The 2025 UD Convening on Character Development brought together faculty, staff, administrators, and students from across the University of Delaware (UD) to engage in a meaningful and practical conversation on integrating character development into undergraduate education during a day-long conference held in the Audion on February 7.
Welcoming an enthusiastic audience, Dr. Johann Ducharme opened the event by emphasizing its significance:
“Your presence today signals a shared commitment to something essential: the character development of our undergraduates.”
This landmark convening, supported by the Educating Character Initiative (ECI) at Wake Forest University, was designed not just as a discussion, but as a springboard for action, identifying institutional opportunities and addressing key challenges in assessing and sustaining character education across academic and co-curricular programs.
At the heart of the convening was a growing consensus: UD is primed for a more cohesive, collaborative framework on character development. Participants engaged deeply with questions surrounding the infusion of character virtues into the curriculum, the role of faculty and staff, and the importance of measuring and sustaining character growth over time.
UD’s mission and values already highlight six core character virtues:
Yet, the convening underscored the need for faculty and staff training, particularly for those working in co-curricular programs such as fellows programs, athletics, and student leadership initiatives, to better equip them to integrate character development into their work.
One of the most powerful takeaways was that character development is already happening at UD—but with limited coordination. Faculty, staff, and administrators across different units are independently fostering character growth, yet there has been no centralized framework to align and support these efforts.
The convening surfaced a collective desire to move beyond fragmented approaches and toward a cohesive, university-wide commitment to character development. This means:
One of the standout discussions revolved around situational character development—the idea that students grow in virtue through real-life experiences rather than abstract discussions. Practical applications included:
Additionally, Dave Raymond & Kristin Duncan’s Fireside Chat on the Power of Fun! highlighted how play and joy can be key drivers of character formation, particularly in fostering resilience, kindness, and gratitude.
The most pressing challenge identified was assessment. Unlike knowledge acquisition, character growth is difficult to quantify, which makes it harder to track progress and refine initiatives.
To address this, UD will need to:
The momentum from this convening will be carried forward in several key ways:
Ultimately, UD is uniquely positioned to be a leader in character development, particularly in its focus on civility, creativity, and leadership—three virtues that distinguish the university and offer a compelling direction for future efforts.
Dr. Ducharme will host a Strategic Consensus Meeting on Friday, April 11, 2025 to follow up with a smaller group of UD leaders, staff, and scholars. Please feel free to reach out to him directly about this gathering.
Watch excerpts from the Convening:
About Horn
Horn Entrepreneurship serves as the creative engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement at the University of Delaware. Currently ranked among the best entrepreneurship programs in the U.S., horn Entrepreneurship was built and is actively supported by successful entrepreneurs, empowering aspiring innovators as they pursue new ideas for a better world.