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CIIS marked its 58th anniversary with community-wide celebration, collective art-making, and the President's Service Distinction Awards.
On April 8, 2026, California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) marked 58 years of integral education with a full day of community gathering — students, staff, and faculty, on campus and online — that moved from a morning of creative activities to an afternoon of ceremony and shared reflection.
Vice President of the Division of Community Engagement and Belonging Rachel Bryant opened the morning in the Dasai Matta Gallery with coffee, doughnuts, and Beloved Community. Two drop-in activities invited participation: a communal floral mandala that grew throughout the day as people stopped by between classes, and a gratitude blooming chalkboard station with a raffle for those who contributed.
Running across the full week of April 7 through 12, the Community Wall Art Ritual invited the CIIS community to contribute words, reflections, and symbols to a collective diagram in Namaste Hall — an open-ended question made visible: What does integral mean? A digital participation option was also available for those joining remotely, ensuring the ritual could extend beyond campus walls. The question remains open: what does integral mean to you?
The afternoon program included reflections on CIIS' origin story, with Vice President for External Relations Richard Buggs sharing his Auroville experience — a reminder of the integrative, cross-cultural vision at the University's founding. Provost Kathy Littles offered remarks honoring Becky McGovern, and Lesa Hammond recognized staff reaching Years of Service milestones.
For a deeper look at the history and vision behind CIIS, watch the video below.
CIIS President S. Brock Blomberg then presented the President's Service Distinction Awards, which recognize staff and faculty who embody the University's Seven Commitments. This year's four honorees: Sara Salazar, chair of the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies program, recognized for her leadership navigating institutional change; Chantal Noa Forbes of the Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion program, honored for stepping into an interim chair role and for her impact on students; Yaritza Benitez of the Office of Events, recognized with unanimous support for her exceptional dedication to keeping campus running; and Darren Farias of Financial Aid, honored for his sustained commitment to students and institutional compliance, including late-night work to meet critical reporting deadlines.
The day closed with the kind of unhurried conversation that the occasion invites. Founders Day at CIIS is not simply a birthday — it is the University's annual practice of pausing to ask who and what deserves recognition, and of reaffirming, together, why the work matters.
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