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NEWS RELEASE CONTACT: NEW GUIDE PROFILES NATION'S LEADING COLLEGES THAT ENCOURAGE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT One Hundred Colleges and Universities Named to Templeton Honor Roll Which colleges and universities provide the best programming to address binge drinking and sexuality? Which colleges have faculty that help students examine questions about ethics and character? At which schools will first-year students participate in programs that stress personal and civic responsibility? As prospective college students and their parents peruse catalogs and compare colleges and universities, these are some of the questions on their minds. A new guide released nationwide today by the John Templeton Foundation, The Templeton Guide: Colleges that Encourage Character Development, will help to answer those questions for students, parents, and educators who believe that character matters. The Templeton Guide contains profiles of 405 exemplary college programs in ten categories; 50 college presidents who have exercised leadership in student character development; and 100 colleges and universities named to the Templeton Honor Roll for their record of commitment to inspiring students to lead ethical and civic-minded lives. More than 300 four-year public and private colleges across the country are included in The Templeton Guide. Individual programs were selected in the following categories: First-Year Programs; Academic Honesty Programs; Faculty and Curriculum Programs; Volunteer Service Programs; Substance-Abuse Prevention Programs; Student Leadership Programs; Spiritual Growth Programs; Civic Education Programs; Character and Sexuality Programs; and Senior-Year Programs. "Higher education must do much more than just prepare students for future careers," said Arthur J. Schwartz, Ed.D., Director of Character Development Programs at the John Templeton Foundation. "We are now returning to the principles stated by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 'Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of a true education.'" Intended for high school students, parents, guidance counselors, college administrators, trustees, faculty, and alumni, The Templeton Guide recognizes programs that represent the best practices in the field of character development during the college years. The programs were chosen through a highly selective process that considered clarity of vision and statement of purpose; institutional resources; involvement of institutional leaders; impact on students, faculty, campus, and community; integration into the core curriculum or academic study; longevity; external awards and recognition; and assessment. College Presidents honored for their leadership and schools named to the Templeton Honor Roll were selected through a similar process. "With The Templeton Guide, we hope to help prospective college students and their parents who want to know what colleges are doing to promote the core values of honesty, self-control, respect, and service to those less fortunate," said Schwartz. "The Templeton Guide identifies colleges that encourage students to understand the importance of personal and civic responsibility, which will help them succeed in college and beyond." The Templeton Guide: Colleges that Encourage Character Development is a part of the John Templeton Foundation's national College and Character Initiative. The Initiative seeks to foster widespread conversations within the higher education community about character development and to inform college-bound students, their parents, policy makers, and the general public of how colleges and universities are responding to this challenge individually and collectively. In addition to the Templeton Guide, the Initiative includes: grants to national organizations to support programs that encourage character development efforts at colleges and universities; a public education campaign; activities involving education associations and other organizations; conferences and meetings on character development; and research on character development. Established in 1987, the John Templeton Foundation works closely with educators, scientists, theologians, medical professionals, and other scholars throughout the world to support more than 100 programs serving three chief purposes: to encourage character development in schools and colleges; to encourage an appreciation for the benefits of freedom; and to stimulate serious and scientific research on the relationship between spirituality and health. The Foundation has created a College and Character website - collegeandcharacter.org - that provides information on the initiative, links to the home pages of colleges selected for The Templeton Guide, and other resources. |
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