University of the West
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| Established | 1991 |
|---|---|
| Type | Private non-sectarian |
| President | Dr. Roger Schmidt |
| Location | Rosemead, California, USA |
| Address | 1409 N. Walnut Grove Ave Rosemead, CA 91770 |
| Telephone | 626-571-8811 |
| Website | www.uwest.edu |
The University of the West (Ch. 西來大學, Xilai Daxue, formerly known as Hsi Lai University, commonly known as UWest) is a university in Rosemead, California. The first Buddhist-funded university in the United States, it was founded in 1991 by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, founder of the Taiwan-based Buddhist order Fo Guang Shan and Hsi Lai Temple. It moved from the Hsi Lai Temple complex in Hacienda Heights to its current location in 1996.
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[edit] History
UWest is a private, non profit, non sectarian campus. Although founded by a Buddhist organization, UWest is not a Buddhist university. Students are not required to subscribed to the Buddhist faith or practice Buddhism in any form to attend the university. Indeed, UWest's undergraduate and graduate programs in Business Administration garner higher enrollment numbers than its undergraduate and graduate programs in Religious Studies. UWest's Religious Studies and Buddhist Studies Departments are world renowned and attract monastics and seekers of Buddhist wisdom from across the world.
[edit] President
The current interim president of the University of the West is Dr. Roger Schmidt. Schmidt graduated from San Bernardino Valley College (1955), the University of Redlands (1957), and the Claremont Graduate University (1963) with degrees in philosophy, religion, and history. He taught philosophy and religious studies at San Bernardino Valley College from 1963-1993, including four years at Crafton Hills College (1987-1991), and chaired the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies and the Social Science Division. He was a professor of religion, department chair, and Dean of Academic Affairs at UWest from 1991 to 2001 and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University in 1998.
Schmidt is the author of Exploring Religion (1980, 1988), co-author of Patterns of Religion (1999, 2004), co-author of San Bernardino Valley College Sports, 1926-1996, co-author with his wife, Ann Schmidt, of an instructor's manual for Exploring Religion, and has published numerous articles, booklets, and book reviews. His academic posts have afforded him an opportunity to teach in London for a semester with the Southern California Foothills Colleges Consortium and the American Institute for Foreign Studies and to travel to Beijing to work on behalf of the University of the West.
UWest's former president is Dr. Lewis R. Lancaster, who is a 33 year faculty member of the University of California, Berkeley. Lancaster stepped down on August 1st, 2006, to pursue research projects and article writing.
[edit] Mission
The mission of University of the West is to
- Educate students in a context informed by Buddhist wisdom and values.
- Facilitate cultural understanding and appreciation between East and West.
[edit] Academic programs
The University is currently planning to create new degree programs leading to an MA in Chinese-English Translation and Interpretation, a Master of Public Administration (MPA), a Master of Education and a Ph.D. in Education, as well as three certificate programs in Buddhist Teaching and Monastic Leadership Training, Hospice/Hospital and Prison Visitation, and Integrative Psychology and Cross-Cultural Counseling.
- Business Administration
- Religious Studies (Buddhist Studies)
- Languages (English, Chinese, and Sanskrit)
- Humanities & Social Sciences (History, Psychology, and Philosophy)
- It also has ongoing ESL program for non-English speakers.
[edit] Research centers
- International Academy of Buddhism (IAB)
- Buddhist Psychology and Counseling Research Center (BPCRC)
- The Center for the Study of Minority and Small Business (CSMSB)
[edit] Accreditation
UWest was accredited in February, 2006, by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The process took six years to complete. According to WASC's new accreditation procedures and 2001 issued Handbook, degrees issued by University of the West since July 2002 will be fully recognized.
