Welcome to the second annual UD Convening on Character Development! The day features collaborative discussions on Building Consensus, Assessing Character, and University Coordination. As part of a three-year Institutional Impact Grant, this convening is focused on advancing character development across undergraduate programs at UD by bringing together faculty, staff, and administrators to explore opportunities and challenges to this work. This initiative aligns with UD’s missional value of ethical development, specifically intellectual curiosity, creativity, integrity, respect, civility, and leadership.

Please join us for all or a portion of the day. Registration is requested by Monday, February 2nd. 

Date: Friday, February 6, 2026
Location: Audion at STAR
Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 
 
Take a look at last year's recap!

Agenda

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM | Coffee & Networking

Welcome attendees with light refreshments and provide an opportunity for informal networking.

9:30 AM – 9:45 AM | Welcome & Opening Remarks 

Speakers: Dr. Michael Chajes, Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, Dean of the Honors College

Introduction to the purpose of the convening, its goals, and the importance of character development at UD, framed around the themes of teaching implementation, assessment, and university-wide coordination.

9:45 AM – 10:45 AM | Integrity at the Center: Lenses on Learning, Leadership & Campus Culture

Speakers: Dr. Bill Farquhar, Interim Provost, Dr. José-Luis Riera, Vice President for Student Life, and Dr. Caleb Everett, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Moderator: Jenn Judy, Director of HR, Athletics, Community and Campus Recreation
 
A conversation between UD’s senior academic and student-life leaders exploring how integrity serves as a stabilizing anchor for undergraduate education. They will reflect on the changing landscape of higher education, the ethical demands placed on students, and the institutional responsibility to cultivate cultures where honesty, intellectual humility, and accountability can thrive. This session grounds the day in a shared commitment: character development is not a program—it is a campus-wide ethos.
 

10:45 AM – 11:45 AM | Panel Discussion: Exploring the Purpose of Higher Education Through a Modern Lens

Panelists: Dr. John Ernest, Professor and Chair of the Department of English; Greg Cooper, Associate Director of Psychiatry and Addiction Services; Dr. Rachel Coppola, Director, Life Design & Career Integration
Moderator: Tony Doody, Executive Director of University Student Centers

This cross-campus panel highlights how faculty, counseling professionals, career educators, and student engagement leaders are embedding thriving into their daily work with undergraduates. Panelists will share practical approaches for strengthening character, fostering belonging, and responding to real-world challenges students face.

11:45 AM – 12:45 PM | Lunch & Networking

Catered lunch with open seating for continued conversation and networking among faculty, staff, and other participants.

12:30 – 1:15 PM | Student Leader Perspectives: Living UD’s Values

Panelists: Student Leaders across campus
Moderator: Dr. Nicole Long, Assistant Vice President, Student Experience & Belonging

Student leaders from a variety of UD communities—Student Life, Athletics, and the Honors College—reflect on how they encounter integrity in their academic, social, and leadership experiences. Their stories will shed light on the pressures faced by today’s undergraduates, the moments that shape their moral growth, and what supports (or hinders) their ability to show up authentically.

1:15 – 2:00 PM | Understanding Integrity Through Data: Early Insights from UD’s Character Assessment Initiative

Facilitator: Dr. Sue Giancola, Senior Associate Director, Center for Research in Education & Social Policy (CRESP)

Preliminary data will be presented from UD’s multi-unit character assessment effort, including focus group themes and student perspectives on UD’s core virtues—especially integrity. Findings offer a first look at patterns emerging across Athletics, Student Life, Honors, and curricular programs, and will preview how UD’s assessment model will evolve in Year 2.

2:00 – 2:45 PM | Roundtable Discussion: Strategic Directions for Character Development at UD

Facilitator: Dr. Dan Freeman, Founding Director of Horn Entrepreneurship

Participants will engage in facilitated, small-group conversations to propose practical next steps for weaving integrity into UD’s academic, co-curricular, and community structures. Insights generated will directly inform the development of UD’s university-wide Strategic Plan for Character Development.

2:45 PM – 3:00 PM | Closing Remarks

Speaker: Dr. Johann Ducharme, Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship

Launch UD’s new Character Education Mini-Grant Proposals—our signature Institutional Impact Grant program—and outline how attendees can apply for funding, participate in spring training workshops, and partner with the UD Coalition to design courses, programs, and leadership experiences that intentionally cultivate integrity across the undergraduate experience.

(Optional) 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Happy Hour Refreshments

An informal gathering for attendees to deepen connections, exchange ideas sparked during the convening and strengthen cross-campus relationships essential for sustaining institutional coordination.

Register for the UD Convening on Character Development