has five years experience in this function. 

COMPLIANCE 

The Financial Aid Office is responsible to the U.S. government as well as to students. It upholds 

good accounting practices and is audited annually. The two most recent audits, for 2006 and 

2007, resulted in a determination of “no findings,” the equivalent of an A+ grade. 

RESULTS 

Ninety-five percent of the students receive some form of financial aid. In 2007-2008, the Office 

of Financial Aid served 445 students and administered $588,255 in federal grants, $211,416 in 

state grants, more than $2.4 million in institutional scholarships, and $1.3 million in self-help 

loans and work-study awards. 

Walk-in, no-appointment needed service is available for students with financial aid inquiries, 

usually with no waiting time, for both current students and prospective students. Not all financial 

needs can be met, but less than 5% of students who visit the financial aid office are dissatisfied 

with the process. For students who require additional consideration, we offer a petition service for 

special exceptions that can be answered within a few days. For students whose financial aid can 

be adjusted, the change is usually organized within one day, with additional loan disbursement 

within two to three weeks. 

Registrar 

• Tom Rowe, Registrar (472-1144) 

The Registrar maintains all academic records and publishes the Catalog, the academic calendar, 

and the current schedule of classes. The Registrar is also responsible to prepare reports required 

by federal, state, and national organizations and by the administration of the University. 

Individual records for all students are maintained in a paper file in a fire-proof room. Records 

for all students enrolled since fall 1994 are stored in the database. The database’s server is in the 

Information Services Department and is backed up every night. 

The Registrar is the depository for all academic records. With the exception of graduation 

processing, it handles transactions only for the non-co-op programs. Course registrations, dropadds, 

and academic advising and monitoring of progress for the 850 students (Fall 2008) in the 

MS in Computer Science program and the Accounting MBA programs are handled by 

registration staff in those two departments. The 274 students in the standard undergraduate and 

graduate programs are serviced by the Registrar’s office. 

The office opens at 9:30 a.m. so students may drop by before the start of class at 9:45 or 

10:00. The lunch hour sees some demand, but about half the day’s traffic occurs between 3:00 

and 4:00 p.m. when students are out of class.


Academic advising for students in standard programs (non-co-op) is conducted by the 

Registrar staff and by the faculty or departments. Years ago, the University realized that, given 

graduation requirements that include requirements for Development in Consciousness, the First- 

Year program, and general education, students in the larger departments were better served by the 

Registrar staff who specialize in this and assist students directly. 

REGISTRAR’S OFFICE STAFF AND ORGANIZATION 

The Registrar’s Office, currently staffed by eight people, is responsible for providing internal 

reports for the University administration, overseeing the implementation of new functions for the 

RAMA database, and training and managing the staff. 

The Faculty Liaison enters and maintains the Schedule of Classes, schedules rooms for 

courses, sends out class lists and grade sheets to faculty, and enters grades and grade changes. 

The Director of Graduation and Academic Progress manages the progress of graduating 

students and verifies readiness to graduate in conjunction with academic departments; provides 

degree checks and counseling upon request to all students and even when they don’t request it; 

and evaluates transfer credit with the support of departmental faculty, giving special attention to 

that of international and affiliated institutions to ensure equivalent academic standards. She is 

supported by a half-time staff member focused on the Compro and AccMBA programs, and a 

full-time specialist for the China program. 

The Front Desk staff of 2.3 FTE maintains and updates the database, including entering 

registration data at the beginning of the semester, and servicing transcript requests. 

The Co-op Liaison is a half-time position. He receives grade data from the Compro and 

AccMBA programs and enters it in the database and assists with degree checks and graduation 

procedures for those students. 

REGISTRAR’S ANNUAL CYCLE 

The Registrar’s workload varies predictably over the year. In August, September, and October, 

new transfer students want their transcripts evaluated for transfer credit, and returning students 

often stop by to “check in” on their degree requirements. October is the deadline for submitting 

three substantial IPEDS reports. November is slower in student traffic, so staff have time to work 

on internal reports, such as the Fall Attrition report, and monitor students’ progress. The last part 

of December and all of January tend to be occupied with preparation for the Fall Graduation, 

which takes place at the end of January. About 50% of the co-op students graduate in the fall, as 

do 25% of the students in standard programs, so this is a substantial work load. January is also the 

deadline for three more substantial IPEDS reports. In February and March, the staff evaluate 

transcripts from students joining in the Spring semester. April is the deadline for two more 

IPEDS reports, and those come at a time when four of the top staff are trying to meet with all 

students in standard programs to plan their course selections (pre-registration) for the next year. 

May and June are occupied with degree checks and other preparations for graduation.


In the last decade, one-stop registration has been offered as a combined function of the 

Registrar’s Office, the Financial Aid Office, the Student Accounts Office, the Housing Office, 

and the Mailroom. The time required for registration by most students is now about 15 minutes. 

Transcripts are provided upon written request. The typical turnaround time has been reduced 

from one week to two days due to an electronic, automated system. 

REGISTRAR DATABASE DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT 

MUM staff member Matt Jaffey programmed the Registrar’s RAMA database in MS Access and 

has maintained and improved it for more than a decade. The Registrar staff are very pleased with 

it. The graduation module in RAMA provides excellent support to staff doing graduation checks. 

Through RAMA, the front desk staff can send faculty class lists in both Word and Excel by email 

at the touch of a button. We looked into purchasing a registration package from a commercial 

vendor, only to find that the $150,000 package did not have a module to do degree checks or 

classroom assignments, nor could it handle a separate accounting of grades for instructional 

courses and Development of Consciousness courses. 

When the staff noticed that many drop-add requests occurred when students discovered 

unexpected fees for courses (e.g., art supplies, lab, or field trips), the staff asked that the Schedule 

of Courses show fees, prerequisites and class size limits, and this was easily programmed into 

RAMA. 

RAMA can generate customized reports of almost any type. When the Database Programmer 

receives a request, he creates a report generator the staff can then run from their desktops at any 

time. For example, as enrollment began to grow in some departments several years ago, reports 

were requested on class sizes by course and by degree program and were easily executed through 

RAMA. 

In the recent past, the Registrar had one staff person focused on preparing IPEDS reports and 

the many other state, national, and general voluntary reports (Peterson’s Guide, College Board, 

College News) that must be completed each year. Beginning in the spring of 2008, the Database 

Programmer began creating report generators for the eight IPEDS reports. 

EVALUATION OF THE REGISTRAR FUNCTION 

There is not currently a systematic means for evaluating the Registrar’s performance. At a small 

university such as MUM, the office personnel know many of the students by sight and are in 

regular contact with them. Student satisfaction with the Registrar’s function could be evaluated as 

part of an overall assessment of the level of customer service at the University. 

Academic Advising 

Every student has an academic advisor in the Registrar’s Office to help design an appropriate 

course of study. The academic advisors are experts both in general education graduation 

requirements and in the requirements for each major.


Program directors approve transfer credit for major-specific courses from other institutions. 

Procedures for academic advising are documented in the Academic Advising Manual. 

Most students, faculty, and staff live on 

campus. Students who are married, over 22 years of 

age, or in graduate programs may live off campus, 

though the majority of graduate students choose oncampus 

housing. Consistent with this residential 

focus, we seek to give students many opportunities 

for recreational and social activities, both on and off campus, along with support for their learning 

experience. 

Our student body is culturally diverse, with students from 70 countries in the 2008–2009 

academic year. These international students, 

many enrolled in the graduate professional 

programs, constitute a large percentage of the 

student body, as the table at right shows. 

As a residential university, MUM offers cocurricular 

programs that complement the 

academic programs and advance the mission of 

the university. These include recreation and athletic opportunities, student activities, a residential 

advisor program, the Campus Health Center, housing, food service, career services, and alumni 

relations. 

Recreation and athletics 

The Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences (ESS) oversees recreation and athletics and 

supervises our unique fitness program. One of the University’s desired learning outcomes is to 

cultivate radiant health. Accordingly, the ESS department each year offers courses on Ideal Daily 

Routine and Health Related Fitness, in addition to engaging all students in its fitness program 

each semester. 

U.S. and International Students 

Living on Campus 2007-2008 

US 

The campus Recreation Center is a 60,000-square-foot facility located on the lower east side 

of campus. Built in 1983, it houses four indoor tennis courts, four basketball courts also used for 

indoor field hockey, soccer and volleyball, a 1/10 mile running track, a new weight training room, 

archery and table tennis facilities, a Human Performance laboratory, and a rock-climbing and 

bouldering wall. Students may use equipment for tennis, volleyball, basketball, badminton, 

soccer, and table tennis inside the facility without charge and may rent cross-country skis, 

sailboards, kayaks, and canoes. The Rec Center also runs a Yellow Bike program that loans bikes 

to students for campus use. 

Int’l 

Undergraduate 142 3 

Graduate 25 250 

Full-time Students Living on Campus 

2007-2008 

Full-time 

On campus 

Undergraduate 195 74% 

Graduate 301 91%


Several residence halls have their own fitness rooms. Our outdoor pool is open from the late 

spring semester to the early fall semester. We have given special attention to the pool’s sanitizing 

and filtration system, which outperforms other club and public pools in the region. 

Students may play soccer, touch football, softball, and Ultimate Frisbee in the playing field 

directly east of the Maharishi Patanjali Golden Dome. Additional recreational activities available 

on and off campus include body sculpting, camping, golf, horseback riding, and roller-skating. 

The ESS Department organizes the annual freshmen team-building “Base Camp” excursion 

to the Current River in Missouri each fall. The department also offers a team-building winter 

sports Base Camp experience at the start of the spring semester for newly-enrolled students. The 

block system allows us to offer organized recreational activities during the three-day break 

between each block. These one- to three-day excursions include alpine skiing at local hills, 

kayaking the Wolf River’s whitewater, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, sail boarding on 

wide lakes in the region, canoeing on Iowa’s Wapsipinicon River, and rock climbing at one of the 

Midwest’s best sites. 

Due to the size of the student body, intercollegiate athletics plays only a small role. Clubs in 

intercollegiate competition include Soccer and Ultimate Frisbee. The Soccer Club has players 

from as many as 16 countries and has been the three-time undefeated champion in its league. 

Student Activities 

The focal point for student activities is the 48,000-square-foot Argiro Student Center, which 

opened February 1, 2008. It is the first student center in America constructed according to the 

ancient principles of Vedic architecture for harmony with natural law. It also incorporates 

advanced green features that qualify it for LEED certification, including daylighting, energy 

efficiency, and non-toxic building materials. 

The building has two dining halls, a 300-seat auditorium, a student lounge, a café, a 

recreation room, and an exercise studio. The Festival Hall was designed as a space to honor 

cultural and religious traditions from around the world. The Mailroom, Housing Office, 

University Store, Student Activities Office, Student Support Center, and Global Student Council 

offices are also located there. 

The Student Activities Office (SAO) has two staff and is assisted by the president of the 

Global Student Council’s Cultural Committee. The SAO organizes a wide variety of social 

activities for students including dances, trips, parties, bonfires and movies, as well as concerts and 

cultural performances. 

Movies, special guest speakers, and concerts are held in Dalby Hall, with its state-of-the-art 

communications systems. The Argiro Student Center provides a number of spaces for student 

events — weekend parties, games nights, open mic’s, varied performing artists and deejays. A 

pool table and games area is located on the garden level.


The annual Student Halloween Dance and Variety Show draws out the great creativity of the 

student body and attract hundreds of people from campus and community. 

Various international student clubs enjoy producing their own cultural shows, often on their 

national days. The Brazilian, Ethiopian, Chinese, Iranian, Nepalese, and Indian Clubs held such 

activities during 2007–2008. Strong features of campus life are an appreciation of religious, 

cultural, and political diversity and a commitment to world peace, giving students an orientation 

to world citizenship. 

In addition to Dalby Hall in the Argiro Student Center, there are two other theaters on 

campus. The Library building houses the Spayde Theater, a 150-seat facility featuring community 

dramatic productions about once a semester. The theater in the Arts Center, with its 160 seats, is 

also used for theater and dance productions. Productions feature local actors and performers and 

University students. 

The Student Activities Office sponsors shopping trips to places such as Iowa City, 

Williamsburg, and Ottumwa and posts a student activities calendar on the University website. 

Finally, the Art Department almost continuously holds shows displaying faculty and student 

art in the Unity Gallery in the Library and sponsors its own trips to other universities and art 

galleries in the Midwest. The art shows are instrumental in cultivating aesthetic responsiveness in 

the students, which is one of the education outcomes the university promotes. 

Global Student Council 

The Global Student Council (GSC) is the student government. In addition to organizing events 

with the Student Activities office, GSC has a dynamic interest in communicating with the faculty 

and administration, hosting open forums, and promoting campus sustainability. 

The Student Senate, a part of GSC, organizes Clubs Day each semester and invites students to 

join the 35 existing clubs and form their own new clubs. Current clubs include the Investing Club, 

Bee Collective, Live Sound and Recording Studio, DJ Club, Guild of Herbalists, Chess Club, 

Theater Club, Dance Club, Ultimate Frisbee, Soccer Club, Cricket Club, Ceramics Club, 

Newspaper Club, Bike Club, and Sustainability Club. 

Resident Advisors and Residence Hall Directors 

Each on-campus student has a Resident Advisor (RA) who lives in the student’s residence hall. 

RAs are upper-division undergraduate or graduate students chosen by the Residence Hall Director 

and the Dean of Students for their maturity and communication skills. There is one RA for every 

10-15 students, except in the larger dorms, where there is one RA on each floor with 20-25 

students. 

The RA is the student’s first point of contact with the University if there is any concern about 

housing or general student life. Each RA receives funds for social events or items that enhance


the student’s life, such as a card or ribbon for the student’s door on their birthday, popcorn for an 

evening in front of the television, and so on. The RAs are trained by the Campus Counselors to be 

alert to student welfare. They report to the RA Directors, Residence Hall Directors, and the Deans 

of Students. 

International student advising and support 

The International Student Advisor meets every international student at registration and presents 

information at orientation. All international students enroll in a University-provided health 

insurance policy that covers sickness and accidents, and this is also described in orientation. 

