Nuage degree mill. Cult atmosphere. Useless "degrees" only accepted by other Nuage institutions. Often abusive even bigoted.
I think it's the first "university" I've ever seen with Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest pages to promote it.
Their faculty list has 56 instructors, some obviously part time. This page lists the number of graduated students as only 53. After being around since 1979? That's slightly over one a year.
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https://edurank.org/uni/southwestern-college/Costs per year: Tuition, Housing, Fees
Tuition and fees
Graduates
Tuition in-district $18,400
Tuition in-state $18,400
Tuition out-of-state $18,400
Fee in-district $600
Fee in-state $600
Fee out-of-state $600
Southwestern College majors
Southwestern College has granted 53 master's across 3 programs. Below is a table with majors that lead to degrees at Southwestern College.
Major Master
Art Therapy & Therapist 39
Counseling Psychology 13
Health and Wellness, General 1
Grand Total 53
General info
Alternative names SWC
Founded 1979
Motto Transforming Consciousness Through Education
Total FTE staff 40
Carnegie classification Master's Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwestern_College_(New_Mexico)
Southwestern College traces its roots to the Quimby Metaphysical Library, a library which has a large collection of religious and metaphysical books, and manuscripts of American transcendentalist and the Father of the New Thought Movement, Phineas Parkhurst Quimby. The library was founded by Neva Dell Hunter in 1945 in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The library was eventually known as Quimby Memorial Library. The school's vision, mission, philosophy, and programs are also influenced by Rudolf Steiner, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Alice Bailey, perennial wisdom traditions, and Hindu scriptures
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https://www.yelp.com/biz/southwestern-college-santa-feZaina B.
Oakland, CA
1.0 star rating7/20/2021
DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU ARE BIPOC OR QUEER. This school is highly dangerous and violent for the BIPOC and Queer Community. I am a queer, disabled, mixed brown woman who did a year of this program part-time during the pandemic. It is an extremely racist and homophobic institution that is based on appropriative cultural concepts and predominately white faculty and students utilizing their white privilege to "heal". This school is designed for white students solely to learn art therapy through a "consciousness" and " spiritual" lens, but it is actually outdated material that is deeply embedded with racism, homophobia, and privilege.
I was racially assaulted by a professor in class by playing a white privilege game. She publicly humiliated me as the only person of color in the class, and created an "othering" experience for me, and told me " she did not know I identified as a person of color." She told me my last name is Berger, and she touched my hair and told me "she thought I was a dark Jew." She tried to connect it to herself, saying she is also a jew, trying to make a communal experience, but not recognizing she is the perpetrator. She is so clueless about her own color blindness, and was smiling during her in-person apology. Her written apology was even worst saying that know she is going to ask people how they identify furthermore "outing" queer students, and not just being culturally sensitive. The most concerning part is that she did not realize the violence she was causing, and the fact that she is going to get away with it. She took no accountability because she did not even realize that she was the person in the wrong--so scary! She should get fired and I could hit the school with a law suit if I wanted to. I am so concerned how many other BIPOC people this therapist and teacher has racially assaulted over the years, and currently is still doing so.
This is just one brief story of this program, but I know many more from other BIPOC and queer students who are having to deal with discrimination and being unsafe. I have heard stories from queer students about teachers not respecting their pronouns and homophobic comments about being queer. It is appalling this is happening in a higher education institution for future therapists. I hope this review helps other queer and BIPOC students who are thinking of coming here. DO NOT! BE SAFE!
Serena C.
Yonkers, NY
1.0 star rating9/23/2015
This school is not only a leftist echo chamber, but the definition of a cult. You are required to spill your guts and your most personal, private demons - required, or else you'll get written up and 'spoken to' - so that they can break you down and build you back up to the robot they want you to be. It says on the website: "We have a transformational and experiential teaching/learning philosophy, so you learn by being, and doing, and exploring your own truth, rather than being required to adopt the points of view of instructors or "experts." This is a LIE. Kenneth Winfrey, multicultural (not very multi... just black culture) in counseling teacher, embodied nothing but the opposite of this notion. If you do not agree with their agenda, they will make sure you withdraw or get kicked out. This is not a school for open minded people. Make sure you fit the exact model of what they expect you to be before you bother applying, or else you will find that you stick out like a sore thumb because you think for yourself. Very disappointed with my experience here, and the majority of the administration is unprofessional, never on time and sneak.
A G.
Santa Fe, NM
1.0 star rating5/4/2015
This school sucks and is a waste of time and money. Notice how the one other reviewer is the schools president Jim Nolan. Santa fe is a small community and i guess no one else had the balls to say how shitty this school is. Super culty. Dont drink the kool aid. Save yourself the trip to this grad school's trailer park campus. Classes are pretty much estrogen/ menopause fueled group therapy with professors who dont seem satisfied with their place in the school either. Art department lacking any sort of funds and art supplies include dryed up crayola markers and prang water colors.
