MUM President Dr. Bevan Morris Announces Retirement
After 36 years as president of Maharishi International University, Dr. Bevan Morris has announced that he will be retiring from the position, effective September 12, which is Founders Day.
A formal announcement will be made at commencement, which will be Saturday, June, 18, at 1:00 p.m. at the Maharishi Patanjali Golden Dome. The public is invited.
T
he University Trustees will consider a replacement during their regular quarterly meeting in the days prior to commencement, including discussion of a candidate Dr. Morris has endorsed.
Dr. Morris has recently taken on a new role as International President of Maharishi Universities of Management, a position given to him last month by Maharaja Adhiraj Rajaraam, which Dr. Morris graciously accepted. In this capacity he will help create more Consciousness-Based universities and build collaborations with other institutions globally.
He will also continue in his role as Prime Minister of the Global Country of World Peace, which includes helping to oversee Transcendental Meditation organizations in countries around the world.
“Dr. Morris’s contributions over the past 36 years have been extraordinary,” said Craig Pearson, executive vice-president. “His leadership has been crucial to the University’s growth and success.”
Under Dr. Morris’s leadership, the University has undergone immense changes, including academic offerings and the campus itself.
Dr. Morris oversaw the expansion of an undergraduate curriculum to a variety of graduate programs at the master’s and PhD levels. Enrollment has grown from around 550 students to nearly 1,700.
The campus itself has been transformed, with scores of old buildings razed and dozens of new ones taking their place, all designed according to Maharishi Vastu architecture .
Even as he led the University, Dr. Morris continued to play a leadership role worldwide, working with Maharishi on projects and leading many conferences and assemblies held over the years.
He has traveled to more than 100 countries, meeting leaders in government, business, and science, as well as with international leaders of Transcendental Meditation organizations, students at Consciousness-Based education schools, and alumni and friends of Maharishi International University.
“Dr. Morris has inspired countless people with his presentations on the knowledge Maharishi brought to light and how Maharishi’s programs are taking root all over the world,” Dr. Pearson said. “He has led a truly remarkable life of service.”
Dr. Morris came to MIU at the suggestion of Maharishi in 1979, and was named president in 1980. He had already spent a number of years working closely with Maharishi.
Jim Karpen is a writer by trade, with a special focus on technology. He has a Ph.D. in English and studied the impact of the computerization of language. In addition to writing for iPhone Life magazine, he has also been writing a column about the Internet for the Iowa Source since 1994. He also edits and publishes the MUM Review.