Dr. Caroline Bassett dances the Argentine tango, gardens, and stands as a representative of wisdom and social change as an educator at Walden University. "Wisdom is slow and difficult," she says. "It's a lifetime--it's not 10 easy steps."
Her work both in and around Walden University supports the school's concept of comprehensive social betterment. "So much of how we see something is how we want it to be, and often that isn't the case," she says.
Wisdom Thrives at Walden University
The Wisdom Institute, which is not affiliated with a school, spiritual organization, or political party, nevertheless ties in to the work Dr. Bassett does at Walden University. The school's mission statement of social change is reflected in the work of the Institute. "Wisdom serves as the backbone for positive social change," she says. "Wisdom helps us to understand the complex intermingling of relationships or events and to work with them ethically and respectfully."
Dr. Bassett gives the example of a student at Walden University when she explains the concept of wisdom: "one Walden graduate, who works with nursing students, noticed her students' negative attitudes toward the elderly. So she restructured the curriculum to build in more exposure to the elderly so that the students' discomfort would be reduced, thereby improving the quality of the care that these people receive."
Educator, Leader, Representative
Since 1982, Dr. Bassett has taught at Walden University; she currently can be found in the Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership. In addition to her responsibilities in the university, she is director of the Wisdom Institute, supporting the development of wisdom in people, organizations, and communities through education, research, and consultation.
"[Wisdom] has cognitive, active, and reflective components," Dr. Bassett says. "It's a combination of being discerning, of respecting others, of acting with moral courage, and of being reflective." She uses those pillars of wisdom in her work at Walden University.
