Presentations at conferences

Identifying practices to promote character development in university residential settings: The case of Colegios Mayores

‘Hacia una educación renovadora del carácter’

Simposio Internacional, Madrid, 19th - 21th October 2022

UNIR

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Juan P. Dabdoub, Aitor R. Salaverría, Marvin W Berkowitz

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In recent years, several initiatives have attempted to integrate character education in universities. However, it is difficult at the university level to find initiatives aimed at generating communities in which their climate or culture contribute to character development, a relatively common approach at the school level in the character education movement. University residential centers may be an ideal setting for generating such communities. However, studies, guides, or programs along these lines are scarce or non existent. A case worthy of study is that of Colegios Mayores, university residential communities in Spain with a centuries-old tradition that aim to contribute to the integral development of students. However, the literature on the educational dimension of this institution is also scarce and outdated. Contributing to outline its educational dimension, this study reports the results of a survey of directors of Colegios Mayores. The aims of this study are to: 1) explore whether the community of Colegios Mayores agrees in considering six practices as characteristic of this institution; 2) explore the level of implementation of each one of them; and 3) explore if the way in which the community members are involved in these practices responds to the social learning model of Communities of Practice proposed by Etienne Wenger. The questionnaire was answered by 19 directors, representing 15.2% of the population (N=125). Based on the results, it is reasonable to affirm that most directors of Colegios Mayores: 1) consider that the six practices proposed are characteristic of this institution; 2) already implement these practices in their centers; and 3) consider that the Communities of Practice model reflects the way in which the collegial community engages in these practices.

Keywords: Character development, Colegios Mayores, Communities of Practice, character education, residence halls, higher education, university

Leveraging Colegios Mayores for Character Development

Integrating Research on Character and Virtues: 10 Years of Impact

Oriel College, Oxford, 8th - 10th September 2022

Jubilee center for character and virtues

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Juan P. Dabdoub, Aitor R. Salaverría, Marvin W Berkowitz, Concepción Naval

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Colegios Mayores are the Spanish version of the European Colleges, a relatively unknown and long-standing innovation in higher education to serve the socialization of future ethical leaders of society. Over nearly a millennium, they have existed at universities across Europe. In part, they represent a brilliant and extremely innovative approach to this task, by relying on democratic structures, long before democracy reemerged in Europe since ancient Greece. To capitalize on the promise and legacy of Colegios Mayores, it would be advantageous to build upon contemporary knowledge and practice in nurturing the development of ethical character and just leadership. The models PRIMED for character education and Kohlberg’s Just Community approach to moral education are proposed for this endeavor. First, we introduce and describe the common elements of the nature, mission, and practices of Colegios Mayores, and then apply these two models as prescriptions for the optimal developmental format of Colegios Mayores to serve its educational purpose.

Keywords: Colegios Mayores, Character Education, Character development, Moral education, PRIMED model, Just Community, Higher education, Value-driven community, Non-formal education.