The advisor keeps the SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) records up 

to date and helps students understand their rights and responsibilities in properly maintaining 

status, traveling outside the country, and handling visa and passport expiration issues. 

Cultural orientation is provided in students’ academic departments to help them adjust to their 

learning environment and understand the changes they may experience in a new country. Students 

also receive support for obtaining social security numbers and drivers’ licenses. 

In 2008-2009, we admitted 30 undergraduate students from our campus in Beijing. To make 

them feel welcomed and comfortable, we sponsored a “host family” program that encourages 

cross-cultural understanding and communication. The host family gets to know a Chinese student 

through regular social interactions such as meeting for lunch or dinner, shopping, home movies, 

or games. (Students live on campus, not with families.) This greatly benefits our students, as they 

can practice their English and learn about American customs in a relaxed, informal environment. 

Families benefit as they get to know Chinese students and learn about their culture and traditions. 

Student health 

During Orientation Week, all new students are introduced to the campus nurse, campus 

counselors and Student Support Center staff. They are also given flyers that describe local 

physical and mental health care options and gives phone numbers for campus services and local 

medical and psychological professionals, including the Jefferson County Hospital emergency 

number. 

The campus nurse maintains office hours in the Dreier Building for students and, along with 

the deans of students, and others on the crisis response team, is accessible in emergencies. 

Emergency procedures are outlined on a Life Safety Procedures sheet. Distributed during 

Orientation Week and posted in each dorm room and next to all dorm telephones, this sheet 

describes what to do in case of fire, tornado, and violent behavior and gives emergency numbers. 

The process of identifying and assisting students with health concerns is supported by the 

Resident Advisor program and faculty development. Resident Advisors are trained to be alert for 

red flags in behavior and health and immediately inform the Residence Hall Directors and deans.


Faculty are also trained each August in the Faculty Development Seminar to be alert to such 

behaviors or symptoms in class and report to the Deans of Students. The Resident Advisor- 

Faculty-Student network has proved successful in identifying and helping students with medical 

or psychological needs or emergencies. 

Campus housing and the residential programs 

We provide housing for students, faculty, and staff. All students 22 and under are required to live 

on campus in the residence halls, unless they are graduate students, married, or are living with 

family in town. Virtually all on-campus students live in single rooms. Off campus students have 

the option to rent units on campus property in Utopia Park, University Manor condominiums, or 

North Campus Village. 

To promote a greater sense of community and access to students, full-time faculty and 

volunteer staff have traditionally been required to live on campus. This residential academic 

community supports our general education goals. Faculty and staff families typically have selfcontained 

apartments or private homes on campus; single staff and faculty live in single or 

double-room suites with shared bath and kitchen facilities, or in Utopia Park. 

In the past three years, five new student residence halls have been built according to the 

principles of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda. They house 8 students each, all with private baths and a 

shared kitchenette. Other student residence halls have been given an acceptable rating by 

students, and some have recently completed major renovations. 

There is space on campus for expansion of the student body, both through doubling in current 

rooms constructed for double occupancy and by filling rooms in renovated buildings. Plans are 

also in place to construct more Maharishi Sthapatya Vedic residence halls. 

Residence halls include a fitness room, a meditation hall, and, in the main women’s dorm, a 

hall for practicing the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs. All residence hall 

rooms have ethernet connections. 

Faculty and staff housing has been an issue because families wish to live in individual homes 

and single faculty and staff wish to have self-contained apartments. In 1999, we built six housing 

units for senior faculty/administrators on campus and allowed faculty and staff with the means to 

do so to build their own homes on University land. Overall, faculty and staff has improved over 

the past ten years. It remains a priority to make more apartments available for single faculty and 

staff; this is planned for future phases of campus reconstruction. 

University Food Service 

All students who live on campus are required to have a meal card for dining services in the Argiro 

Student Center. The full meal plan includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week. Food 

is served all-you-can-eat buffet style. Off-campus students may purchase a meal card at a student


rate. A meal exchange program is available in the Vishwa Shanti Café, which adds variety and 

convenience to the dining services available upstairs in the Dining Commons. 

Aladdin Food Management Services has been contracted to serve a wide array of nourishing 

and delicious organic lacto-vegetarian fare, from American pizza to Chinese stir-fry, from 

Mexican to Indian, and more. The menu emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables and ample 

protein. All dishes are prepared in the kitchen from fresh ingredients. The kitchen bakes all its 

own breads and pastries using organic ingredients. The milk and yogurt and ice cream come from 

local organic dairy farms. 

Our organic farm provides fresh produce for campus meals. Vegetables are usually picked at 

their peak ripeness and served the same day. Our farm uses Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture 

principles. In addition to avoiding toxic chemicals, this approach enlivens the plant’s inner 

intelligence, so that the vegetables have maximum nutritional value and promote development 

consciousness. All food purchased is organic, virtually eliminating pesticide and herbicide 

residues and genetically modified organisms from the diet. 

Students may carry out two pieces of fruit from the dining area to have as a snack in between 

meals. If a student is ill, a friend may present his or her badge and ask for paper products for take 

out. 

The Food Service staff is dedicated to fulfilling the culinary desires of the whole community. 

Suggestions may be submitted to the door checker or to Global Student Council members. 

Student satisfaction is evaluated using Alladin’s system of voluntary comments and surveys. 

Aladdin communicates regularly with representatives of the student Food Liaison Committee, a 

part of the Global Student Council. 

Career Development 

• Personnel – Three staff work in the Career Development area: Dr. Rachel Goodman, with an 

M.A. in Higher Education Administration and PhD in Psychology is the Director; Mr. John 

Speer, Associate Dean of Men, with a Master’s in mass communication, is training as a career 

facilitator and co-teacher of the Career Strategies course; and Ms. Diana Yepez is the 

Internship Coordinator. 

• Student characteristics – Our students are proactive and entrepreneurial in their career 

development. This is due to the natural self-determination that led them here and the 

Consciousness-Based education curriculum that develops their creativity, field-independence, 

and self-actualization. The Career Development Center offers opportunities for students to 

learn foundational career methodologies such as interviewing, resume and cover letter writing, 

and networking as well as to envision their careers from the first year forward, with focus on 

developing their creative endeavors in a structured way.


• Need for a required career course – Close to graduation, many undergraduates have a 

general direction they want to pursue but appreciate a discussion of systematic steps they can 

take to achieve their goals more quickly and successfully. Because students are so busy with 

their academic work and often do not take time for career planning, we have required all 

graduating undergraduate students to take a 2-week, 2-credit Career Strategies course. The 

course offers assessment of skills, abilities and personality, goal-setting, decision-making, 

occupational research, networking (including cold-call networking and using social 

networking for professional goals), portfolio development, cover letter and resume writing, 

and interviewing skills. A Closing-the-Loop report discusses students’ favorite topics in the 

course, their suggestions for improvement, and plans for next year’s course. 

• Introduction to career planning for first year and transfer students – Starting in 2008- 

2009, all incoming undergraduate students receive a presentation on career planning and 

internship programs during first-year orientation meetings. At least 2/3 of each incoming 

undergraduate group this past year returned a survey and requested meetings with the Career 

Director or the Internship Coordinator or to be on the mailing list. 

• Internship Office – In December 2008 the E-Internship Newsletter was started and 

www.muminternshipoffice.com was launched. The biweekly newsletter gives students a 

compiled list of internship opportunities and goes to 130 students and 21 faculty or staff 

members. In the Spring 2009 semester 72 students requested information on internships and 

24 students were approved to receive academic credit for an internship. New procedures and 

guidelines are being created for 2009-2010 for students, faculty, and on-site mentors. 

• Graduate students – Graduate students also approach the Career Development Center for 

individual appointments. At the request of a group of MBA students, more formal career 

sessions will be offered in the coming year in their programs of study. 

Statistics of activities after graduation 

Every year at graduation, we survey the graduates of our standard programs, undergraduate and 

graduate, by a paper survey, though not all students respond. Our 2008 data below reflect that 

survey. In 2009, the “At Grad” data reflect the paper survey and a survey of what faculty know 

about the students at the time of the June graduation. One year after graduation, we survey the 

students by phone or email. Thus, in June 2008, there were 54 who graduated and 39 on whom 

information was obtained, and one year later we had information on 48. At the time of 

graduation, a student is recorded as being “to graduate school” if they had applied or intended to 

go to graduate school in the next year.


2008 2009 

Undergrad Undergrad Grad Undergrad Grad 

At Grad 1 year later 1 year later At Grad At Grad 

Total number of students 

who graduated 

54 54 27 44 39 

Responses to survey 39 48 25 42 37 

To graduate school 8 13 3 20 9 

To undergrad or special 

training 

3 1 2 

Employed 14 24 21 14 19 

Self-Employed or 

Consultant or Volunteer 

3 4 1 2 2 

Part-time job 2 

Homemaker/Retired 1 2 

Subtotal in activity 

pursuant to goals 

27 (69%) 45 (94%) 25 (100%) 37 (88%) 34 (92%) 

Seeking Employment 10 2 5 3 

Undecided 2 1 

The table shows that one year after graduation, more than 90% of our bachelor’s alumni are 

pursuing an activity consistent with their academic goals. 

• Plans of the Career Development Center 

– Acquiring another full-time career facilitator 

– Greater advertisement and visibility of the Career Center 

– Request for offices to be located with Student Support Services in the Argiro Center 

– Revision of an outdated job network for online posting of jobs and resumes 

– Greater outreach with Fairfield and out-of-town business and non-profits 

– Making the Spring 2009 Career Fair an annual event. 

Alumni Relations 

The purpose of our Alumni Association is to reach, serve, and engage the alumni through a 

worldwide network. It seeks to enhance alumni access to courses and University programs and to 

foster connections among alumni and between alumni and the University. It provides the


University with valuable goodwill and support. Association membership is open to all University 

graduates as well as former students. 

The Association has created a website offering special services for alumni 

(www.mumalumni. org). The Association organizes alumni reunions, provides email newsletters 

to keep everyone informed of the University’s progress and alumni achievements, and maintains 

the database of alumni and former students. 

Recent reunions on campus have drawn graduates from the 1975 through 2006 class years 

and from many states around the country. More than 400 alumni participated in homecoming 

events in 2008-2009. A new tradition of regional class reunions was launched this summer in 

California, drawing over 70% of the graduating classes involved. 

A new executive Alumni Board was formed in 2008 to include younger members to better 

service the changing needs of the next generation of alumni. Surveys were mailed to all alumni 

asking what they want from their Alumni Association. About 20% of the active list responded, 

and results will be posted online. The new Alumni Board has added annual goal setting meetings 

to give direction to the activities of the Association and to help assess progress in serving the 

needs of the alumni. 

Points from the recent survey that will be discussed in the upcoming goal-setting meeting 

include offering job listings on the alumni website and creating an online community for alumni 

and former students. Their main request was to create an opportunity to find and connect with 

classmates and help with employment opportunities. Updating the website to include these 

functions will be part of the Association’s 2009-2010 activities. 

Strengths and challenges in Student Services 

STRENGTHS 

1. Enrollment Center – This office has a reputation of friendliness and helpfulness and for 

“going the extra mile” to help students. 

2. Financial Aid – The Financial Aid office, part of the Enrollment Center, does an excellent 

job of helping students find the financial support they need. 

3. Faculty/student interaction – Having faculty live on campus creates a caring campus 

community for students. Students enjoy close links with faculty, particularly in their major 

departments. Under this program all undergraduate and graduate students have faculty tutors, 

generally from their academic departments. 

4. Student Affairs Council staff – The student deans and their assistants are highly dedicated, 

capable, and caring.


5. Student Activities and recreation – Students are provided with a good range of 

extracurricular activities through the Students Activities office and the Department of 

Exercise and Sports Science. 

6. Career Planning and Placement – The director of Career Planning and Placement meets 

with students beginning in their first year to help clarify their professional aims and orient 

them to the transition from school to work. She has developed an extensive job network for 

students to contact, and a high percentage of graduates in our standard programs (more than 

80%) have a job or graduate study of their choosing at the time of graduation. 

7. Food Service – Outsourcing our Food Service has elevated the quality and service we are 

able to offer students in this area. 


1. Organization of the Student Affairs area — In the past, a chair for the Student Affairs 

Council provided leadership and integration for the various student support functions. With 

our growing undergraduate population, we need someone to fill this position again, 

coordinating academic support and co-curricular functions: Student Activities, the various 

components of the new Student Success Center (including placement), and the Dean of Men 

and Dean of Women who also deal with students’ emotional concerns. 

Response – We are currently developing the Student Success Center and will monitor its 

performance, including coordination with the Deans of Men and Women. We are searching 

for a candidate to lead this area. As we continue growing, we will need to hire a vicepresident 

of student affairs. 

2. Career Planning and Placement – With our growing undergraduate enrollment, we need to 

further strengthen this area. 

Response – The current assistant to the Dean of Men will assume greater responsibility in this 

area. He already organized the Jobs Fair in June 2009. 

3. IT support for the Registrar – An area of concern is the depth of staffing behind the 

Database Programmer function in the Registrar’s Office. The current programmer, who 

developed RAMA, has done excellent work but is so busy that he cannot quickly respond to 

staff requests, though he always does so eventually. If he were suddenly to become 

unavailable, the Registrar would be in a bind. We need to hire or begin training another 

person to help with that function. Such a person should have web programming expertise, 

which the current Database Programmer does not have, so Registrar functions can be made 

accessible to students and faculty over the Internet. 

Response – This issue is under review by the Executive Committee.


EN R O L LM E N T D E V E L O P M EN T 

• Ron Barnett, Director of Admissions (472-1100) 

• Lynwood King, Dean of Men (470-1327) 

• Snezana Petrovski, Associate Dean of Women (470-1384) 

This section consists of two parts, first on recruitment and admission, the on second retention. 

RECR UI TME NT AN D AD MISSI O NS 

The students at MUM during the 1970s and early 1980s were mostly young Americans who had 

been out of high school for several years and who had learned the Transcendental Meditation 

technique in their home town or at another college or university. They wanted to attend an 

institution that valued the practice and integrated the knowledge of consciousness into the 

curriculum, which was done at MUM through courses on the Science of Creative Intelligence. 

