“I was psyched that they had a program and needed our help,” Croce says. Because of that, he was excited to learn about the center at WCU and didn’t have to be sold too hard to make a commitment. The self-described “alley cat” says “the seeds had been germinating” for him for a long while, and that his willingness to redirect his journey has made a significant difference in his life. Which brings us to Croce, who began his travels on the spiritual path two years ago. “It also allows students to develop a contemplative outlook on their own continuing education,” he says. McCown sees it as something that could accompany a major in public health or health education. There were 30 people in the program this past fall. WCU’s contemplative-studies minor requires students to complete 18 credits of core and elective courses in subjects like stress management, positive psychology, and philosophies and religions of the Far East. It’s about working with whatever is coming up and exploring how you want to explore the world.”Īccording to McCown, many colleges have mindfulness programs, but few have them from an academic perspective. You are not isolated in the soup of life. “There has been an incredible increase in depression and suicide in the student population.” “Mindfulness practice is about being who you are. “We want to incorporate mental-health first aid for the student body,” says Christine Moriconi, co-director of the center. Since its beginning in 2005 as a stress reduction center, the CCS has grown considerably, and thanks to the Croces’ gift, it has the potential to make an even greater impact moving forward. The CCS offers a minor in contemplative studies that’s designed to help those entering the healthcare field find new ways to assist patients and their families.
#West chester university calendar 2017 how to
From there, it hopes to grow into a community resource that delivers the kind of situation-specific support it provided during finals week and make an ongoing effort to show people how to navigate life’s everyday challenges. After spending years as a nomadic presence on campus, offering students, faculty and staff opportunities to not only practice stress reduction and mindfulness but also improve their overall physical and mental health, the CCS moved into its permanent home on South Church Street. McCown is a professor at WCU and co-director of the center, which opened its doors officially in September, thanks in large part to a $250,000 gift from Pat and Diane Croce. “We wanted to teach them little things they can do to deal with stress in the moment,” Donald McCown says. It offered meditation, yoga, tai chi, and just some quiet spaces where students could find respite from the academic whirlwind. For eight hours, the CCS staged a variety of programs designed to calm those who found the finals process had become overwhelming. In early December, West Chester University’s Center for Contemplative Studies provided a daylong antidote to the madness.
Students put in long hours reviewing the semester, down countless caffeinated drinks, sacrifice personal hygiene for extra study time, and generally whip themselves into a frenzied state.Īnd those are the ones who went to class all semester. When finals come around on college campuses, the stress builds. West Chester University’s Christine Moriconi and Donald McCown at the school’s new Center for Contemplative Studies//Photo by T essa Marie Images