Why Ubiquity
Ubiquity is different. We are built for people who understand that the current global paradigm is unsustainable. We believe that meeting systemic threats such as climate change depends on the creation of empowered individuals who are passionate about collaborative, local action. We also know we have much to relearn from the world’s wisdom traditions to not only transform ourselves and our understanding of the human condition, but to create a global cadre of caretakers that honor the Earth and all of our species.
Ubiquity believes in educating the whole person. We want you to discover your passion, unlock your potential and create positive change. That means activating your head in the pursuit of knowledge, your heart in the development of self-mastery, and your hands to make a real-world impact.
Our history
The Origins
The original iteration of Ubiquity University was founded in Oakland, CA in 1996 by Matthew Fox, PhD, a world-renowned educator and writer, as a non-profit graduate school called the University of Creation Spirituality licensed by the California Bureau of Private and Postsecondary Education (BPPE). What distinguished the school was its innovative combination of intellectual and artistic learning in which all students were required to engage in equal measure to balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain and thereby engage in integrated learning. Jim Garrison, PhD, was recruited as president in 2005, renaming the school Wisdom University to broaden its scope and pedagogy. He has led the development of the university since then with a mission to create a truly global learning community based on holistic learning aligned with the larger ecology and natural systems of the Earth.
In June, 2012, the university went through a major transition in order to keep pace with the dramatic changes occurring in education. Ubiquity University was established as a for-profit Social Benefit Corporation and technology platform company, paving the way for global expansion and new forms of learning and strategic partnerships. The vision was to create a global learning community that would pioneer holistic education comprised of knowledge, personal development and social action — integrating head, heart and hands into a new form of learning (UbiSkills). There was also a vision to pioneer competency learning, assessment and credentialing in the creation of a global “competency passport” (UbiPass) and to create a technology platform that would enable collaborative online learning and community building for students and participating organizations (UbiVerse). These three commitments — UbiSills, UbiPass and UbiVerse — have provided the framework for Ubiquity’s global development.
To create Ubiquity University, the for-profit social benefit corporation (B Corp) set up in 2012 acquired Wisdom University in 2013. This acquisition conformed with all the rules and regulations mandated by the BPPE and the Attorney General’s Office of California. What was Wisdom University became the Wisdom School of Graduate Studies within Ubiquity University. The Wisdom School continues to offer Masters and Doctoral degrees as the university has done since 1996 and to curate a range of courses in wisdom studies. At the center of the Wisdom School is the Chartres Academy located in Chartres, France which offers courses on the seven classical liberal arts and the great wisdom teachings of the world spiritual traditions, emphasizing the imperative for humanity to harmonize with the larger ecosystem of planetary life.
Ubiquity expanded into a global arena, receiving accreditation from the Accreditation Service for International Colleges and Universities in the UK. The university began its Business to Business strategy in order to develop strategic partnerships with global institutions such as AIESEC, the largest student-run organization in the world, and began to focus on expanding into Asia, initially in Sri Lanka with the Ministry of Education to provide training in Soft Skills and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Pioneering work continued to develop our competency-based UbiPass and to build an innovative social platform for changemakers, our UbiVerse.
Ubiquity has grown and now serves students from around the world through a range of courses, programs, and degrees as a truly global educational institution. The three pillars upon which the university was founded — UbiSkills, UbiPass, and UbiVerse — continue to shape the strategic direction and generation of revenue. Strategic partnerships have been formed in dozens of countries with a range of partners. In 2020, Ubiquity launched Humanity Rising with over 300 partnering organizations which convenes live daily broadcasts on Zoom plus partner channels to 15,000 – 20,000 viewers in over 130 countries. Through these partnerships and Humanity Rising, Ubiquity’s brand, courses, and programs operate worldwide. In 2020, we chose to switch from accreditation with ASIC to becoming a member of the Global Accreditation Council which is seeking to reinvent accreditation by establishing new standards for global institutions who provide education dedicated to regenerative ecological, social and spiritual principles
Our history
Code of Ethics
We take a stand
In addition, they must actively nurture self awareness and social activism and equip students to address critically urgent global challenges.
Our goal is to produce excellent, high-quality, academically sound, practically applicable, whole-person, competency-based educational products designed to enable our students to know what they need to know about themselves and the world and work together to make a positive difference in society.
We anchor our educational approach in those competencies students need to have in order to take effective action in the world.
Our entirely virtual campus is an example of one critical way that we have committed ourselves to lowering our carbon footprint.
We endeavor to act with integrity and transparency in all situations. We guard against conflicts of interest.
Our inclusive global community welcomes all persons who are academically qualified to enter. We strive to be accepting and respectful of differences in age, class, disability, race and ethnicity, gender and gender expression, language, national origin, religious and spiritual beliefs, sexual orientation and socio-economic status.
We do not tolerate harassment of any kind, bullying, violence or threats of violence, or any other actions meant to harm any individual associated with us.
Although we cannot guarantee we will never suffer from a technological hack, we will do all we can to proactively prevent such a thing from happening and that we will follow the latest industry standards.
Reports of violations will be investigated by the appropriate university personnel. Each report will be determined on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with customary, reasonable standards. Each member of our community is expected to cooperate fully in any such investigation and appropriate disciplinary action may be implemented. There will be no adverse actions, retribution or reprisal for good faith reporting of a suspected violation of the Code, even if the allegations prove to be without merit. However, we will pursue disciplinary action against any individual who knowingly files a false report with the intent to injure another student, faculty or staff.