Many of these students had been trained as instructors of the Transcendental Meditation 

technique or had taken the advanced TM-Sidhi training program, so the University culture was 

pervaded by deep appreciation for Consciousness-Based education. The University relied on the 

network of Transcendental Meditation instructors throughout the U.S. to publicize the institution 

and to provide instruction in the Transcendental Meditation technique. 

In the 1980s, the Transcendental Meditation technique became more widely available in 

developing countries. We began to attract experienced meditators from these countries, many of 

whom required tuition discounts or work-study programs. At that time, we made it a priority to 

attract students from around the world to increase the numbers of people practicing the 

Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs together on campus. The number of 

international students increased, but in most cases their tuition and room and board expenses were 

largely or completely subsidized by the University. 

We continued to rely on the network of Transcendental Meditation instructors throughout the 

U.S. for much of its American publicity, though the number of Transcendental Meditation centers 

in the 1980s was less than it had been in the 1970s. The proportion of international students 

increased, bringing with it a number of students whose intent may have been to get into America 

as much as to be in an academic institution focused on the development of consciousness. 

During the early 1990s, we began to diversify our U.S. recruitment strategy, testing the 

effectiveness of print advertisements in health-oriented publications such as Prevention and 

magazines at the mainstream edge of the personal development movement such as Yoga Journal. 

These advertisements were costly and the returns limited, at least in comparison to resources


required to enroll students whose parents already practiced the Transcendental Meditation 

technique. The advertising program was not systematically developed or evaluated. 

The arrival of the Internet in 1995 and its rapid adoption in America, especially by the youth, 

was an extraordinary boon for us. Unlike many other universities, we do not have a demographic 

target that is defined by location, nor age, nor aptitude, nor occupation, nor religion. The student 

attracted to MUM has a psychographic profile that is characterized by a general interest in 

personal development, health and well-being, Eastern philosophy, and/or sustainability, but the 

young people in this group are not easily reached through conventional advertising. We learned in 

the last decade that they are best reached through Internet search advertising, when they are 

looking for information defined by keywords such as “vegetarian,” “yoga,” “consciousness,” 

“natural health,” and so on. 

As we noted in the introduction to this self-study, in the past decade meditation and yoga 

have become household words. This has been a boon to us, but it brings a different type of 

student than we had in the 1970s and 1980s. The Spring 2009 entry of new undergraduates was 

the largest in our recent history, and 80% of the students learned the Transcendental Meditation 

technique only upon arrival on campus. 

The MUM applicant these days is not looking for a conventional university. They want 

something “progressive.” They think that “Consciousness-Based” education makes sense. 

Meditation is now “cool.” The idea that all MUM students meditate is very appealing to them. 

They want opportunities for active learning, not a sage on the stage. They want to apply their 

knowledge in group projects. They want to be engaged with knowledge. 

These students “get” the broader concept of sustainability that we promote at MUM. They see 

that sustainability must be something more than alternative energy or organic agriculture, and it 

makes sense to them that the “something” extra has to do with the inner value of life — natural 

health and spiritual development. They see that we offer both inner and outer sustainability. 

Many students are interested in natural health, and the recent addition of a pre-med track to 

the Physiology and Health major has attracted many students. They see natural medicine as not 

only effective, it is the “right thing to do.” Likewise, meditation and a vegetarian university is the 

“right thing to do.” 

Many of our new students are transfers from other colleges. They were looking for a place 

that was not the conventional university. The block system — taking one course at a time — is 

seen as very progressive. We get a large percentage of students who have either not enjoyed 

conventional education — or not done well in it. They feel that the fragmented approach to 

education hasn’t worked for them. Many of those underachievers had difficulty juggling 4-5 

courses at a time, but they do much better with the block system. The comprehensive attention to 

instructional methodology at MUM and the holistic approach to education seems to satisfy them. 

A decade ago, the students who came here had typically been out of school for several years. 

They were often independent of their parents, and if not they might have come to MUM without


the full consent of their parents. That situation is now changing. About 15% of our inquiries are 

from parents who say, “I think I’ve found the right school” for their son or daughter. Today’s 

parents went to college in the 1980s. They think yoga and meditation are “great.” They are often 

enthusiastic about coming with their son or daughter to a Visitors Weekend here. 

Likewise, teachers and to some extent guidance counselors are doing more to recommend 

MUM. Teachers’ recommendations of their students often comment that MUM seems like a very 

“cool” school. A decade ago, teachers’ recommendations were written with a distant tone. Now 

most show real enthusiasm. 

MUM offers its students single rooms. This is not a make-or-break point, but it is an 

advantage to our type of student, who is a bit older and more independent. 

Only in the last year or so have we seen more traditional high school seniors inquiring and 

coming to Visitors’ Weekends. The appeal of a “progressive” college seems to be passing from 

the college age to the high school population. 

U.S. and international admissions are very different. The international applicants (except 

students from our partner university in China) typically have little money and are looking for 

scholarships or work-study programs. For this reason, the University doesn’t have many 

international undergraduate students other than Chinese. 

Student recruitment activities 

MUM relies largely on Internet search marketing to generate inquiries and electronic 

applications. A Los Angeles company, Infuse Creative, has consulted to the University about 

search engine optimization and marketing. Their CEO spent several days at MUM. 

We do very little display advertising, mainly Zinch.com and banner ads at a few other web 

sites. We do not attend college fairs, and we use a low-key approach to presentation on the web 

site. The independent-minded MUM student’s attitude seems to be, “Don’t call me, man. Let me 

find you.” Our students do not like to be sold. They prefer guided discovery. 

We use social media effectively, such as Twitter and Facebook. MUM has more than 1,200 

followers on Twitter. The Maharishi University channel on Youtube has over 1,500 subscribers 

(see .) This channel is #54 on Youtube’s all-time 

most subscribed list for nonprofits. 

A mailing list broker provided us with 20,000 names of students interested in meditation, 

yoga, or natural health. Based on the number of inquiries and applications, the mailing seems to 

have been worth the investment. We also have our own email list of 7,700 subscribers who opted 

in for the newsletter “Quick Email” from the MUM website. 

For inquirers and applicants, the most effective way to understand MUM is to experience it at 

a Visitors Weekend, which is held ten times annually. Attendance at Visitors Weekends is up 

50% in 2008-2009 compared to the previous year.


Admissions acceptance criteria 

The Admissions Office recognizes the importance of carefully and thoroughly reviewing each 

application for admission. The Admissions Office makes its decision to accept or defer each 

applicant based on its best assessment of the applicant’s intention and capability to: 

• participate in Consciousness-Based education, including regular practice of the Transcendental 

Meditation technique 

• perform well academically 

• interact in an acceptable manner with others in the University community 

• comply with the University’s policies. 

All applicants are required to sign the online MUM Overview prior to acceptance 

(http://www.mum.edu/admissions/overview). The Overview describes the principal features and 

policies of MUM, covering students’ practice of Transcendental Meditation, Consciousness- 

Based education, the class schedule, residence hall policies, and more. Further, the admissions 

counselors personally discuss all points in the Overview with each applicant to ensure they 

understand and are comfortable with all the points. 

Also, most U.S. applicants attend a Visitors Weekend at MUM. This gives our admissions 

counselors the opportunity to spend time with each prospective student to better determine their 

suitability for our University. 

Acceptance and yield rates 

We tend to accept about 50% of the U.S. applicants, with a yield rate of 85% of accepted 

students. The international acceptance rate is substantially less. This demonstrates that MUM has 

a moderately competitive admissions process and is keenly desired by those who apply. 

2008-2009 Admissions Applicants Acceptances 

Accept 

Rate Enrolled Yield Rate 

USA 446 220 49% 189 86% 

Int’l (except co-ops) 704 77 11% 63 82% 

Total standard programs 1,150 297 26% 252 85% 

Accounting MBA co-op 811 119 15% 73 61% 

Enrollment of new students 

A total of 325 new students (excluding the M.S. in Computer Science Co-op program) enrolled at 

the Fairfield campus during the 2008-2009 academic year’s fall and spring entries — a 73% 

increase over the previous year. Of these, 182 were new undergraduate students, a 65% increase.


The enrollment of new undergraduates is substantial in the spring semester, reflecting the fact 

that our new students tend to be transfers or students who have stopped out from college. New 

undergraduate enrollments have grown substantially in both semesters over the past five years. 

New graduate enrollment at the Fairfield campus, excluding the M.S. in Computer Science Co-op 

Program and the Accounting MBA, has been more steady over the past five years, though 2008- 

2009 showed an upswing. 

New student enrollment for the M.S. in Computer Science Co-op Program has risen substantially 

over the past decade, as the table below shows.


RETE NT ION 

From our inception we have been concerned with all aspects of students’ quality of life — not 

just their classroom experience but their daily routine, their diet, their opportunities for exercise, 

and, most recently, the influence of the buildings they live and study in. All decisions affecting 

students are guided by the desire to improve their quality of life, both to improve retention and to 

give them habits to succeed in life. 

A long-term effort has been to reduce student attrition, which has historically hovered around 

35% for freshmen and 20% overall. Though this is somewhat high for small, private, liberal arts 

colleges, our analyses have concluded that most students who leave the University before 

graduating do so for quite legitimate reasons. They may wish to pursue a major we do not offer or 

be closer to home. Graduates of the Maharishi School, who have grown up in Fairfield, may wish 

to gain experience elsewhere. The rapid personal growth students experience may lead them to 

discover an interest they wish to pursue before completing their studies. MUM is also influenced 

by the national environment in which a college education is more fluid for today’s students, with 

higher rates of attrition, transfer (60% of all students receiving college degrees have attended at 

least two colleges or universities), and longer times to graduation. And, as at all schools, each 

year students re-enroll who had stopped out earlier. 

Over the years we have pursued a number of strategies to boost retention — reshaping the 

first-year program, modifying policies and procedures, improving student housing, and creating 

faculty tutorial and peer mentoring programs, among others. Attrition dropped to 24-25% during 

two of the last 10 years, leading us to think we were meeting the challenge, only to revert to the 

mid-30% range the following year. But with entering classes that contain relatively small 

numbers of first-time freshmen, even a few extra students returning or not returning in a year can 

cause the new-student attrition figure to fall or rise substantially. 

From the fall of 2007 to 2008, new undergraduate student attrition rose to 58%. Careful 

analysis again revealed that many students left for the same legitimate reasons summarized 

above. And this may have been a result of the same sort of statistical fluctuation that resulted in 

two years of lower attrition. Nevertheless, we used this development as an impetus for a broadbased 

self-evaluation and planning process. 

In the spring 2009 semester, Executive Vice-President Craig Pearson assembled and led a 

steering committee with representatives from all constituencies — faculty, Admissions 

Counselors, students, and alumni. Its purpose was to look at every facet of student experience — 

academic and administrative, curricular and co-curricular — and determine what steps needed to 

be taken to increase retention. The Board of Trustees formed a Committee on Retention, whose 

members participated actively in the process. We began by revisiting the mission, goals, and


strategic priorities of the University. Then we looked at basic policies with an eye to seeing 

whether they were supporting the goals. 

This led to a milestone event, an all-day session in Festival Hall with almost all the faculty, 

members of University Council, Admissions Counselors, and Student Council leaders to consider 

how to improve student happiness and retention. The event, conducted using a structured small 

group discussion technique known as World Café, led to a broad-based plan for improving 

retention: 

• Clarification of institutional identity – Several discussion sessions involving Trustees, 

faculty, staff, and students centered on envisioning the University’s future and articulating the 

values and features we would like to see going forward. This will lead to a detailed vision 

statement to be submitted to the Board of Trustees for input and approval. 

• Restructured group meditation policy – This was the major focus of discussion. Attendance 

had been declining, and over the past two years only 8.6% of undergraduate meditating 

students took the advanced TM-Sidhi course. We did a major restructuring of the policy, 

giving students more options and flexibility in meeting the requirements. The announcement 

of the new policy at an all-student meeting in June 2009, together with these other initiatives, 

met with great student appreciation. 

• Stronger orientation program – We will strengthen the orientation program for new students 

to make their transition into the campus culture as smooth as possible. 

• Greater integration of campus culture – We will take greater advantage of our international 

diversity and organize additional activities to bring students from different countries together. 

• Enhanced support for students – In the Spring 2009 semester, we established a Student 

Support Services office, with three very experienced staff who are available to speak privately 

with students about any question or concern. 

• Enhanced learning skills and career counseling support – We are now expanding the 

Student Support Services office and calling it the Student Success Center. This will offer 

students additional support in the areas of learning, study skills, and career counseling and 

job placement. 

• Structured peer support – Students helped design a Peer Mentoring program as well as a 

two-week training course that all Peer Mentors take at the start of each year. Current students 

responded enthusiastically — more than 35 signed up to be Peer Mentors, achieving the goal 

of one Peer Mentor for every 7 undergraduate students. At the end of each year, Peer Mentors 

will receive a certificate in recognition of their training and experience. 

• Continuous improvement of the student learning experience – As noted earlier, this has 

always been a faculty focus, but the work of the spring 2009 semester led to an integrated


plan, consolidating and extending long-standing efforts. Elements include offering students 

more opportunities for project-based learning and for designing their own major. 

• Enhanced faculty communication – This involves ongoing faculty training in communicating 

with students about the University’s unique knowledge and culture. 

• Restructuring of graduation requirements – Our evaluation of credits and program length 

concluded that our longer school year and four-year credit requirement has not been 

competitive with other schools on the block system. When we extended the length of our 

academic year from 36 to 42 weeks many years ago, we simultaneously increased the number 

of credits required for graduation to 166 credits. In view of our longer school year, the newly 

adopted 128-credit standard for the bachelor’s degree, which once again places our 

requirements at the same level as virtually every other U.S. college and university, will give 

many students a shorter time to completion and a lower debt load upon graduation, if they 

study the full 10.5 months each year. We expect this will also support increased retention. 

• Continuing refinement of academic programs in response to students’ needs – Recent 

examples include the new Communications & Media major and the new Pre-Med track in 

Physiology and Health, both of which have attracted new students. 

• Continuing improvement of the Food Service menu – It is challenging to provide a menu 

that is satisfying to a highly culturally diverse population, but we are continuing to work with 

our provider, Aladdin, to do so. 

