ORSL Courses
Find out more information about the courses offered by the Office for Religious & Spiritual Life.
WELLNESS105/LIFE105 - Meeting the Moment: Inner Resources for Hard Times
Thursdays 11:30-1:20 pm
Thornton Center, Room 110 (Fall 2023)
Instructors: Marissa Floro, Colleen Hallagan Preuninger, Jonah Willihnganz
In the face of social, economic, environmental, and public health upheavals, many of us are experiencing an unprecedented degree of uncertainty, isolation, and stress affecting academic and day-to-day life. Challenging times ask us, in a voice louder than usual, to identify sources of strength and develop practices that sustain and even liberate. In this experiential, project-oriented class: Explore practices to find true ground and enact positive change for self and community; Cultivate natural capacities of presence, courage, and compassion; Develop resources to share with one another and the entire Stanford community.
ENGR 104R - Designing Your Muslim Life
Tuesdays 5:30 - 7:20 pm
Design School Studio 1
Instructors: Junaid Aziz (Design School) and Dr. Amina Darwish (Office for Religious and Spiritual Life)
The Stanford Life Design Lab applies human centered design thinking to tackling the "wicked" problems of life and vocational wayfinding. The Life Design curriculum is now expanding to different affinity groups to support students with shared identities in showing up as their full selves on campus and beyond. This course will introduce the innovative problem-solving methodology of Design Thinking within the context of “life design,” with two main objectives: 1.) to serve as an affinity space for Muslim students to approach the wicked questions of life with a structured framework that helps them to work out and process the various challenges that are unique to their college and life experiences as a racial & religious minority, and 2.) to equip students with practical ideas and tools with which they can proactively craft their post-undergraduate vocational and life experiences. This class includes seminar-style and small-group discussions, activities, personal written reflections, guest speakers, and individual mentoring/coaching.
LEAD 114 - Athletes as Leaders: Learning to Embrace the Intersection of Identities with Athletics as a Tool for Social Change
Wednesdays 1:30-3:20 pm
CIRCLE Seminar Room (Third Floor of Old Union, Room 301)
Instructors: Diane Friedlaender, Toni Kokenis
Calling all athletes! Explore who you are beyond your athlete identity and discover your leadership potential. How have the visible and invisible identities you carry shaped your athlete experience? What opportunities for leadership does your platform as an athlete provide?
WELLNESS 106 B: Spiritual Wellbeing and Religious Encounter: Building Community (LEAD 106 B)
Wednesdays, 6:00 - 7:20pm
Common Room, CIRCLE (Old Union, 3rd Floor)
Instructors: Tiffany Steinwert, Amina Darwish, Laurie Hahn Tapper
Course Description
WELLNESS 106 B: Spiritual Wellbeing and Religious Encounter: Building Community (LEAD 106 B)
In this experiential class, students will engage in meaningful, spiritual dialogue and religious encounter with one another. This class fosters dialogue across differences and helps students explore ways to nurture meaning and purpose in their daily lives. Students will expand their own religious literacy by visiting different spiritual gatherings across campus and will gain skills and knowledge to enable them to wrestle with life’s ultimate religious and spiritual questions through readings, facilitated discussions, and breakout sessions. This quarter students will focus on learning to listen across differences. It is not expected that participants will be adherents of or have expertise in religious practices and traditions or background in religious scholarship. All sessions will be held over dinner as communal meals are ways of community building between the students. Dinner is provided.
Urban Studies/CSRE/ETHICSOC 127B - Community Organizing
2 Weekend Retreats
January 13-15 & January 20-22
Over the first 2 weekends to Winter Quarter you will learn and practice the leadership skills of community organizing based on the work of Marshall Ganz. Community Organizing makes a difference in addressing major public challenges that demand full engagement of the citizenry, especially those whose voices are marginalized. In this course you will learn and practice values based leadership skills to mobilize your communities for positive social change.