Volume 5, Issue 7

Historically, Dewey believed that moral education and character development could not be separated from the school curriculum. Rather, it should be delivered through every aspect of school life (Dewey, 1909). Nowhere is that more apparent than at the college level where students are making moral choices on a daily basis as they enter the time of adulthood free of parental supervision.

This study explores the process used to create community values statements at six public institutions of higher education in the United States and provides a framework for other institutions that may be considering creating a community values statement on their campus. The goal of the study was to provide data that will benefit other institutions of higher education interested in the development of community values statements, emphasizing how these statements were conceptualized, developed, and implemented. The study also summarizes the content of these statements and addresses themes present in all six statements. Finally, a model framework for the design and implementation of a community values statement is provided. Regardless of institutional size or location, this model attempts to take into account issues raised by this research.