Persistence and graduation rates in the undergraduate programs 

Persistence toward a four-year college degree has a lot to do with individual circumstances and 

motivation as well as with the college experience. The table below shows that total attrition, 

measured as the percentage of all undergraduate students who should return but do not, has 

averaged about 20% per year over the last decade. 

Undergraduate Enrollment Flows 2000-2008 (Headcount) 

2000- 

2001 

2001- 

2002 

2002- 

2003 

2003- 

2004 

2004- 

2005 

2005- 

2006 

2006- 

2007 

2007- 

2008 

New UG 98 85 68 135 116 80 170 180 150 

All UG 212 211 181 232 240 217 255 350 302 

Graduated 34 39 47 70 65 77 49 126 96 

Left spring & fall 52 59 37 38 38 55 36 72 --- 

Left % 25% 30% 18% 16% 17% 23% 12% 22% --- 

2008- 

2009 

New-student attrition has averaged about 35% over the last decade. It is less stable from year 

to year due to the small number of admittees who enter as first-time college students. For


example, if we had retained another 10 

students from the Fall 2007 entering 

class, the fall-to-fall retention would 

have been 70% rather than the actual 

42%. 

The overall graduation rate in 

bachelor’s programs, measured 

as the percentage of enrolling 

students who complete their 

degree within 150% (6 years) of 

the expected time to degree, has 

averaged 42% in recent years. 

The typical MUM student is 

not an 18-year-old right out of 

high school. The rather large number of summer applicants (for fall) and the large spring entry 

attests to that. These students are already an attrition statistic from some other school. They are 

often still trying to find out what they are interested in and are still experimenting with the college 

experience. 

Graduation 

Rate 

Further analysis of students’ reasons for leaving 

The Registrar and the Deans of Students also reviewed the record of each student who did not 

return at the beginning of the Fall 2008 semester. Results: three re-enrolled at MUM later in the 

year; four joined the on-campus Invincible America Assembly; one joined the MUM staff; two 

were no longer living; four had been suspended for using and selling drugs; one had a learning 

disability and was not prepared for college; another was asked to leave due to poor academic 

performance but is trying to return; two left due to illness; one came with the intention of staying 

one semester and has transferred; four left or were asked to leave due to mental instability or 

depression; several transferred to other schools for majors not available here (e.g., interior design, 

architecture, music, photography, marine biology) or to be closer to home; several left due to 

family issues (parental divorce, pregnancy); one, a Maharishi School graduate, left to spend some 

time traveling; approximately 15 others, including a few Maharishi School students, transferred to 

other schools or left the University for reasons unknown. 

In 2007-2008, we created an online exit survey that departing students can fill out 

anonymously. Over the past two years, 23 students have done so. Of the 23 completed surveys, 

the following are the reasons most often cited as a “strong factor” in their decision to leave: 

• 10 students– The courses and curriculum 

First-time freshman attrition 

• 9 students – Emphasis on the Transcendental Meditation movement 

Fall 

2006 

Fall 

2007 

Number entering 29 38 

Number returning the next year 21 17 

NR/NE 72% 45% 

1999- 

2005 

2000- 

2006 

2001- 

2007 

2002- 

2008 

Average 

Starting cohort 69 52 53 36 210 

Graduated 

within 6 years 24 23 23 18 88 

150% 

graduation rate 35% 44% 43% 50% 42%


• 8 students – Student loans were too high 

• 8 students – Need to make money 

• 8 students – Student housing 

• 8 students – The structured nature of the daily routine 

• 8 students – Freedom of personal expression. 

We respond to these reasons by reflecting on our mission and our activities to support 

students’ self-discovery and learning. 

As a small institution, we are restricted in the number of majors we can offer, so there will 

always be some attrition due to change or specificity in students’ interests. 

The “emphasis on the Transcendental Meditation movement,” meaning the requirement that 

students practice the Transcendental Meditation program and the opportunities for advanced 

programs related to Maharishi Vedic Science, is an important part of our mission, and this is 

reflected clearly on our web site and in admissions interviews. Related to our educational 

philosophy is the “structured nature of the daily routine,” which likely refers to the twice-daily 

group meditation periods, morning and afternoon classes under the guidance of faculty on the 

block system, Saturday morning classes, and our recommendation of 10 p.m. bedtimes. “Freedom 

of personal expression” probably relates to the dress code (relaxed substantially in 2008–2009), 

which has been in place out of our sense that students will better organize their minds and their 

lives when they attend to their appearance, and it also relates to our desire not to be perceived as a 

radical or fringe college. Though we have shown some flexibility recently in relation to students’ 

personal appearance, we will not compromise the mission in relation to the Transcendental 

Meditation program, and we are not inclined to loosen the structure very much or very quickly. 

Students’ concern about loans and their need to make money will be less in the future, as 

students who study 10.5 months per year will be able to graduate in three years rather than four. 

Housing has been improving dramatically in recent years, with our $2 million investment in 

residence hall renovations and our hiring of Aramark to manage the facilities, so we expect fewer 

students to leave for this reason.


Readmission data reveal a lower real attrition rate 

A number of undergraduate students who leave the University 

return at a later date to continue their education. The table at 

right displays the data from the past five years. As a proportion 

of total enrollment, the trend is encouraging. Last year our 

percentage of readmits increased more than our undergraduate 

enrollment. From Fall 2007 to Fall 2008, undergraduate 

enrollment increased from 203 to 232 (a 14% increase) — but 

our readmits increased from 5 to 10 (a 100% increase). We also 

did well with our readmit numbers in the Spring of 2009. 

Entry 

# readmits 

Fall 2004 7 

Spring 2005 5 

Fall 2005 5 

Spring 2006 3 

Fall 2006 4 

Spring 2007 5 

The ACT Alumni Survey 

Fall 2007 5 

A survey of alumni also helps an institution measure its success 

Spring 2008 5 

in meeting students’ expectations. The American College 

Testing service administered an Alumni Survey for MUM in 

2008. The ACT sent surveys to graduate and undergraduate 

Spring 2009 

Fall 2008 

11 

10 

alumni (about 120 responded). This survey showed that in many respects MUM graduates felt a 

much higher satisfaction with their educational experience than the national norm for colleges 

with under 2,000 students. These results are consistent with those of earlier ACT alumni surveys 

conducted in 1986 and 1996. The following table gives a sample of questions and responses. 

ACT Alumni Survey – sample questions and responses 

MUM 

Nat’l 

norm 

Would you choose this college again — “Definitely yes.” 72% 47% 

How well did this college prepare you for your current job — “Very well.” 47% 18% 

Overall, how would you rate this college — “Excellent” 71% 49% 

Were you satisfied with the overall quality of instruction — “Very satisfied” 66% 39% 

Rate the opportunities for student/faculty interaction. – “Very positive.” 72% 38% 

Do you agree or disagree that the general education courses were a valuable 

component of your education — “Strongly Agree.” 

Do you agree or disagree that overall, the college had an intellectually 

stimulating atmosphere — “Strongly Agree.” 

How much impact did this college have in developing original ideas and/or 

products — “Major impact.” 

How much impact did this college have in understanding the interaction of 

human beings and the environment — “Major impact.” 

67% 22% 

61% 23% 

62% 23% 

63% 21%


The ACT Alumni Survey also produced data about the students who attended MUM that 

helps us to understand the kind of student drawn to this university. Sixteen percent of the MUM 

alumni respondents were self-employed, compared to 4% nationally. 

Strengths and challenges in enrollment development 

STRENGTHS 

• Consciousness-Based education – Consciousness-Based education provides a distinctive 

feature that has proven attractive to students, particularly those dissatisfied with conventional 

education. Finding a distinctive feature is a challenge for many schools. The enormous body 

of empirical research documenting the benefits of this approach to education (600 studies 

conducted 250 universities and research institutions over the last 30 years) solidly establishes 

its value-added benefit. 

• Other appealing features – Other features attractive to students and their parents include the 

block system of instruction (one course at a time), the friendly and peaceful campus 

atmosphere, the University’s relatively small size, and the vegetarian diet. 

• Attractive programs of study – Over the past 10 years, we have developed and promoted 

academic programs that have proved highly appealing to students. At the graduate level, these 

include the Computer Science and Accounting MBA co-op programs. At the undergraduate 

level, these include the Sustainable Living and Communications and Media programs, with the 

new ESL program looking to be our next high-growth area. 

5. Strengths in retention – University strengths that promote retention include: 

– The depth of personal growth that students experience 

– The strength of the faculty, who are dedicated and skilled in teaching and enjoy interacting 

with students 

– The ability of students to make friends with other like-minded students 

– Channels for helping nourish students – the Student Affairs staff, Dorm Directors and 

Resident Advisors, the First-Year Coordinator, an Executive Vice-President who meets 

with students regularly, and (this year) the Peer Mentoring program and other initiatives 

outlined above 

– A safe and harmonious campus environment 

– An active student government that strongly supports the University’s mission and goals 

and has a close working relationship with the administration, allowing us to rapidly 

address student concerns.



Challenges in retention – Challenges that affect retention include the following: 

• Breadth of academic offerings – As a relatively small university, we offer a smaller number 

of academic majors than larger schools. Students who leave often do so to pursue majors not 

available here. 

Response – The metamorphosis of the Biology major to the Sustainable Living major — far 

more interdisciplinary in its scope and the first such program in the country — has been a 

boon in attracting and retaining students. The Communications and Media major, added two 

years ago, is proving similarly beneficial. A master’s program in Communications and Media 

is planned to begin in 2010, pending HLC approval, and a proposal for a master’s program in 

Sustainable Living is being developed. The rising interest in music among our students (and 

their talent) suggests music as an undergraduate program to add in the next several years. The 

ESL program will attract students who would not otherwise attend MUM due to English 

language deficiency, and these students will be highly likely to persist. 

• Age of the faculty – The faculty and staff is over-represented by people in their 50s and 60s 

and underrepresented by those in their 20s and 30s. 

Response – We are seeking to hire younger faculty and staff as well as helping guide current 

faculty on how to communicate effectively and build rapport with younger students. 

• Policies and campus culture – Some students do not understand the reason for some 

University policies, and some find the transition to our unique campus culture something of a 

challenge. 

Response – A broad range of mechanisms have been put into place to address this, as outlined 

above. The group meditation policy, a concern for a number of students, has been 

restructured. The Orientation Program has been strengthened and a student-initiated Peer 

Mentoring program is now underway, among other strategies. For several years now the 

student government has sponsored monthly Open Forums where students can bring any and 

all questions to University leaders. And in the Spring semester 2009, students organized a 

series of evening “chats” that brought students, faculty, and administrators together in 

structured sessions using the technique of appreciative inquiry.


P A R T I I I 

SUM M A R Y O F T H E S E L F - S TU D Y 

I N R E L AT I O N TO T H E C R I T ER I A F O R 

A C C R ED I TAT I O N


This portion of the self-study report summarizes the evaluation of the institution’s major 

functions in relation to the Criteria for Accreditation by presenting key facts, documented in Part 

II of this report, that demonstrate the fulfillment of the criteria and their core components. 

C R I T E R I O N 1 

MISSIO N AN D INT EG RIT Y 

The organization operates with integrity to ensure the fulfillment of its mission through 

structures and processes that involve the board, administration, faculty, staff, and students. 

Core Component 1a – The organization’s mission documents are clear and articulate 

publicly the organization’s commitments. 

• The document Statements of Mission, Vision, Core Values, Strategic Priorities, and Founding 

Goals was approved by the Board of Trustees in 2009 and has been disseminated widely 

throughout the institution. The document is written in very specific, clear, language to show 

the institution’s focus on academic purposes and student learning. The document is available 

to the public on the University’s web site through a link from the home page. 

Core Component 1b – In its mission documents, the organization recognizes the 

diversity of its learners, other constituencies, and the greater society it serves. 

• Among the “Core Values” in the mission documents is an affirmation of the value of diversity, 

“The world is our family — we respect the diversity of the world’s nations, cultures, and 

religions as facets of a unified world family.” 

Core Component 1c – Understanding of and support for the mission pervade the 

organization. 

• Maharishi University of Management is no plain-vanilla college. The visiting team’s 

conversations with the students, faculty and administration of the University will show that the 

mission of MUM is distinctive, well understood, and widely supported. 

• The assessment plans of most degree programs explicitly recognize the mission of the 

University and the department’s role in fulfilling that mission.


Core Component 1d – The organization’s governance and administrative structures 

promote effective leadership and support collaborative processes that enable the 

organization to fulfill its mission. 

• The senior leaders of the University have all had long tenure with the institution. They have 

known each other a long time and work together well. 

• Interviews with faculty, staff, and students will show widespread appreciation for the 

leadership of the President and Executive Vice-President. 

• The distribution of authority between the Curriculum and Graduate Committees, the Academic 

Council, and the University Council is well understood and functions effectively to support 

new program development. 

Core Component 1e – The organization upholds and protects its integrity. 

• During the self-study process, the Student Government reviewed 16 pages of the University’s 

web site that present key features of the University to the public and concluded that all 

corresponded substantially to the experience of students at MUM. 

• During the self-study process, the Student Government reviewed the Student Handbook and 

presented a list of errors and omissions, which were corrected for the 2009-2010 edition. 

• Conversations with the faculty will show that instructors are vigilant to uphold the Academic 

Honor Code and have taken specific actions against the violators by using some kind of 

penalty to the student’s grade. The range of penalties in these cases, though rather wide, is 

consistent with the rules stated in the Student Handbook. The high percentage of faculty who 

have taken such action shows that the integrity of the University’s grades and degrees is 

valued by the faculty. 

• Conversations with students and members of the Global Student Council will reveal that 

students generally know the “chain of command” through which to voice concerns of various 

types (academic, co-curricular, safety, etc.). 

• The handbooks for faculty and staff clearly articulate the procedures to air concerns and have 

them addressed. 

• Our equitable participation in the IPAL interlibrary loan consortium (page 122) reflects the 

integrity of the institution. Though some other participants in IPAL have tended to borrow 

more than they contribute, MUM has been a net lender to the consortium in 2 of the last 3 

years. 