A lot of effort in getting students into this school yet there is a low morale and uncaring attitude of the facility in forming relationships with students, listening to grievances and getting students into job placements.
The few males that run everything in this school seem like the cult leaders of bullshit
(i still get spam for these overpriced new age jargon workshop thats not even accredited called the "mystery school"ran by Robert waterman) Tuition seems to be spent on the landscape which seems to be constantly tended
Zip D.
Aug 29, 2015
Yes, this school is quite unique. And the 5 Star Review written here is by one of the school's director's. If you scroll to read all of the reviews, you can get a broader perspective than just the top tier. (Update 1/2017: there were an additional four, 1 star reviews of this school, which are no longer here on Yelp. ? Also, since this posting, I have received private messages about a former student of this school becoming suicidal, as well as from a lawyer of a former student).
Before considering this school, keep in mind that their philosophic approach/belief system is extremely specific and does not work for all. They claim to be a non-denominational spiritual mystery school of sorts. Most of the teachers act like gurus as unquestionable authority - is very cult-like in many respects. If students naturally challenge or question unusual ideas of adult development aggressively demanded of them through sometimes grueling psycho-spiritual processes, then students are down-graded and told that their ideas/feelings are mere projections and will likely be scapegoated. Students of any age of adult development are often asked to abandon their existing spiritual paths, beliefs, and are not regarded for former clinical and life experiences.
If you truly value freedom in learning, relying upon your own intuition, may be an introvert, are a truly reflective questioning learner, value a healthy ego structure, would like a solid clinical training, already have a spiritual or religious path, are not inclined to like being demanded to spill your guts for a grade in large chaotic new-age, or neo-shamanic group encounters, dislike being infantilized....or if you are not inclined to being psychologically/spiritually broken down in order to fit into a pre-determined process....then seriously re-consider attending here. If you learn best from non-dominating, healthy authority figures then this may not be the program for you. Though there may be a few very good teachers at times on staff, clinical training is often not up to par with universities here. Faculty's understanding of trauma, body awareness, and other leading edge clinical approaches is limited or just not emphasized....
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Google Reviews
Shannon Smith
If you don’t believe in auras and energy fields and other pseudoscience stay far away from this place. I was a student here for a short time and most of their curriculum is about as far from scientific as it gets. If you want to learn how to scam gullible people into letting you ‘cleanse their energy field’ or ‘unblock their heart chakra’ and whatnot this is the perfect place to get an education. What you won’t learn much of is real science-backed methodology for psychiatry.
Chris DeGetmon
2 years ago
I submitted a application for admission along with the admission fee and all my transcripts including letters of recommendation and never received an admissions interview or a letter turning me down.
Additionally, besides earning a B.A in English Literature and a Masters in Theology and Religion and the Arts with a GPA of 3.77, the Admissions Coordinator ignored me: she never returned numerous messages; she never refunded my fee; nor did she act in a professional manner whatsoever!
Besides the degrees that I earned, I also completed another 40 graduate credits beyond the Masters level.
I am a victim of educational discrimination which I assume the Admissions Coordinator targeted me based on the fact that I am a Vietnam Vet coupled with age discrimination.
Furthermore, since this institution participates in the Federal Student Loan Program they are in violation of numerous standards inimical to the Federal Government rules which prohibit discrimination.
The board should bring an investigation against the Admissions Coordinator because I plan on filing a complaint with the Federal Government.
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https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtTherapy/comments/1679oef/is_southwestern_college_in_santa_fe_a_good_art/I am just starting to look at schools to obtain a masters degree in Art Therapy. I came across the Southwestern College and New Earth Institute in Sante Fe, NM. Is anyone familiar with this school? I see they are accredited by the American Art Therapy Association... However, a google map view of their campus is less than impressive, and “New Earth” gives me “woo woo” vibes. Thanks in advance for any help!
RealFineTalk
Sep 17, 2023
1y ago
‘Woo woo’ is a good descriptor. They lack in teaching their graduate students clinical skills, basic theory and crisis training. Just my 3c
Eglacia
Feb 11, 2024
8mo ago
I was a student there for a short period of time and it was a terrible experience for me. ‘Woo woo’ doesn’t even begin to cover it. It was seriously like a cult or something. A huge chunk of the curriculum was devoted to pseudoscience and they taught stuff like energy cleansing and chakras. I am a pretty open minded person and wouldn’t have minded some of that in there, especially meditation as that has scientifically proven benefits. But they also had like this third rebirth ceremony and all kinds of weird stuff. Not at all a professional institution for someone trying to train for a serious career as a therapist.
