News

The Center for Compassion, Integrity and Secular Ethics at Life University was created on October 16, 2014 as a result of an enabling resolution of the Board of Trustees of Life University.

The Center, a recommendation flowing from the annual Octagon Conference held in April 2014, was approved by President Riekeman earlier in the year and brought to the Board of Trustees for approval at their Fall Quarter 2014 meeting.

In 2013 President Riekeman requested The Octagon begin a five-year focus on the areas of “Integrity and Citizenship” collectively one of the Eight Core Proficiencies of Life University. From this direction The Octagon Conference 2014 brought together academics, clinicians and scholars who set about establishing a framework and approach to the charge offered by the President.

“The development of the Center for Compassion, Integrity and Secular Ethics has come at the perfect time for Life University. Together with the implementation of a Master’s degree offering in Positive Psychology including a dedicated track related to secular ethics and Life University’s founding on the principle of Lasting Purpose the Center is poised to encourage research, pedagogy and real-world applications in these areas” related President Riekeman on the approval of the Center by the University’s Trustees. “This is an important step for Life University that holds great promise on a host of levels” Riekeman added.

The Center will be organized as a unit of The Octagon and Gerard W. Clum, D.C. will serve as the Center’s first director supported by associate directors Brendan Ozawa-de Silva, Ph.D. and Michael Karlin, Ph.D.

The continued development of the Center will be an area of focus for The Octagon Conference 2015, an invitational gathering planned for April 24-26, 2015 on the campus of Life University.

For more information about The Octagon please visit www.LifeOctagon.org A dedicated website reflecting the efforts and activities of the Center for Compassion, Integrity and Secular Ethics is expected to be available as of January 1, 2015.