• MUM practices integrity in its contractual relations and alliances. The principal contractual 

relation under which the University currently operates is the alliance with the Overseas


Chinese College (OCC) of Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing, China, to 

offer bachelor’s degrees in business administration and computer science. This relationship 

has required much diplomacy and sensitivity to cultural differences. 


PREP ARI NG FOR THE FU TU RE 

The organization’s allocation of resources and its processes for evaluation and planning 

demonstrate its capacity to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its education, and 

respond to future challenges and opportunities. 

Core Component 2a – The organization realistically prepares for a future shaped by 

multiple societal and economic trends. 

• The minutes of the meetings of the Board of Trustees and of the University Council show that 

the board and University leaders are aware of key trends that may impact the institution over 

the next 3-5 years and have coherent, though diverse, approaches for dealing with them. These 

trends include the changing interests and psychographics of the student body, the aging of the 

general population, the aging of the faculty, the demand for people trained in computer science 

and in accounting, and the rising demand for accountability within higher education. 

• The process of budgeting in the recent past has largely been incremental due to the small and 

somewhat unpredictable enrollments of the University. A preliminary budget is prepared in 

May and June for the next academic year and presented to the Trustees for approval at their 

regularly scheduled meeting at the end of June. The budget is then finalized in November after 

the fall enrollment is determined. For departments having stable enrollments, each year’s 

faculty requirement has largely been met by the faculty available in the previous year, and 

unexpected growth is met through larger class sizes, or adjunct faculty, or overload. For the 

growth center departments (Computer Science, Sustainable Living, Communications and 

Media, Business Administration), the University commits funds in advance of the academic 

year to hire new faculty. Thus, the May-June budget includes a firm commitment to faculty 

and staff positions and expenditures deemed absolutely necessary, as well as an initial 

commitment to those expansionary expenditures that are validated or adjusted in September 

and February when the semesters’ revenues are confirmed. 

Core Component 2b – The organization’s resource base supports its educational 

programs and its plans for maintaining and strengthening quality in the future. 

• MUM has had Composite Financial Index equal to the capped 3.0 value in three of the past 

five years. The uncapped CFI averaged 4.9 with a downward trend in the last few years. A


CFI rating in the 4-5 range would typically permit MUM to “Focus resources to compete in 

the future.” 

• Total debt is only 32% of total assets, leaving substantial net assets to uphold the activities of 

the University. 

• During the past ten years, we have demolished 42 old buildings inherited from the bankrupt 

Parsons College in 1974. In their place, we have constructed 11 buildings including the 

magnificent 48,000-square-foot Argiro Student Center in 2008, with another building, the 

Sustainable Living Center, under construction. 

• Annual Fund giving has increased over the past five years, and a quiet capital campaign to 

attract donations for new buildings has brought in $6.7 million over the past ten years, with an 

additional $520,000 in donations for demolition of old buildings. In the past year, we invested 

$2 million in the renovation of four residence halls containing 212 rooms. 

• The Technology Planning Committee has kept the campus IT infrastructure up to date and 

budgeted $90,000 for IT initiatives suggested by the faculty. 

• The Library’s physical and electronic collections are adequate to the purposes of the degree 

programs. The University was a net lender to the Iowa interlibrary system in which it 

participates during two of the past three years. 

• The Human Resouces department has begun offering training programs for all staff and 

faculty who desire them. For example, a training course in using Microsoft Excel was offered 

in the spring of 2009 and was attended by about 70 people. The course will be offered on a 

regular basis, along with courses for those with more advanced skill levels. A schedule of 

training courses has been planned for this coming year that includes courses in personnel 

evaluation, safety and worker’s compensation, Microsoft Excel (Basic and Advanced), 

Microsoft Word (basic and advanced), Microsoft Powerpoint, customer service, basic 

computer skills, and telephone and email etiquette. Other courses being considered: front desk 

management, interviewing and hiring, supervisory skills, time management, teamwork, goal 

setting, productivity/quality, meeting skills, continuous performance appraisal, and 

communication skills. 

Core Component 2c – The organization’s ongoing evaluation and assessment processes 

provide reliable evidence of institutional effectiveness that clearly informs strategies for 

continuous improvement. 

• In its planning, the Executive Committee uses a broad range of financial data along with 

enrollment and admissions data and other information as a basis for administrative decisions. 

(Please see the “Summary of key indicators of institutional effectiveness” on page 152.)


• Each administrative department monitors a specified set of metrics. These are reported to the 

Executive Committee at various points during the year. We plan to develop a website on 

which department chairs can post and update their dashboards for review at any time by the 

Executive Committee, the President, and selected Trustees. 

• In 2009 we began a process of lean analysis on a set of administrative areas, with the goal of 

streamlining workflow, improving performance and employee satisfaction, reducing cost, and 

improving customer service. We will extend this analysis to all departments and sustain it. 

• We have not had a periodic formal academic program review during the last decade, excepting 

the Education Department review mandated by the state. However, we recognize the need for 

a periodic (4–5 year) comprehensive review of each academic program, and the Dean of 

Faculty will establish a schedule for such reviews over the next five years. 

• Academic departments generate reports on their academic programs for the Dean of the 

College of Arts and Sciences. The Dean then creates a single report on student achievement, 

with reference to our general education goals, integrating (a) the elements of departmental 

reports related to general education objectives and (b) the Evaluation Office report on the 

results of our standardized testing on general education objectives and the results of the senior 

year capstone. This report goes to the Dean of Faculty and Executive Vice-President. If the 

report indicates weaknesses in particular general education objectives, the Dean of the College 

of Arts and Sciences raises these points with Curriculum Committee, whose recommendations 

are brought to Academic Council. The results of the report are also discussed with the 

Evaluation Committee if there is some concern about standardized testing instruments or 

implementation. 

• The annual program assessment reports received by the Dean of Faculty are available in the 

Resource Room show that many departments have clear goals and assessment methodologies, 

and they use assessment information to make improvements to their programs. 

Core Component 2d – All levels of planning align with the organization’s mission, 

thereby enhancing its capacity to fulfill that mission. 

• The mission of MUM to provide Consciousness-Based education is clear to all faculty, staff, 

and students. Planning for institutional improvement has been institutionalized at the levels of 

the course, degree program, and university as a whole. The integration of student learning 

outcomes assessment data in the planning process is consistently strong at the course level, 

strong to weak at the program level, and still developing at the university level. The courselevel 

data feeds up to the program level where it is combined with data from standardized tests 

or competitions, from graduates and employers. Program-level data will be combined with


general education assessment data and nationally standardized surveys at the university level 

to align planning and budgeting with the mission of MUM. 

• The Executive Committee meets approximately once each semester with the Academic 

Council or the Faculty Senate (depending on the topic) to consider strategic issues involving 

both academics and administration. 

• In the Spring 2009 semester, almost all faculty had written a Closing the Loop report that 

described their course goals, reported student learning assessment data, and identified tactics 

to improve the course. These reports are used by program directors to assess student learning 

and to plan improvements as part of the annual budget cycle. 


STUDE NT LEAR NIN G AN D EF FE CTIV E TE ACH ING 

The organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that 

demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission. 

Core Component 3a – The organization’s goals for student learning outcomes are 

clearly stated for each educational program and make effective assessment possible. 

• The University’s Statement of Purposes, one of its mission documents, describes the objective 

of “Self-Development” in ways that are much broader in scope than other universities would 

do so but offers measures for each aspect of self-development that are practical and 

meaningful. 

• Every academic program has an assessment plan that states the program’s goals and objectives 

in clear and measurable terms. 

• The assessment plans for more than half of the current degree programs at the University used 

objective rubrics to evaluate a capstone product. Only rarely do the faculty rely primarily on 

course grades and student self-reports to assess student learning. 

Core Component 3b – The organization values and supports effective teaching. 

• The University’s focus on academic excellence in teaching and learning is evident in the 

University’s emphasis on a balanced daily routine, with early bedtime; Saturday morning 

classes; the structured time each Saturday for students to review and formally present the 

knowledge they are gaining; the expectation that students will attend all classes; and the large 

amount of classroom time the faculty spend with students, made possible through the block 

system.


• The University conducts a two-week training program for all new faculty and sponsors a fourday 

Faculty Development Seminar each year, required of all teaching faculty, in which 

participants get lectures and workshops on the latest knowledge and techniques relevant to 

student learning and teaching. 

• Associate Professor Jane Schmidt-Wilk is the national editor of the Journal of Management 

Education, published by the Organizational Behavior Teaching Society. Professor Schmidt- 

Wilk receives release time from the University to serve the higher education community in this 

role, a further demonstration of the University’s commitment to effective teaching and 

learning. 

• A disadvantage of the block system is that, with teaching loads at 5-6 courses per year, when 

faculty must teach two or more blocks (months) back-to-back, they typically have little time to 

prepare the next course and grade the previous course. A consequence is that their 

documentation of ways to improve the course (Closing the Loop reports) becomes rather 

scanty. However, as faculty get more experience with course-level assessment, writing these 

reports will become easier. 

Core Component 3c – The organization creates effective learning environments. 

• Maharishi University of Management is one of only a handful of institutions that operate on 

the block calendar, teaching one course at a time. Our faculty are with their students in the 

morning and afternoon session of class each day. This system is very demanding on the 

faculty but enables students to retain knowledge better than they would on the standard 

semester system. 

• MUM is the only university in the U.S. that has institutionalized the practice of the 

Transcendental Meditation program, which has been validated scientifically in 600 scientific 

research studies and has been shown to improve mental potential, personal health, social 

behavior, and societal peace. 

• We are constructing all new classroom buildings using the ancient, highly mathematical 

system of Vedic architecture. The ancient Sanskrit texts describe in detail how buildings may 

be designed to promote such qualities as happiness, health, prosperity, and enlightenment; they 

also describe the negative influences of improper design, such as anger, fear, and disease. A 

set of pilot studies has confirmed the benefits of basic principles of this approach, for example 

the principle of eastern orientation of buildings. (Please see the document “Maharishi Vedic 

Architecture: Background and Summary of Scientific Research,” in the Resource Room.) 

• Our faculty use wall charts in their courses in ways that we believe are unique in higher 

education and provide an effective way to improve student learning. These include Main Point 

charts (displaying the main points of each lesson), course timeline charts, and Unified Field


charts (showing all the branches of a discipline at a glance and the discipline’s relation to the 

knower, or student). 

• The University’s staff of professional librarians are actively engaged in their profession and 

maintain an array of print and electronic resources that meet students’ needs according to 

professional standards. 

• One area that needs attention is study skills support for students. Our challenge, in the block 

system, is that students are in class almost all day and have little of the discretionary time that 

students in semester-system schools might have to spend in a learning assistance center. 

Nevertheless, we plan to hire a director for the newly organized Student Success Center in 

2009-10 who will work with the faculty to bring this support into the classrooms. 

• Another area needing enhancement is ESL support for our graduate co-up students. The ESL 

program that is planned for the fall semester of 2009 will bring additional faculty strength to 

this area. 

Core Component 3d – The organization’s learning resources support student learning 

and effective teaching. 

• The MUM Library has been a net positive contributor to the Iowa interlibrary loan system, 

showing that our library resources are not only sufficient for student use but serve statewide 

needs effectively. 

• Since 2000, as part of our campus reconstruction initiative, we added three new classroom 

buildings totaling 32,000 square feet, and we built the 48,000-square-foot Argiro Student 

Center. The Student Center supports student learning with its auditorium (often used as a 

classroom as well as for other educational functions), classroom, and other spaces. 

• In the last 10 years we have attracted a student population with a greater need for academic 

and social support. The Learning Resources Center has provided tutorial service in English to 

students and is increasingly being called upon to add support in mathematics and the sciences. 

We recently established a student support center, staffed by two consulting psychologists and 

a young director, to serve students’ emotional and social needs, and we are in the process of 

hiring a director for a Student Success Center to oversee these operations. 

• In the last few years, among other measures, we have increased Internet bandwidth from 9 to 

30 Mbps, added fiber optic cable connections to 8 student dormitories, and improved the fiber 

optic backbone to Gigabit speeds to 19 major buildings.



ACQU ISIT IO N, DISC OVE RY, AN D 

APPL ICA TI ON OF KNO WLE DG E 

The organization promotes a life of learning for its faculty, administration, staff, and 

students by fostering and supporting inquiry, creativity, practice, and social responsibility 

in ways consistent with its mission. 

Core Component 4a – The organization demonstrates, through the actions of its board, 

administrators, students, faculty, and staff, that it values a life of learning. 

• The University promotes lifelong learning for its alumni and community members by 

sponsoring many events each year that are open to the Transcendental Meditation community 

in Fairfield and that are held in Dalby Hall or in the Golden Dome. 

• University faculty have been active in the scholarship of discovery, scholarship of teaching, 

scholarship of integration, and the scholarship of application, according to their particular 

interests. 

• Every issue of the MUM Review during 2008-2009 had at least one article that featured the 

research, awards, conferences or workshops of faculty, students or alumni. 

• The MUM Faculty Handbook has a policy on freedom of inquiry that is drawn from the 1940 

AAUP statement on “Academic Freedom and Tenures” and its 1970 Interpretive Comments. 

• Professional development opportunities for faculty and staff have been restricted due to low 

budget allocations and due to high teaching loads that limit the faculty’s time for scholarship 

and professional development. However, the Dean of Faculty is planning to promote among 

the faculty a self-concept of scholarship around teaching, integration and application around 

which individual faculty can develop themselves professionally. 

• Faculty report that it is challenging to find adequate time to prepare for their teaching, in part 

due to their administrative responsibilities or the need to earn money through outside 

activities, especially when they must teach 2 or occasionally 3 intensive month-long courses in 

a row. Faculty need time to read the current academic and professional literature or to research 

newer textbooks and cases or course materials, so they find it challenging to keep their 

curricula current. To help address this need, teaching loads were reduced beginning in the 

2008–2009 year.


Core Component 4b – The organization demonstrates that acquisition of a breadth of 

knowledge and skills and the exercise of intellectual inquiry are integral to its 

educational programs. 

• MUM is pioneering an approach to general education that systematically develops students 

from within. MUM’s system of general education develops students’ creativity, intelligence, 

clarity of mind, learning ability, and wisdom. It improves their health and reduces the effects 

of stress. But it is extraordinary that all of this is accomplished by a single technology. 

