Developmental complexity, in particular developing an internal voice, is one of the foundations of character development. Here the author describes developmental complexity, its evolution over adolescence and young adulthood, how it links to character development and the five strategies to promote it, and how learning partnerships are one form of…

Purpose, a long-term commitment to goals that are meaningful to the self and contribute beyond the self, is associated with academic and vocational success, resilience, and psychological and physical well-being throughout life. Supporting college students' purpose development requires understanding that purpose is a driving life commitment not…

This article encourages the application of cultural competency as a factor in the development of character in college students. Student affairs practitioners can help students explore cultural competency's two general components: awareness of one's own culture and knowledge of the cultural identities of others. Educators can advocate for such…

Higher education faces heightened scrutiny regarding student misconduct, but collegiate disciplinary processes often have minimal impact on students. Their ineffectiveness is partially attributable to the absence of a conceptual framework that guides conduct administration by linking theory, practice, and outcomes. This article presents a…

This article presents the first half of an address at the 2011 Jon C. Dalton Institution on College Student Values. Drawing on personal reflections regarding his higher education experiences, the author argues that cultivating a robust disposition for benevolence requires a synthesis of intellectual engagement, critical self-reflection, and…

The purpose of this article is to discuss a coach's perspective of the good that sport should do. The author argues that the relationships developed through the coaching experience are powerful, formative, and exceptional. She discusses the important moral values of sharing and caring and how these are important in the moral development of the…

What is loyalty and why is it problematic in athletics? The author discusses the ethical lapses that can occur when a powerful social value, "loyalty," trumps individuals' ability to make moral decisions. She argues that education about morality should be a necessary part of sport education and explains how moral education programs can make a…

This article focuses on one individual's perspective about the reason she has continued to work with college students over the course of many years and what has influenced her own commitment to character development and values-focused education. Using her love of Negro spirituals for inspiration, three themes, responding to injustice, facing…

Helping students understand and cultivate moral and spiritual friends is perhaps one of the most important gifts a college or university can give a student. Having meaningful relationships contributes significant energy to students' inner lives--their values, moral commitments, and self-understandings. The topic of friendship, and all that it…

This article explores the purposes and impact of internationalization in higher education, with a particular focus on the impact of adopting Western models. The authors provide two examples that reflect different perspectives of character--examples that illuminate the need to contextualize and adapt Western assumptions and practices. If…