Assessing Students' Moral and Spiritual Growth at Catholic Liberal Arts Colleges: A Collaborative Grant-Funded Initiative

Abstract

Faith-affiliated colleges and universities confront a special challenge in assessing students’ development relative to dispositional learning goals. Since 2007, three New England Catholic colleges have collaborated to evaluate students’ religious, spiritual, moral and ethical growth. A four-part mixed-method study resulted in qualitative as well as quantitative data. The findings prompt some legitimate concern but also suggest ways to enhance these campuses’ success in following through on the commitments they make to educating the whole person.