Consciousness is fundamental to experience and knowing, so the development of 

consciousness through the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique has farreaching 

effects, even though it can be learned in only four days and students find it easy and 

enjoyable to practice. The MUM education waters the root of knowledge in a way that no 

other school does, as demonstrated by our general education assessment outcomes (page 53). 

• Maharishi University of Management has introduced a form of general education that goes 

beyond the cognitive, affective, and social goals of most other institutions of higher education. 

The development of consciousness, the wakefulness that forms the basis for learning, is well 

understood in the Vedic tradition of India but until recently has been poorly understood in the 

West. The task of operationalizing and measuring the development of consciousness has 

occupied the University from its inception and remains an ongoing program of research. 

Though Maslow’s concept of self-actualization is relevant and can be measured, MUM is one 

of the few institutions that measures ego development using Loevinger’s test, and MUM is 

unique in developing a neurophysiological measure of brain integration and relating it to the 

experience of higher states of consciousness and holistic personal growth (page 60). 

• Through their performance in national competitions, MUM students have demonstrated 

excellence in general education skills such as critical thinking, creative problem solving, 

teamwork, and communication. In 2007, a team of business students took third place in the 

Foundation Simulation contest, and in 2008 a team of undergraduates took sixth place in the 

National Mediation Tournament held at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago. 

Core Component 4c – The organization assesses the usefulness of its curricula to 

students who will live and work in a global, diverse, and technological society. 

• Curricular objectives that relate to workplace readiness were evaluated in the annual 

assessment reports for the departments of Literature and Writing, Sustainable Living, Business 

Administration, and Computer Science. 

• The two co-op programs, the M.S. in Computer Science and the Accounting MBA include 

language proficiency training, American business culture, communication skills, team 

building, and interviewing skills among their “workplace readiness” initiatives.


• The 2008 ACT Alumni Survey asked students, “How well did this college prepare you for 

your current job” In response, 47% of MUM alumni reported “exceptionally well,” compared 

to a national norm of 18%. 

• Annual assessment reports for the degree programs only rarely include assessments from 

alumni or employers, though these will be included in the periodic full program reviews 

Core Component 4d – The organization provides support to ensure that faculty, 

students, and staff acquire, discover, and apply knowledge responsibly. 

• The faculty of MUM uphold the Academic Honor Code very seriously. Few violations 

escalate to the Dean of Faculty for disciplinary action, but a survey of the faculty reveals that 

most faculty have treated violations at the classroom level. Plagiarism continues to be a 

problem, especially with international students, so the faculty routinely remind them in person 

and in writing of the American standards for using information resources. Cheating on exams 

is mentioned less frequently by those who have dealt with a violation directly. 

• The University’s policy on intellectual property rights is published in the Faculty Handbook. 


ENGA GE MEN T AN D SERV ICE 

As called for by its mission, the organization identifies its constituencies and serves them in 

ways both value. 

Core Component 5a – The organization learns from the constituencies it serves and 

analyzes its capacity to serve their needs and expectations. 

• The changing demographics of the student community at MUM over the past 10–20 years has 

caused the administration to pay close attention to the needs of students who are new to the 

Transcendental Meditation program, who have already had some college experience 

elsewhere, who may have learning difficulties or emotional challenges, who are older than the 

traditional college student and thus are supporting themselves through college, or who have an 

urban background or African-American heritage. 

• MUM receives requests frequently from international leaders of the Transcendental Meditation 

organization who would like to establish MUM programs in their countries and in response 

has developed protocols to assist those leaders in researching the opportunities and planning 

for the creation of local colleges or branch campuses of MUM. 

• We are beginning to do more with our alumni. The Alumni Office sponsored an Alumni 

Weekend in July 2008 that was attended by 120 participants.


Core Component 5b – The organization has the capacity and the commitment to engage 

with its identified constituencies and communities. 

• We have a portfolio of publications that engage our various constituencies. 

– The biweekly MUM Review is distributed on campus and in Fairfield but e-mailed to 

another 500 recipients. 

– The Golden Domes Quarterly goes out to 6,000 alumni and donors. 

– The annual University Report is mailed to 6,000 alumni and donors. 

– The Achievements e-zine is sent to 8,000 alumni and donors. 

• In each of the last three years, faculty in the Business Administration and Sustainable Living 

departments have led student groups to conduct research projects for local government and 

private firms in the region. 

• University faculty serve on the boards of the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center, the 

Fairfield Entrepreneur Association, and the Fairfield City Council. 

• The Education Department is engaged with local schools for student teaching activities. 

• Instructional and co-curricular programs engage students with the national and international 

Transcendental Meditation organizations, examples being student film projects in association 

with the David Lynch Foundation and student internships at the Maharishi Education Institute 

in South Africa. 

• The University dedicates part of the time of the chair of the Expansion Council to help 

Transcendental Meditation leaders overseas prepare proposals to their governments for local 

colleges or branch campuses of MUM. 

• We are sponsoring a 3-day conference in September entitled “Building a Healthy, Sustainable 

American Indian Community,” focusing on cultural preservation, education, health, 

agriculture, and renewable energy. Hosts and participants include Indian Health Services, 

Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Indian Education Association, Winnebago Tribal Health 

Services, Winnebago Treaty Hospital, the David Lynch Foundation, and the Hocak Elders 

Council. Speakers include the president of the National Congress of American Indians, the 

president National Indian Education Association, and the acting director of the Bureau of 

Indian Education. This conference is a next step in a Transcendental Meditation research 

project with a Winnebago tribe in Nebraska, on which MUM faculty have consulted. Based on 

this success, it is possible that Maharishi University of Management could begin providing 

educational services in many Native American communities in the next several years.


Core Component 5c – The organization demonstrates its responsiveness to those 

constituencies that depend on it for service. 

• The central administration has an excellent relationship with the Global Student Council, as 

seen in monthly meetings of University leaders with the GSC and open forums for the student 

body, and especially as evident in the most recent campus-wide initiative to re-examine 

policies that might improve retention. 

• Formal complaints are rare at MUM. 

• President Morris has a telephonic meeting almost daily with the 500+ participants of the oncampus 

Invincible America Assembly, to hear and comment on their experiences. 

• MUM is responsive to the U.S. national Transcendental Meditation organization, an example 

being its offer of temporary housing for some 250 participants in the Vedic Pandit Project that 

created coherence for the U.S. in 2006-2008, as well has housing participants in the Invincible 

America Assembly. 

• The University has been very responsive to the Fairfield Transcendental Meditation 

community by opening the Golden Dome for daily practice of the Transcendental Meditation 

program at no fee and holding regular community meetings related to Transcendental 

Meditation news and activities. 

Core Component 5d – Internal and external constituencies value the services the 

organization provides. 

• In our most recent administration of the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory (January 

2008, with a response rate of over 95%), students listed the following as the University’s top 5 

strengths (defined as areas of both high importance and high satisfaction to the students): 

“Nearly all of the faculty are knowledgeable in their field,” “It is an enjoyable experience to be 

a student on this campus,” I am able to experience intellectual growth here,” “Security staff 

respond quickly in emergencies,” and “I am growing in the ability to manage every aspect of 

my life in a healthy and productive manner.” 

• The Mayor of Fairfield has on a number of occasions expressed his appreciation for the work 

our students have done for the Fairfield city government in the areas of sustainability and 

business process improvement. 

• As indicated in the Education Department’s annual assessment report, local leaders in the 

school system have expressed great appreciation for the quality of student teachers provided 

by the our Education Department.


• Leaders of the international Transcendental Meditation organization have expressed in writing 

their great appreciation for the contributions of MUM and its alumni to the activities of their 

national organizations. 

Integrity in advertising 

The Admissions Office ensures that the catalog and advertising materials used by MUM are 

truthful and complete representations of University programs and policies. In 2008–2009, the 

Global Student Council reviewed 16 pages of the MUM web site and found that all pages 

“corresponded to the reality of students’ experience,” citing only two qualifications—the page on 

athletics described the dance program as more extensive than what is offered, and the page on 

dining did not fully describe the “Vedic aspects” of the dining experience. 

Institutions that enroll a large number of foreign students have a special obligation to give 

them a proper expectation about their life and work at the university. These students tend not to 

have much knowledge of American higher education before arriving, nor many easy alternatives 

to their present institution after they matriculate. We respect this fact by communicating clearly in 

our publications to international students the key features that may affect their decision to apply 

and enroll. We take care to inform them, for example, that all students learn the Transcendental 

Meditation technique and that the dining hall offers only a vegetarian diet. 

Integrity in government relations 

Appendix B of this report details the University’s compliance with federal requirements under 

Title IV. The University’s Fiscal Year Cohort Default Rate for the Federal Perkins Loan Program 

and Federal Stafford Loan Program has been well below the 10% criterion for the last five years. 

Due to these low default rates, the U.S. Department of Education has not called upon Maharishi 

University of Management to institute any special default prevention measures. 

We continue to use many approaches to keep the default rates low, including required loan 

entrance and exit interviews for each student borrower, as well as monitoring and counseling of 

former student borrowers who become delinquent in loan repayments. To stay abreast of changes 

to regulations and best practices at other universities, financial aid staff attend twice-yearly 

conferences and read professional association newsletters and federal and state financial aid 

handbooks. Compliance with these regulations is supported by a long-term staff, of whom three 

have been in their jobs over six years. Office policy and procedure manuals, cross-training, and 

internal checks further promote the integrity of the financial aid operation. The last two outside 

audits, by KPMG, cited no “reportable findings.”


SUMMA RY OF TH E 

CRIT ERI A FO R AC CRE DIT ATI O N 

Maharishi University of Management meets and exceeds the Commission’s five criteria for 

accreditation. 

Criterion One, on mission and integrity, is clearly fulfilled. The University has a well-defined 

mission appropriate to an institution of higher education and has been making steady progress in 

achieving its purposes. We continue to develop the four growth centers that were discussed in our 

2000 self-study, namely Computer Science, Business Administration, Physiology & Health, and 

Digital Media. To that, in the last decade, we have added Sustainable Living, which integrates 

many of the themes that distinguish Maharishi University of Management—the holistic 

development of consciousness, organic agriculture and natural health care, enlightened 

management, and world peace. Owing to the expansion of these growth centers, undergraduate 

admissions are up 200% from 2004, standard graduate admissions are up about 50% from 2004, 

and the co-op programs in Computer Science and Accounting MBA have produced extraordinary 

growth in enrollment. The popular trend in the use of the Internet over the past decade has 

worked very much in the favor of MUM, as the vast majority of prospective undergraduate 

students learn about the University through Internet searches on such mission-related topics as 

consciousness, meditation, holistic health, organic food, sustainability, and world peace. 

The financial affairs of the University have been managed conservatively over the past 

decade, and that has resulted in a composite financial index that equaled the maximum value of 

3.0 in three of the last five years. In almost all years, we have increased our net assets. Only in the 

most recent year was there a decrease, and the whole university community (administration, 

faculty and staff) have worked cooperatively to bring future expenditures in line with revenues. 

We have a Board of Trustees that is actively involved in guiding the University and an Executive 

Committee of the University Council that manages the affairs of the University based on long 

tenure at the institution and with a keen eye to staying on the mission. 

Teaching and learning is at the heart of MUM. The faculty all participate in 4 days of training 

each August. MUM is exceptional in the extent to which the University supports and requires 

faculty to employ a variety of effective tools in the classroom, such as wall charts for the course 

timeline and lesson main points, lecture structures that explicitly begin and end with the 

“wholeness” of a lesson and review main points as they come up, and course content that relates 

abstract ideas to practical contexts and to the student’s own personal experience. The faculty all 

embrace the concept of student learning outcomes assessment, as evident in their Closing the 

Loop reports on individual courses. Further progress is needed in higher-level assessment, but to 

a large measure, degree programs and departments use this information and other comprehensive


measures to evaluate student learning in the degree programs and to evaluate department 

achievement of institutional objectives. 

The emphasis in scholarship has been changing over the past decade. Though we have 

continued to get multimillion dollar grants from the National Institutes of Health for basic and 

applied research in the medical sciences in the past decade, for most faculty the emphasis in 

scholarship has shifted from traditional discovery to the scholarship of teaching, integration and 

application. Nevertheless, our emphasis on the acquisition, development and dissemination of 

knowledge continues as appropriate to an institution of higher education. It is very much to the 

University’s credit that we house the national editorship of the Journal of Management 

Education. 

At MUM, we engage our constituencies meaningfully and learn from them to better serve 

their needs. The retention initiative led by our Executive Vice President in 2008-09 brought 

together a wide range of participants to understand how we can fine tune our message and our 

programs and policies to better serve the contemporary “progressive” student, and many changes 

resulted from this process. Many local businesses and nonprofit organizations, as well as the City 

of Fairfield itself, have benefited from research projects undertaken by MUM students. Also, 

through our education of international students and our support of projects worldwide, we provide 

a great service to the international Transcendental Meditation organization, and in turn we get 

referrals of many international students to the University. 

The University’s core strength is its faculty and staff. The majority of the senior faculty have 

many years of service with the University and are strongly committed to the success of the 

institution. The academic leaders — President, Executive Vice-President, and Dean of Faculty — 

are highly respected among the faculty; the Chief Administrative Officer, a former faculty 

member, is regarded by faculty and staff alike as fair-minded and dedicated to the University’s 

success. Working together as a coherent group, the faculty and staff of Maharishi University of 

Management look forward to participating in the continuous expansion of the institution for many 

years to come.


PAR T I V 

R E Q U E S TS F O R C H A N G E I N T H E S TAT E M E N T 

O F I N S T I TU T I O N A L S C O P E A N D A C T I V I T I ES 

( SI S A )


CHAN GE OF STI PUL ATI ON 

The current SAS states that any new undergraduate programs must be approved by the NCA staff 

and that any new graduate programs require a focused site visit. 

The University appreciates the valuable role that NCA plays in shaping the development of 

its member institutions. In view of our effective systems of planning and measured pace of 

development over the last 35 years, however, the requirements of a focused visit for new graduate 

programs and prior approval for undergraduate programs seem unnecessarily restrictive. 

