Expert in Character Education to Speak at Ohio University

Contact: Michael Bugeja, (740) 593-2329

Editors: Arthur Schwartz will be available for interview prior to his talk, at 4 p.m., and after his talk, at approximately 5:30 p.m. Nov. 2 in Irvine Auditorium. A photo of Schwartz is available at: www.ohiou.edu/news/pix/schwartz_arthur.jpg.

ATHENS, Ohio -- The value of virtue in the competitive workplace will be addressed in a talk by Arthur Schwartz, director of character development programs at the John Templeton Foundation, at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2, in Irvine Auditorium on Ohio University's Athens campus. He will discuss how family, faith and teamwork help businesses as much as they do individuals. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Schwartz is a nationally known expert on the role of character development in education. He is project director for "The Templeton Guide: Colleges that Encourage Character Development," a publication based in Radnor, Pa., that recognizes college programs and institutions stressing ethics and character education.

Ohio University received six citations in the current Templeton Guide. No other institution in the nation received more citations. Key in the selection of Ohio University was its "Your PATH at Ohio" program, promoting personal accountability, trust, and honor. "Dr. Schwartz has been on the cutting edge of character education, especially at the college level," said Michael Bugeja, professor of journalism and special assistant to Ohio University President Robert Glidden. Bugeja is the designer of the PATH program, being facilitated this year through the Division of Student Affairs. "What most impresses me is how easily Dr. Schwartz dispels myths about ethics and character education and shows the need for character-building on a college campus." Schwartz has delivered papers at numerous conferences and published articles in the "Harvard Educational Review," "Journal of Moral Education," "Educational Record," "The Chronicle for Higher Education," and other publications.

Schwartz earned his doctorate in moral education from Harvard University and holds master's degrees in education from Harvard and Temple University. "His talk relates to what we're doing at Ohio University, and that is building a learning community based on sound principles the institution has embraced since its founding in 1804, the chief of which is service and personal accountability," Bugeja said. He added that Provost Sharon Brehm has been key in bringing Arthur Schwartz to campus. While on campus, Schwartz will meet with Copeland Scholars in the College of Business and with representatives of the Center for Teaching Excellence. Schwartz also will meet with Michael Real, director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, and Tom Carpenter, Ping Professor of Humanities, to discuss issues related to ethics and character education.

Ohio University was one of 100 colleges and universities named to the Templeton Honor Roll by the John Templeton Foundation in its latest guide, in 1999, and Glidden was one of 50 college presidents to make the Honor Roll for leadership in character development. Ohio University is one of only 20 institutions to receive distinction in the Honor Roll and Presidential Leadership categories and is the only university in the state to be represented on both lists.

In addition to moral education and higher education, Schwartz's research also has concentrated on adolescent moral development. His talk is sponsored by the College of Business, the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Institute for Applied and Professional Ethics.