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IU Bloomington programs honored for encouraging character development
Oct. 22, 1999
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Two programs at Indiana University Bloomington have been recognized for their efforts to foster student character development in a new national guidebook being released today (Oct. 22), The Templeton Guide: Colleges that Encourage Character.
The IU programs being spotlighted are the Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions and the Civic Leadership Development program in the Kelley School of Business.
The new guidebook, being released by the John Templeton Foundation of Radnor, Pa., contains profiles of 405 exemplary profiles in 10 categories. The Poynter Center is profiled in the section on noteworthy faculty and curriculum programs. The Civic Leadership Development Program is profiled in a section on civic education programs. Both profiles may be read on the Web at http://www.collegeandcharacter.org/guide/honorroll.html.
"Indiana University's strong commitment to character development and the strength of its programs make it a model for colleges and universities nationwide," said Arthur J. Schwartz, director of character development programs at the John Templeton Foundation.
Kenneth R.R. Gros Louis, chancellor of the IU Bloomington campus and vice president for academic affairs, agreed. "I believe that a philosophy about scholarship, teaching, and service is deeply ingrained on the Bloomington campus, a philosophy that understands these activities as part of a larger commitment to developing a complete individual and a strong community," he said.
"This commitment stems, in turn, from the fundamental character of the Bloomington campus as a place where the liberal arts are at our core, and make up a large part of the education of every student."
The Poynter Center is charged with fostering the examination of ethical issues in American society, and it sponsors numerous programs to enable faculty members to incorporate the teaching of ethics into their curricula. For example, it has conducted seminars on professional ethics that bring together religious leaders, academics and professionals, who have explored ethical issues in health care, the media, the military and business.
"Along with many faculty, we believe that students' instincts to think seriously about issues of kindness, respect and fairness should be reinforced while they are undergraduates," said David H. Smith, Poynter Center director. "We've tried to help faculty who want to provide that reinforcement and are proud to receive this recognition from the Templeton Foundation."
The Civic Leadership Development program, directed by Helen Ingersoll, is a co-curricular that provides opportunities for undergraduate students in IU's Kelley School of Business to participate in community service, to learn the value of community involvement and to develop practices of good citizenship and leadership. Students volunteer for several nonprofit agencies and make a commitment to a minimum of four hours of service each week for 10 weeks. Because their service involves them with a variety of social justice issues, they learn a great deal about themselves and others. It also works very closely with Junior Achievement of Central Indiana.
"The Kelley School of Business is delighted with the recent recognition received from the Templeton Foundation," said Dan Dalton, dean of the Kelley School. "At some risk of immodesty, we are pleased that others are acknowledging what we have long known -- that the Kelley School's Civic Leadership Development program, with its 400 active undergraduate student members, is a model of student commitment to civic engagement, philanthropy, and outstanding community service."
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.
(George Vlahakis (IUB), 812-855-0846, gvlahaki@indiana.edu)