In the decade prior to the 1990 comprehensive visit, the University had developed several 

new graduate programs and undergraduate majors. That expansion during a period of enrollment 

growth permitted the institution to develop into a well-rounded university, and the programs were 

implemented in a responsible manner. Some programs have developed into sources of greater 

reputation or tuition income. The few that have not garnered sufficient demand were put on hold, 

the intelligent administrative response. We consistently add programs only when they are 

consistent with the University’s purposes, when there is strong evidence of financial viability, 

when there are adequate faculty and other resources, and when demand is strong and appears to 

be lasting. 

During the 1990s, enrollment trended downward and then stabilized. The University’s 

creative response to the new opportunities of the 1990s was to create new formats of instruction 

or new tracks or specializations within existing programs, not entirely new programs, and this 

continued into the decade of the 2000s. Examples were the successful co-op tracks in the 

computer science M.S. program and MBA program, the business program in China, and the new 

major in Communications & Media. 

The University has been with NCA for 35 years and has demonstrated a responsible approach 

to academic planning. It would seem to be time to remove the stipulation on new graduate and 

undergraduate programs. 

We request continuing accreditation and a modification to the stipulation in its Statement of 

Affiliation Status. The present stipulation states: 

The University will offer no new graduate programs without a focused visit by 

NCA nor will it offer new undergraduate programs without the approval of 

NCA. International programs are limited to China. 

According to Andrew Lootens-White, Vice-president of the Higher Learning Commission, it is 

not typical for a team to pre-determine the type of review (focused visit) for a future request. 

Further, we believe that MUM has developed sufficient maturity in its academic planning 

processes to warrant more self-determination than the present SAS allows. Therefore, we propose 

that the stipulation should read as follows:


The University will offer no new graduate programs without prior approval of 

the Commission and will notify the Commission of any new undergraduate 

programs. Existing degree programs may be extended to existing sites. 

International programs are limited to China. 

The present stipulation on the approval of distance education degrees reads as follows: 


the BA in Business Administration and BS in Computer Science degree 

completion programs, the MBA, the MS in Computer Science, and the MFA in 

Digital Media. 

The proposed stipulation on the approval of distance education degrees would eliminate the 

restriction to degree completion programs and thus read as follows: 


the BA in Business Administration and B.S. in Computer Science, the MBA, and 

the M.S. in Computer Science. 

The proposed changes to the SAS would recognize the University’s maturity and judgment in 

its planning processes for new program development demonstrated over the past ten years. 

Accompanying this self-study are two requests for institutional change, one proposing a new 

instructional site in Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa, four miles from the main Fairfield campus, and a 

second proposing a Master of Arts degree in Communications and Media. We ask that the SAS 

be modified also to reflect the team’s decisions on these requests.


A P P E N D I C E S


A . F ED E R A L C O M P L I A N C E 

CRED ITS, PR OG RAM LEN GTH, AND TUIT ION 

Academic credit and the block system 

Since 1996, NCA policy I.C.7 has required affiliated institutions to be able to equate their 

learning experiences with semester or quarter hours using practices common to institutions of 

higher education and to justify the lengths of its programs in comparison to similar programs 

found in accredited institutions of higher education. 

Maharishi University of Management uses the block system, in which students take one 

course at a time for four weeks. In view of this nonstandard academic schedule, this report 

includes a justification for the award of academic credit on the block system at MUM and for the 

length of the academic programs. 

Four other colleges or universities operate on the block system: Colorado College, Cornell 

College, University of Montana-Western, and Tusculum College. Each institution confers 4 

semester-hours of credit for a four-week course. A summary of their policies related to the award 

of academic credit, along with the corresponding policies of MUM, is given in the table below. 

Policy 

Colorado 

College 

Cornell 

College 

UM-W 

Tusculum 

College 

Weeks per block 4 4 4 4 4 

MUM 

Class days per block 17.5 18 18 18 20.5 

Hours of class per day 2 or 4 4 3 3 4 

Hours of other study 

expected per day 

“no rule” but 

average 3 hrs 

“no rule” 

but average 

3 hrs 

“2 to 3” Rule 1.5 

Blocks per year 8.5 9 8.5 8 10.5 

Extra credit per block in 

semester-long courses 

0–1.25 NA NA 0.5 – 1.0 

Credits required for BA 128 128 120 128 128 

In the table above, the “other study” data come from conversations with academic deans, recent 

graduates, or from NSSE survey reports. 

The table shows that the award of 4 semester-hours of credit in a four-week block at MUM is 

consistent with the practice of other accredited colleges and universities that operate on the block 

system.


Program length 

At universities on the traditional semester system, as for those on the block system shown in the 

table, the graduation requirement is for a BA is 120-128 semester hours. At MUM, the 

baccalaureate graduation requirement is 128 semester hours. Graduate degrees have lengths that 

may differ but are consistent with common practice by field. 

Program-specific tuition 

No degree programs at the University have program-specific tuition. 

TRANS FE R POL ICY 

At the web page , we disclose our policies on the 

in-transfer of academic credit earned at other institutions. 

Transfer students must apply for a transfer credit evaluation before the end of their first 

semester enrolled at MUM. 

Undergraduate degree students can apply to transfer units to cover general education 

requirements and electives as well as up to half the course work in the major, for a maximum of 

70 total semester units. Transfer credits are accepted for courses completed with a grade of C or 

higher on a course-by-course basis from regionally accredited colleges and universities, and from 

other institutions with the approval of the Registrar. Students apply to the Graduation Director for 

evaluation of transfer credit. 

Transfer credit may be applied to the distribution requirement or to fulfill the writing and 

mathematics requirements. 

For undergraduate students awarded at least 45 semester-hours of transfer credit, general 

education and distribution requirements are reduced in a specific manner described at the web site 

mentioned above. 

VERI FIC ATI ON OF STU DEN T ID ENTI TY 

IN DIS TAN CE EDUC ATI ON 

Students in the Computer Science M.S. and in the Accounting MBA take a portion of their 

courses by distance education. The Computer Science program uses tests that are administered by 

a third party (e.g. librarian or college instructor) and for which the student must present 

identification. The Accounting MBA program uses online tests from third-party providers such as 

Gleim, which require that the student log in using a password.


COMP LIA NC E WIT H TH E 

HIGH ER EDUC ATI ON REAU TH O RIZ ATI ON ACT 

As of August 2008 when the Higher Education Act (HEA 2008) was reauthorized, MUM was in 

compliance with the Higher Education Reauthorization Act of 1998, with Ensuring Continued 

Access to Student Loans Act of 2008 (ECASLA), Higher Education Reconciliation Act (HERA) 

of 2006 and the College Opportunity and Affordability Act (CCRAA) of 2007. Compliance with 

financial aid provisions is handled by the office of Student Financial Aid. Compliance with 

student-related IPEDS reporting requirements is coordinated by the Registrar. Compliance with 

safety reporting is coordinated by the Campus Safety Department. Human resources, finance, and 

budget reporting are handled by the Human Resources Department and the Treasurer. 

MUM responds to the numerous new provisions of HEA 2008 that establish new 

requirements for reporting to the Department of Education through IPEDS, additional 

requirements for public disclosure of information by the University, and new financial aid 

provisions. MUM follows the law on the disclosure of institutional data and information, and we 

anticipate that the requested information will be provided, as available, according to 

implementation timetables and protocols the Department of Education will set out. 

We are careful to observe all regulations for maintaining participation in U.S. government 

and State of Iowa financial aid programs. To keep informed of the changes to regulations, as well 

as the best practices at other universities, financial aid staff attend the yearly federal conference, 

read legislative updates posted by the state of Iowa guarantor, and check the federal student aid 

website daily for updates. 

Compliance with these regulations is maintained by our dedicated, long-term staff (two have 

been in their jobs more than ten years), as well as the office policy and procedure manuals, crosstraining, 

and internal checks. The office has a very good track record in the annual compliance 

audits by the outside audit firm TD. The findings of the last two audits that have been finalized 

(2006/7 and 2007/8) were both "no reportable findings." A copy of the final report of this audit is 

available in the Resource Room. 

Occasionally, the federal government also visits colleges to conduct a program review, which 

is similar to an audit, although more thorough. Our last federal program review occurred during 

1996-1997, in which we met all government requirements concerning findings and outcomes and 

were subsequently recertified for continued participation in federal financial aid programs. We 

retain previous financial aid files for the three years required by law for audit purposes and abide 

by all regulations concerning privacy of student records and disclosure of required consumer 

information.


The Financial Aid Office assures and maintains the University’s compliance with the Higher 

Education Act as it relates to financial aid. They hold current copies of all required 

documentation: 

• Program Participation Agreement (PPA) 

• Eligibility and Certification Renewal (ECAR) 

• Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate (FISAP) 

Copies of these documents are available in the Resource Room. 

STUDE NT LOAN DEF AUL T RA TE S 

Every year the U.S. Department of Education calculates a Fiscal Year Cohort Default Rate for the 

Federal Perkins Loan Program and Federal Stafford Loan Program at each institution 

participating in these programs. This rate is the percentage of borrowers who defaulted during a 

given 12-month period following their grace 

period after leaving the University. 

MUM Student Loan Cohort Default Rates 

A cohort default rate of less than 10% at Year Stafford Loans Perkins Loans 

an institution is considered very good, and for FY 2003 0.0% 3.27% 

the last five years we have consistently held FY 2004 5.6% 2.07% 

our default rate below this indicator. The FY 2005 0.0% 2.50% 

calculation of the cohort default rate takes the 

FY 2006 1.8% 1.63% 

government some time, and the most recent 

FY 2007 1.3% 1.17% 

one available is for FY 2007, in which our 

Stafford Loan cohort default rate was 1.3%, as the table at right indicates. 

Due to these low default rates, the U.S. Department of Education has not called upon the 

University to institute any special default prevention measures. We continue to utilize many ways 

to keep the rates low, including required loan entrance and exit interviews for each student 

borrower, as well as monitoring and counseling of former student borrowers who become 

delinquent in their loan repayments. 

Our student loan default rates are well below the national average. In FY 2006, students 

borrowing through the Federal Stafford Loan Program had a default rate of 1.8%, while the 

national average was 5.2%. Our Federal Perkins Loan default rate for FY 2007 was 1.7%, while 

the national average was 7.81%. The Financial Aid Office staff work to ensure the loan 

repayment process is easy for graduates to understand and conduct exit interviews with students 

who leave.


Program responsibilities and compliance audits 

We are careful to observe all regulations for maintaining participation in U.S. government and 

State of Iowa financial aid programs. To keep informed of the changes to regulations, as well as 

the best practices at other universities, Financial Aid staff attend twice-yearly conferences and 

read professional association newsletters and federal and state financial aid handbooks. 

Compliance with these regulations is maintained by our dedicated, long-term staff (two have 

been in their jobs more than ten years), as well as the office policy and procedure manuals, crosstraining, 

and internal checks. The office has a very good track record in the annual compliance 

audits by the outside audit firm TD. The findings of the last two audits that have been finalized 

(2006-2007 and 2007-2008) were both “no reportable findings.” A copy of the final report of this 

audit is available in the Resource Room. 

Occasionally, the federal government also visits colleges to conduct a program review, which 

is similar to an audit, although more thorough. In our last federal program review, 1996-1997, we 

met all government requirements concerning findings and outcomes and were subsequently 

recertified for continued participation in Federal financial aid programs. The University retains 

previous financial aid files for the three years required by law for audit purposes, and abides by 

all regulations concerning privacy of student records and disclosure of required consumer 

information. 

CLER Y AC T/C AMP US SAF ETY INFOR MA TIO N 

MUM complies with federal requirements for the disclosure of rates of campus crime. The annual 

Security Report and Bulletin, which includes information required under the Clery Act, is posted 

at a dedicated MUM Disclosures web site . 

RECO RD OF STU DEN T CO MPL A INTS 

Almost all complaints that students make are expressed informally to the faculty or staff. 

However, there are several avenues that students may use to file complains. 

In 1998, the Office of Student Affairs created a box and printed out special pads for students 

to write their questions, concerns, or complaints on and then they could slip them into the box. 

We carefully kept them and reviewed them and acted upon them, but they were mostly about 

food. 

A year later the Department of Education amended the requirement about complaints in 

writing, eliminating the requirement of a log. MUM continued with the box and kept it up until 

2007. The staff person who last handled complaints communicated directly with the kitchen,


because they were still all about the food. Many of those notes from the special pads are still in 

the filing cabinet in the Dean of Student offices. 

The HLC request is focused “principally on complaints made formally in writing, signed by 

the student.” No such complaints are in the Dean of Student files. The only written complaints 

known to the Dean of Students would be appeals addressed to the Dean of Faculty or to the 

Executive Vice-President after an unfavorable decision had been made by an Academic Standards 

Committee. However, the HLC regulations state that an appeal is not a complaint or grievance 

unless the student alleges some type of personal injury from the decision or the student points out 

some unfairness, etc. There were none of those in 2008. 

Informal complaints from students are easily expressed, because the Global Student Council 

(student government leaders) meet regularly with the Executive Committee of the University 

Council. There have been open-student forums, and in 2008-2009 a major community-wide focus 

on retention. Beyond that, student liaisons and the Student Support Office all take students 

concerns and feed them into action steps. 

Records of grade disputes may reside with the Registrar or department chairs. Sexual 

harassment claims are kept with the Dean of Student files. There were no sexual harassment 

complaints in 2007-2008. 

The Global Student Council meets weekly and student suggestions and concerns come up at 

most meetings. The GSC presents these quantitatively and qualitatively to the Dean of Students 

and to the University Council. 

THIR D-PAR TY COMM ENT 

MUM published a public notice of its October 14-16, 2009 comprehensive visit in the June 24 

issue of the MUM Review, which was available to students, parents and alumni at the time of 

graduation June 28, and in the local newspaper, the Fairfield Ledger, on July 13 and July 20, 

2009. Copies of these publications are available in the Resource Room. 

REFE RE NCE TO HL C IN ADVE R TISIN G 

AND RECR UIT MEN T MA TER IA L S 

In public documents that have been published in the last few years, the University consistently 

includes the Commission’s address and telephone number where reference to its affiliation with 

the Commission is made. The Commission’s address and phone number are given on the main 

page of the MUM website, http://mum.edu/. The MUM Bulletin also displays this information.


