CHARACTER EDUCATION—ITS PLACE IN THE CLASSROOM

Abstract

In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey presents a convincing appeal to replace what he calls the “Personality Ethic” with focus on the “Character Ethic” as a foundation of success. Rutger's professor Donald McCabe's 1991 survey reporting that 67% of 6000 college students responding to a survey say they have cheated at least once verifies the need to address basic foundations of character, including honesty and integrity in the college classroom. The question is no longer “Do we need character education?” but rather “How can we implement a process that inspires people to action?” A process involving students in the development of both personal and class codes of ethics has been well received in a sophomore-level landscape appreciation course. Incorporating such codes into all classes would be a logical response to McCabe's study, which revealed that dishonesty is less prevalent at schools with explicit honor codes. Encouraging students to write ethics statements that address high standards of behavior and concern for a greater society and world is a first step toward developing concerned professionals who will serve the public with integrity and understanding after they leave the classroom.