Soka University of America (SUA) is a private university located in Aliso Viejo, California. The university was founded by Daisaku Ikeda, leader of the Soka Gakkai International a lay Buddhist organization, and is open to all religious beliefs. A separate Soka University of Japan is located in Hachioji, Tokyo and offers a wide range of both graduate and undergraduate degrees. It was founded in 1969.

SUA's educational philosophy was established by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, the first president of Soka Gakkai, who had worked as the principal of an elementary school in Japan. Makiguchi published the Value Creating Educational System based on his belief that "the purpose of education is to lead students' happiness," and emphasized humanistic education pedagogy. This educational philosophy was shared by his successor, Josei Toda, who had served as an elementary school teacher. Toda's successor Daisaku Ikeda describes his goal as carrying out the dreams of Makiguchi and Toda.

The school's mission is based on Buddhist principles of peace, human rights and the sanctity of life, as such some of the school buildings are named after noted peace activists such as Mahatma Gandhi and Linus Pauling.

History

SUA was formed in 1987 as a not-for-profit organization incorporated in the state of California, with a graduate school campus in Calabasas, California officially opening its doors in 1994. The 588-acre property was once a large Chumash Indian settlement. Zev Yaroslavsky of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors' 3rd district called the land the "most important unprotected property in the Santa Monica Mountains." [1] The university tried to expand the Calabasas campus to accommodate the undergraduate program, but met resistance from environmental groups.

In 1995 SUA bought 103-acres of rough-graded property in Aliso Viejo in south Orange County to begin developing its liberal arts campus. The project was approved by the County of Orange within three months. The Aliso Viejo campus opened to its first 120 first year students on August 24, 2001. In 2005, four years ahead of schedule, SUA received five-year accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

In April 2005, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority closed on the purchase of SUA's campus in Calabasas, which is now public parkland managed jointly by the Mountain Recreation and Conservation Authority, the state parks department, and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.[2] The graduate school moved to the Aliso Viejo campus in 2007.

The Aliso Viejo campus is bordered on three sides by Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, a 4000-acre regional [wildlife sanctuary]] run by the Orange CountyDepartment of Harbors, Beaches and Parks. SUA purchased the 103-acre site in Aliso Viejo for $25 million in 1995, and spent $225 million to build the first 18 buildings on campus. SUA also has a $300 million dollar operating endowment and raised $100 million for a scholarship endowment in its first four years. Most of this funding was provided by contributions from Soka Gakkai members around the world.

Schools

SUA encompasses a graduate school and a four-year liberal arts university. The university' mission is to foster a steady stream of global citizens committed to living a contributive life.

The graduate school offers a Master of Arts degree in Second and Foreign Language Education concentrating on English as an additional language education. The graduate school offers a 6:1 student/faculty ratio and graduated its tenth class in 2006.

The undergraduate school offers bachelor's degrees in Liberal Arts with emphasis areas in Humanities, Social & Behavioral Sciences, International Studies and Environmental Sciences. The student/faculty ratio is 9:1 and average class size is 13. About 50% of students are from the US and 50% come from 30 other countries on six continents. 90% of entering students are in the top 25% of their classes. SUA admits students without regard to their ability to pay. 80% of all students receive some form of financial aid. All students study a non-native language, and all students participate in a required study abroad semester during their junior year. The cost of study abroad is included in tuition. All undergraduate students also receive a laptop computer, which is also included in tuition. SUA is a residential college and students live on campus. SUA has graduated its first three undergraduate classes, averaging a 90% graduation rate over four years. About 35% of each of the first three graduating classes have gone on to graduate school, with students being accepted to prestigious programs at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, London School of Economics and Hawaii Law. To date, every student who has applied to graduate school has been accepted.

Undergraduate Instructional Concentrations

• Humanities
• Social & Behavioral Sciences
• International Studies

Humanities

The Humanities Concentration seeks to prepare global citizens by examining the breadth and depth of the human search for meaning, value, and creativity. In order to promote understanding among diverse groups of people, the courses in humanities explore how and why different perspectives about the world have arisen in different cultures and historical periods. The concentration is structured to show the ways in which the traditional disciplines of art history, history, literary studies, philosophy, and religious studies can address common topics and concerns through a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches. The head of the Humanities concentration is Professor Robert Allinson.

Social & Behavioral Sciences

The Social and Behavioral Sciences Concentration (SBS) strives to understand human lives, human behavior, and institutions (formal and informal) in their social contexts. The concentration embraces an interdisciplinary approach to examining cultural diversity, social problems, and human behavior, incorporating perspectives from sociology, economics, psychology, anthropology, linguistics, and political science. These courses provide students with tools to examine and address global issues and concerns. The head of the Social & Behavioral Sciences concentration is Professor Seiji Takaku.

International Studies

The International Studies Concentration is designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the global arena, with a special focus on the Pacific Basin. Students learn to integrate complex and diverse historical experiences with the study of national, regional, and global issues. Beyond providing substantive knowledge, the concentration highlights the sources of war and peace, including the peaceful resolution of conflict, human rights, the aspirations of people to live free and independent lives, indigenous and local movements, economic development, security issues, and the growing role of regional and worldwide organizations in the international arena. The role of culture, ethical conduct, and the contribution of individual initiative are examined in each of these topics. The head of the Social & Behavioral Sciences concentration is Professor Michael Weiner.

Controversy

During the first few years of the university, SUA was beset by controversy related to its relationship with Soka Gakkai International (SGI) and concerns over an atmosphere in which some professors and students were afraid to speak up. The university is officially nonsectarian but most of its funding -- in excess of $700 million during its first few years of operation -- comes from SGI member contributions. Some students and teachers have charged that the university is not independent from the SGI religious sect, and several professors and staff members have alleged that they were subjected to religious discrimination and breach of contract. At least one professor took legal action based on these allegations, but lost the case. Administrators refuted allegations of religious discrimination, stating that the majority of faculty were not SGI members and that there was no evidence of preferential treatment. [3] [4] [5]

External links

• Soka University of America (homepage)
• National Cross Talk (Spring 2002) National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education

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