PROF ESSIO NA L ACC RE DIT ATI O N 

The University affiliated in 1999 with the International Assembly for Collegiate Business 

Education (IACBE). To continue this accreditation, the University will prepare a self-study in 

2010 and host a two-day visit by consultant-evaluators of IACBE. 

The number of students in the School of Business and Public Administration at the University 

is less than one-third of the total number of students, so the IACBE accreditation does not have a 

specific bearing on the accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission.


B. I N S TI T U TI O N A L SN A P S H O T 

1. STUDE NT DEMO GRA PH Y HEA DCOU NTS 

1A. Undergraduate enrollments by class levels (U.S. campus) 

Fall 2007 Fall 2008 

Freshman 59 66 

Sophomore 37 53 

Junior 54 51 

Senior 51 54 

Total 201 224 

1B. Undergraduate students by race and gender 

All students are seeking degrees. 

Fall 2007 

2006-2007 12-month unduplicated count, UG (from 2007-2008 IPEDS) 

NR Alien 

Black, 

non-H Am Ind Asian Hispanic White Unk 

Total 

gender 

Men 47 4 2 2 4 72 24 155 

Women 73 3 0 2 4 53 22 157 

Fall 2008 

2007-2008 12-month unduplicated count, UG (from 2008-2009 IPEDS) 

NR Alien 

Black, 

non-H Am Ind Asian Hispanic White Unk Total gender 

Men 18 7 0 4 9 100 8 146 

Women 17 3 0 3 5 82 7 117


1C. Graduate and professional students by race and gender 

All students are seeking degrees. 

Fall 2007 

2006-2007 12-month unduplicated count, graduate (from 2007-2008 IPEDS) 

NR 

Alien 

Hispanic Am Ind Asian Black Pacific White 

Total 

Gender 

Men 590 4 0 1 0 21 6 622 

Women 125 0 0 3 0 10 5 143 

Fall 2008 

2007-2008 12-month unduplicated count, graduate (from 2008-2009 IPEDS) 

NR 

Alien 

Black, 


Total 

Gender 

Men 793 8 0 5 2 28 11 847 

Women 158 6 0 3 1 51 11 230 

1D. Age range of undergraduate students (FT + PT) 

Data for Fall 2007 were not available. 

Fall 2008 

Up to 24 166 

25 and over 76 

Total all ages 242 

1E. Number of students by residency status 


In-state resident 80 77 

Out-of-state resident 88 102 

Non-U.S. resident 33 45 

China campus only 68 76


2. STUDE NT RECR UIT MEN T AN D ADM ISSIO NS 

2A. Number of applicants, acceptances, matriculation 

Fall 2007 Applicants Acceptances Matriculations 

Undergraduate 257 126 79 

Graduate/Professional 1,342 102 51 

Grad/Prof: MS-Comp Science 

and AccMBA 185 102 



Graduate/Professional 534 134 87 

Grad/Prof: MS-Comp Science 

and AccMBA 192 90 

2A.1 Admissions Funnel by Gender - Undergraduate 


Men 66 56 23 

Women 47 40 15 

Total 113 96 38 

2B. Required standardized test scores 

None are required.


3. FINA NCI AL ASS ISTA NCE FOR STUDE NTS 

3A. Students applying for any type of financial assistance 

3B. Students receiving any type of financial assistance 

Fall 2007 Total Students Applied Received 


Graduate 606 1054 606 

Fall 2008 Total Students Applied Received 


Graduate 966 906 351 

Numbers of students receiving assistance: 

Fall 2007 Undergrad Grad/Prof 

Loans 183 369 

Work-Study 135 52 

Scholarships/Grants 211 62 

Merit-based scholarships 11 0 

Fall 2008 Undergrad Grad/Prof 

Loans 217 281 

Work-Study 162 78 

Scholarships/Grants 207 85 

Merit-based scholarships 12 0


3C. Tuition discount rate 

2006-2007 2007-2008 

Institutional Fin Aid $ Awarded for Tuition $2,598,830 $2,178,860 

Tuition & fee income (net of allowances) $9,389,044 $6,469,953 

TDR = I/(I+P) 22% 25% 

4. STUDE NT RETE NTI ON AND PROGR AM PROD UC TIV ITY 

4A. Retention of first-time full-time fall entering students 

We did not break this down by race/ethnicity as per IPEDS, because numbers are too small to be 

meaningful. 


Number Entering 29 38 

Number Returning next year 21 17 

NR/NE 72% 45% 

Graduation Rate - Completers within 150% of Standard Time 

1999-2005 2000-2006 2001-2007 2002-2008 4-yr Avg 

Starting cohort 69 52 53 36 210 

Graduated within 6 years 24 23 23 18 88 

150% graduation rate 35% 44% 43% 50% 42% 

4B1. Undergraduate degrees granted, by race/ethnicity and gender 

2006-2007 

NR 

Alien 

Black, 


Total 

Gender 

Men 1 1 2 0 1 18 0 23 

Women 5 2 0 0 0 8 0 15 

Total by 

Race/Ethnicity 6 3 2 0 1 26 0 38


4B2. Graduate degrees granted, by race/ethnicity 

2006-2007 

NR 

Alien 

Black, 


Total 

Gender 

Men 93 0 0 0 0 7 1 101 

Women 20 0 0 1 0 4 0 25 

Total by 

Race/Ethnicity 113 0 0 1 0 11 1 126 

2007-2008 

NR 

Alien 

Black, 


Total 

Gender 

Men 152 1 0 0 0 6 0 159 

Women 18 0 0 1 0 6 0 25 

Total by 

Race/Ethnicity 170 1 0 1 0 12 0 184 

4C. Graduates by college/program 

2007 Undergrad Grad/Prof 

Business 5 11 


Communications & Fine Arts 8 

Education 1 0 

Humanities/General Studies 12 10 

Health 3 2 


Total all fields 41 128 

2008 Undergrad Grad/Prof 




Education 2 6 

Humanities & Gen Studies 4 9 

Health 7 0



Total all fields 56 174 

5. FACU LTY DEM OGR APH Y 

5A. Faculty headcounts by degree level 

We don’t have historical data on faculty qualifications. The data presented here are from the 

current database. 

Full-time 

Spring 

2009 

Part-time 

2008-2009 

Doctorate 28 14 

First Professional 6 1 

Masters 23 15 

Bachelors 2 3 

Totals 59 33 

5B. Faculty headcounts by race, gender, rank 

The data presented here are for teaching faculty. 

Fall 2008 

Full-time 

Male 45 

Female 10 

Total both genders 55


Faculty (teaching and research) by race: 

Fall 2008 

Number 

White 52 

Asian 3 

Mixed 2 

African American 1 

Faculty (teaching) by rank: 

Fall 2008 Men Women 

Professor 9 0 

Associate Professor 8 4 

Assistant Professor 20 4 

Instructor 8 2 

Total all ranks 45 10 

5C. Faculty headcounts by college/program (IPEDS categories) 

The data presented here are for teaching faculty. 

Spring 2009 Full-time Part-time 




Education 2 0 

Humanities/Interdisciplinary 11 3 

Health 1 2 


Totals 56 31


6. INSTR UCT ION AL RESOU RC ES 

AND INFO RMA TIO N TE CHN OL O GY 


Library sites 1 1 

Internet connections 900 1,100 

We monitor total Internet usage (where our bottleneck occurs) in two ways: 

• A MRTG monitoring system 

• NTOP software which monitors and reports individual computer usage to the Internet. We use 

it to throttle users with very high levels of usage down to some reasonable instantaneous 

bandwidth limit through the “NetEqualizer” device, which also automatically slows down 

connections to the Internet that are “behaving badly” to more equitably distribute available 

bandwidth. This penalization only happens once the Internet connections becomes 85% 

saturated. 

7. FINA NCI AL DATA 

7A. Actual Unrestricted Revenues 2006-2007 2007-2008 

Tuition & fees 6,469,953 9,389,044 

Investment & Annuity Income 1,126,060 913,594 

Grants and contracts 1,225,396 1,151,685 

Contributions 6,577,203 5,860,460 

Auxiliary 7,751,611 7,539,071 

Other 3,850,848 2,970,588 

Total 27,001,071 27,824,442 

7B. Actual Unrestricted Expenses 

Instruction & Academic Support 3,383,525 4,123,704 

Research 827,423 597,446 

Public service 3,097,822 2,297,764 

Student Services 646,465 1,340,426


Institutional support (admin & fundraising) 5,666,454 5,805,173 

Operation & Maintenance of Plant 2,642,872 2,883,503 

Administration Not separated Not separated 

Fundraising Not separated Not separated 

Auxiliary Enterprises 5,791,542 6,198,707 

Other - Independent Operations 2,681,761 2,587,288 

Total 24,737,864 25,834,011 

Change in Net Assets 2,263,207 1,990,431 

7C. If shortfall, how was it covered 

There was no shortfall of revenue in 2006-2007 or 2007-2008.


C . M I S SI O N D O C U M E N TS 

The composite document for the Mission, Vision, Founding Goals, Core Values, and Strategic 

Priorities appears on the following page.

MAHARISHI UNIVERSITY OF MANAGEMENT 

Statements of Vision, Mission, Founding Goals, Core Values, and Strategic Priorities 

VISION 

To pioneer Maharishi’s 

Consciousness-Based 

education as the 

foundation for enlightenment 

for every individual, 

invincibility for every nation, 

and peace for the world family. 

FOUNDING goals 

The University’s Seven 

Founding Goals 

• To develop the full 

potential of the individual 

• To realize the highest 

ideal of education 

• To improve governmental 

achievements 

• To solve the age-old problem of 

crime and all behavior that brings 

unhappiness to our world family 

• To bring fulfillment to the economic 

aspirations of individuals and society 

• To maximize the intelligent 

use of the environment 

• To achieve the spiritual goals of 

humanity in this generation 

Mission 

statement 

Maharishi University of Management was founded 

in 1971 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to fulfill the 

highest ideals of education. Foremost among these ideals 

is developing the full potential of consciousness in every 

student — to help students develop the ability to think 

and act in accord with natural law and to live fulfilled and 

successful lives. This fulfills the long-sought goal of education: 

to produce fully developed individuals, citizens who 

can fulfill their own aspirations while promoting all good 

in society. 

We have pioneered a unique system of higher education, 

Consciousness-Based education, that systematically 

cultures a student’s full creative intelligence, the basis of 

learning. 

Consciousness-Based education gives traditional 

academic study a proper foundation: complete knowledge 

of consciousness coupled with simple, natural, scientifically 

validated technologies for developing consciousness. 

These technologies are the Transcendental Meditation 

and TM-Sidhi programs, including Yogic Flying. 

This integrated approach develops students’ ability to 

manage their lives successfully, to grow steadily in health, 

happiness, and wisdom, and to achieve professional success 

and personal fulfillment. 

Our unique educational programs fulfill a commitment 

to four broad areas of responsibility: 

• Holistic development of students — cultivation of 

consciousness, mind, body, and behavior 

• Academic excellence — training at the forefront of 

knowledge in each discipline and in the ability to think 

critically and act effectively and ethically 

• Scholarship that expands the domains of knowledge, 

expressed in all four areas of scholarship — discovery, 

teaching and learning, integration, and application. 

• Improved quality of life for the individual, the community, 

the nation, and the world. 

CORE 

VALUES 

1. Development of consciousness — We understand 

that the basis of life is an unbounded field 

of pure consciousness. Through Maharishi’s Vedic 

technologies of consciousness, we systematically 

experience and enliven this field, bringing holistic 

benefits to ourselves and our society. 

2. Enlightenment — We aspire to live the goal 

of human life — enlightenment, higher states of 

consciousness. Enlightenment is the expression of 

total human potential. As enlightenment grows, 

life comes into increasing harmony with natural 

law. Behavior becomes increasingly positive, uplifting, 

and life-nourishing. One gains increasing 

support of natural law, so that desires can be fulfilled 

without strain. 

3. Invincibility and peace — We aim to create invincibility 

for our nation and peace for the world 

by creating coherence in collective consciousness 

through group practice of Maharishi’s technologies 

of consciousness. 

4. The world is our family — We welcome and respect 

people of all nations, cultures, religions, and 

backgrounds. 

5. Sustainability — We seek to create a sustainable 

campus and a sustainable world, grounded in 

the development of consciousness, which expands 

creativity and intelligence and brings life into accord 

with natural law. 

6. Service — We endeavor to live lives of service to 

our fellow human beings, our nation, and our world 

family. 

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 

1. Offer a continuously improving quality of 

education and campus service to our students. 

2. Expand enrollment to 2,000 students and, 

over time, to 8,000. Plan strategically for the 

continuing growth of our rapidly growing academic 

programs. 

3. Promote Consciousness-Based education 

globally by collaborating with existing institutions 

and helping establish new ones. 

4. Create national invincibility by helping 

build the size of the Yogic Flying group in Fairfield 

and Maharishi Vedic City to 2,500 Yogic 

Flyers. 

5. Create a campus that is in accord with Natural 

Law and carbon neutral, by applying the 

principles of Maharishi Vedic Architecture and 

the best practices of sustainability. As part of this 

process, create a program that trains experts in 

Maharishi Vedic Architecture. 

6. Create the world’s first medical school that 

offers a completely integrated approach to health 

and health care. 

7. Build our endowment to $100 million, to create 

a solid financial foundation for University 

operations and student scholarships. 

8. Help create world peace through scholarship 

support to groups of Yogic Flying Maharishi 

Vedic Pandits.

THE FOUNDING GOALS 

OF MAHARISHI UNIVERSITY 

OF MANAGEMENT 

To realize the highest ideal of education 

To develop the full potential of the individual 

To maximize the intelligent use of the environment 

To improve governmental achievement 

To solve the problems of crime, drug-abuse, 

and all behavior that brings 

unhappiness to our world family 

To bring fulfillment to the economic aspirations 

of individuals and society 

To achieve the spiritual goals of all humanity 

in this generation

Self Study - Maharishi University of Management

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