Higher education carries the potential to transform the troubled state of affairs--from political discord to social injustice--evident in U.S. society. Benefits to the public good can be realized to the extent that college helps students develop a framework for ethical decision making, socially responsible leadership, compassionate engagement with…

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…

In this article, the authors argue that colleges and universities have an ethical obligation to respond to the problem of cheating in a way that honors higher education's duty to facilitate students' moral and civic development. After the authors compare and contrast the punitive versus developmental approach to cheating, they explore the promise…

Faith-affiliated colleges and universities confront a special challenge in assessing students' development relative to dispositional learning goals. Since 2007, three New England Catholic colleges have collaborated to evaluate students' religious, spiritual, moral and ethical growth. A four-part mixed-method study resulted in qualitative as well…