Re-designed MA in Environmental Leadership Accepting Applicants for 2007
Leadership program emphasizes sustainability and health in business

BOULDER, Colo. (February 8, 2007)—Not many leadership programs that attract businesspeople include an eight-day wilderness excursion with three days of solitary time as a mid-program illumination and clarification exercise. Naropa University’s redesigned two-year MA in Environmental Leadership, accepting applications for 2007, does just that—and plenty more, according to Anne Parker, chair of the Environmental Studies Department.

The program teaches “how to use ecological systems in organizational development—or how to run organizations while keeping an eye on environmental and organizational sustainability,” Parker says. “And then you use what you’ve learned to create a business project.” She says that students become “really attentive to what they’re learning and attentive to the group and how they’re learning. They leave with a lot of confidence and poise.”

Cy Englert ‘03, took a leave of absence from IBM to study in the Environmental Leadership program. “It’s a philosophical view on how to change systems. Recognizing that a more conscientious behavior is often more prudent than saying, ‘I have the answer to a problem.’ It’s understanding how a system works before trying to effect change,” Englert, 46, says. “That’s kind of affected how I approach everything now.” In addition to returning to IBM, Englert is attempting to build a meditation and community center in Costa Rica through his nonprofit.

The Environmental Leadership program’s integration of contemplative aspects like sitting and walking meditation give students a totally unique perspective on environmental leadership. Naropa University’s acclaimed Authentic Leadership program, included in the Environmental Leadership curriculum, prepares them to be new leaders who can respond creatively and effectively in the midst of change and step beyond conventional approaches to planning and strategy.

A central idea of the program is that health and sustainability are vital elements of any business, especially in today’s world, and not just from a marketability standpoint. It’s inward- and outward-facing; bosses want healthy, happy employees and eco-friendly practices because it’s good for everyone. “There’s no reason why, as dignified citizens of the universe, we can’t create healthy living systems,” says Parker.

Accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Naropa University is a private, nonprofit, nonsectarian liberal arts institution dedicated to advancing contemplative education. This approach to learning integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational traditions, helping students know themselves more deeply and engage constructively with others. The university comprises a four-year undergraduate college and graduate programs in the arts, education, environmental leadership, psychology and religious studies.