Alignment of Islam and Dewey

As a result of my experience serving Qatar Foundation from 2007-14, I have often referenced my belief that the culture of the Middle East and Islam provide for extraordinary alignment with student affairs purpose and goals. Abdul Hafidz Zaid's "The essence of education in the perspective of John Dewey" is a compelling confirmation of my beliefs.

While Zaid's essay does not mention student affairs as a field, the elements of Dewey's philosophy that he cites are straight out of the "Student Personnel Point of View" (ACE, 1937). Zaid provides extraordinary support for education that honors experience, is holistic, and affirms all learners.

Higher education personnel, whether in academic or student affairs, will do well to reference Dewey's importance historically. In addition, Dewey's advice can draw institutions and faculty/staff together in some of the most important commitments any higher education organization can pursue.

The major impediment to drawing faculty and staff together is the competitive isolation that has emerged in Western higher education over the last 100 years. In some ways the hierarchical nature of our institutions seemed to make sense in the context of the Industrial Revolution's focus on productivity and quality. The problem is that applying these concepts led to increasingly complicated, large, and impersonal environments.

I recently blogged on two concepts that might offer an alternative to our current organization challenges. My longer post on Generous Leadership introduces the ideas of generosity and authentizotic culture, ideas that may help to improve academic environments. Take the link to look more deeply into these ideas.