Center for Character Development

The Center for Character Development was established at Lipscomb University in 2000. The Center is committed to the understanding, promotion, and advancement of excellent character through public awareness, advocacy, and training for a better world. One of the main offerings of the Center is Character Counts! Nashville, a program of the Josephson Institute of Ethics, which is based in Marina del Rey, California.

The purpose of the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition is to fortify the lives of America’s young people with consensus ethical values called the “Six Pillars of Character.” These values, which transcend divisions of race, creed, politics, gender and wealth, are: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. The purpose of Character Counts! (from the Josephson Center website): It just makes sense to teach young people right from wrong, in the classroom, living room and locker room. We want to be surrounded by good people, people we can trust to make decisions according to principle rather than expediency. After all, what are education, coaching and childrearing supposed to be about? Developing good people who can live healthy, happy lives of purpose — or just clever people who can pass a ball or a test? The commitment of adults to be models of good character and spend time with young people can make a difference. Young people yearn for consistent adult involvement, and when they get it, according to surveys and plain common sense, they are less inclined toward irresponsible sexual activity, drug and alcohol use, suicide attempts, vandalism and other problems. [Michigan State University poll of 13,000 adolescents in early 1995] Adults, in turn, need support from society’s institutions. That kind of support network requires consensus and coordination among the men and women of various ages, races, politics and creeds who make up those institutions. They will need to agree on common values and teach them in word and deed. The Coalition works to overcome the false but surprisingly powerful notion that no single value is intrinsically superior to another; that ethical values vary by race, class, gender and politics; that greed and fairness, cheating and honesty carry the same moral weight, simply depending on one’s perspective and immediate needs.

Effective character education does not dismiss the importance of self-esteem, but maintains that ethical values must be ranked above expedience and personal preference. Character education sets up objective criteria of virtue and encourages young people to adopt them as ground rules for life. For more information about the Center for Character Development contact the center by calling 615.966.6609 or 800.333.4358, ext. 6609. For more information about Character Counts! Nashville, contact Tom Carr, director, at 615.966.6208 or 800.333.4358, ext. 6208 or e-mail tom.carr@lipscomb.edu.