A college's disciplinary proceedings are teaching mechanisms. They take advantage of the rare "teachable moment" in crisis to both respond to an act and carry out the institution's primary mission by influencing the student's understanding of right and wrong, thus creating or strengthening the student's understanding of ethics and values.…

The process of education is examined. It is suggested that the transition from high school to college should be dynamic, with freshmen jolted and challenged in direct ways. College is a way to fulfill a student's vocation in the present as well as prepare for a future goal. (MLW)

A return to a more structured undergraduate education with a return to distribution requirements would be disastrous for higher education, says the author. What is needed is an understanding of the students' world, their needs, and their future needs. Old ideas should be discarded, fundamentals examined, and creativity accepted. (Editor/LBH)

On campus as in society, male-centered paradigms of sex role and identity are being challenged. A relationship-centered model of psychological development is currently of great interest. Areas of conflict between male and female students include stereotypes and political correctness, violence and rape, hostility toward women, the economy,…

The main factor in determining the seriousness of offensive speech should not be the group that is offended, but whether harassment or discrimination, legally defined, results. Colleges have an obligation to teach students how to analyze the surrounding society and determine how their actions reflect and are reflected in that society. (MSE)

A study examined the impact of the Corporation for National Service's Learn and Serve America Higher Education program, a service learning consortium, on 3,540 students from 42 participating colleges and universities, focusing on three areas of student development: civic responsibility, academic development, and life skills. Course-based service,…

John Dewey's "Democracy and Education" suggests an approach to civic education using techniques commonly adopted in today's undergraduate education, including community service, problem solving, and collaborative learning. Community service is an important way to foster civic engagement in young Americans. If American higher education is…

If higher education is to contribute to society's betterment, it must aim to produce people of character. This requires basic principles of liberal arts education including time, an appropriate setting, opportunity for observation, and conversation. Religious faith also makes a contribution. Although many colleges and universities attempt to…

Reform of undergraduate education will only succeed if undergraduate study is reconceptualized as a process of gaining proficiencies, learning to think critically, and strengthening character traits, not simply taking a series of courses. The college environment must also support this kind of individual development. (MSE)

Colleges and universities can communicate expectations for students' moral, ethical, and character development through both the environment it creates and the formal curriculum, particularly through stated goals. A model of moral development provides insights into the processes needed to foster moral behavior, and the experiences of other…

When a college or university's identity is closely linked to its education mission, the quality of student life and the effectiveness of the educational program assumes much greater importance. The talent development view of excellence that emphasizes the educational impact of the institution on its students is discussed. (MLW)

Reviews research on the influence of the college experience in students' moral development, particularly within the framework of Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of moral development. Issues discussed include the amount of principled moral growth occurring during college, how much can be attributed to college attendance, institutional characteristics…

In the midst of a fragmented society, colleges and universities can provide living models of how a more inclusive democratic civil society can work. All colleges have this potential and must develop it. Trustees, presidents, provosts, deans, and faculty can all use specific techniques to foster a civic-minded community. (MSE)

The varied service activities of Pacific Lutheran University (Washington) faculty and students illustrate the benefits of community service and service learning, including unique educational and personal development opportunities, preparation for citizenship, institutional visibility, and faculty professional and leadership development. Providing…

College administrators have the responsibility as leaders to actively promote development of character among college students and others. Emphasis should be placed on universal human dignity, generosity of self, intercultural understanding, and the value of learning. Educators should encourage others, by modeling, to work for the common good. (MSE)