Colleges Receive Grant to Measure Development of Students' Value Systems

WORCESTER, Mass. – The College of the Holy Cross, Assumption College and Saint Anselm College have received a three-year $300,000 grant from the Teagle Foundation in New York.

This grant follows a planning grant from the Foundation that the three New England Catholic liberal arts colleges received in 2007 and 2008 to work together to examine undergraduate students’ acquisition and refinement of moral, ethical, civic, and spiritual values – values that are central to the colleges’ respective mission statements.

The new grant is part of the Teagle Foundation’s Outcomes and Assessment initiative, which explores the potential of faculty-led, value-added assessment. It is focused on the assessment of students’ development in the area of spiritual and moral values.

“Understanding how multiple factors combine to influence the moral and spiritual development of young people is one of the most challenging aspects of assessing a college’s success,” according to Timothy Austin, vice president for academic affairs and dean at Holy Cross. “It requires sensitive and time-consuming work in small group settings. We are grateful that the Teagle Foundation is willing to provide the resources to complete this project to the high standards that all three colleges view as essential.”

Through the project, titled “Assessing Students’ Moral and Spiritual Growth in Liberal Arts Colleges,” faculty, students and administrators from all three institutions will work together to explore new ways to track student growth in this key area. The institutions also will assess the extent to which each campus succeeds in providing programs and opportunities that encourage students to explore the ethical and spiritual beliefs that interest and attract them.

For all three colleges, the development of personal values serves as a distinguishing feature in their mission statements. The grant will provide funds to underwrite the analysis of current methods and resources, as well as to develop new assessment strategies that could be shared nationally with other liberal arts colleges.

Holy Cross still will serve as the lead institution for the project.

About The Teagle Foundation The Teagle Foundation (www.teaglefoundation.org) provides leadership for liberal arts education, marshalling the intellectual and financial resources necessary to ensure that today’s students have access to challenging, wide-ranging, and enriching college educations. It believes that the benefits of such learning last for a lifetime and are best achieved when colleges develop broad and intellectually stimulating curricula, engage their students in active learning, explore questions of deep social and personal significance, set clear goals, and — crucially — systematically measure progress toward them. About the College of the Holy Cross The College of the Holy Cross (holycross.edu), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is among the nation's leading liberal arts institutions. A highly selective, four-year, exclusively undergraduate college of 2,800 students, Holy Cross is renowned for offering a rigorous, personalized education in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition.  Since its founding in 1843, Holy Cross has made a positive impact in society by graduating students who distinguish themselves as thoughtful leaders in business, professional and civic life. Press contact: Cristal Perriello cperriel@holycross.edu 508-793-2419

About Assumption College Founded in 1904 by the Augustinians of the Assumption, Assumption College (www.assumption.edu) in Worcester, Massachusetts, is a liberal arts college with strong academic programs in professional and business studies. Assumption offers an educational experience grounded in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition. Our graduates are known for critical intelligence, thoughtful citizenship and compassionate service. Assumption was named a “Best Value” in the 2009 edition of Barron’s Best Buys in College Education and included in the Princeton Review’s 2009 Best Northeastern Colleges. Press contact: Elizabeth Walker ewalker@assumption.edu 508-767-7160 About Saint Anselm College Saint Anselm (www.anselm.edu) is a four-year Catholic, undergraduate liberal arts college, founded by Benedictine monks in 1889. Located on 440 wooded acres in Manchester, NH, the college prepares its students to live creative and generous lives as engaged and active citizens. The college’s humanities program, Portraits of Human Greatness, has earned national recognition. In 2005, Princeton Review named Saint Anselm one of 81 Colleges with a Conscience nationwide. Press contact: Barbara LeBlanc bleblanc@anselm.edu 603-641-7241