Cultivating Civic Character for the Common Good (C4G)

A Vision for Higher Education, Democracy, and Human Flourishing

Cultivating Civic Character for the Common Good (C4G) is Ball State University’s comprehensive initiative to strengthen the moral and civic formation of students across disciplines. Rooted in the Center for Economic and Civic Learning (CECL), C4G advances a bold but necessary claim: higher education must prepare students not only for careers, but for lives of responsibility, courage, and democratic engagement.

 

C4G positions Ball State within a growing national movement to renew civic life through intentional character education. The initiative was awarded an Institutional Impact Grant through the Educating Character Initiative (ECI) at Wake Forest University, a nationally recognized leader in higher education character development.

Learn more about ECI. 

At Ball State, this work is integrated with the Civic Studies Minor, faculty development, student leadership programs, community-engaged learning, and a growing network of civic partnerships across Indiana.

What Is Civic Character?

C4G defines civic character as the integration of moral virtues, relational virtues, and civic competencies necessary for sustaining a pluralistic democracy.

Core Moral Virtues

  • Justice – Commitment to fairness, equity, and the rule of law
  • Civic Courage – Willingness to stand for principle in public life
  • Responsibility – Accountability to community and the common good

Relational Virtues

  • Respect – Recognition of the dignity of others
  • Gratitude – Awareness of interdependence and shared inheritance
  • Hope – Constructive orientation toward democratic renewal

Civic Competencies

  • Epistemic Integrity – Intellectual humility, disciplined inquiry, truth-seeking
  • Public Wisdom – Sound judgment in complex civic contexts
  • Moral Agency – Translating conviction into ethical public action

Together, these form a developmental framework embedded across courses, co-curricular experiences, and community partnerships.

How C4G Comes to Life at Ball State

C4G is not a single program. It is a multi-tiered institutional strategy.

Academic Pathways

The Civic Studies Minor provides an interdisciplinary foundation in civic learning and democratic thought. Courses such as HONR 390: Citizenship, Community, and Leadership and CVIC 200: Introduction to Civic Learning anchor this pathway.

Faculty Development

C4G Faculty Fellows participate in professional learning communities focused on embedding character formation into syllabi, assignments, pedagogy, and assessment. Workshops and seminars cultivate shared language and measurable outcomes.

Student Leadership & Engagement

Students participate through:

  • The Democracy Fellows Program
  • Civic dialogue forums and speaker series
  • Immersive service-learning experiences
  • Internships and fieldwork connected to democratic institutions

Conference & Public Scholarship

The annual Conference on Civic Studies and Democracy convenes scholars, educators, and practitioners to advance research and practice in civic character education.

Faculty Opportunities

Ball State faculty are invited to help shape the future of civic character education.

Faculty Fellows:

  • Integrate character-centered pedagogy into courses
  • Participate in seminars and collaborative curriculum design
  • Contribute to scholarship and public engagement
  • Mentor students in civic leadership pathways

Student Leadership & Participation

Students can engage C4G by:

  • Pursuing the Civic Studies Minor
  • Serving as Democracy Fellows
  • Participating in civic forums and structured dialogue
  • Engaging in community-based internships
  • Contributing to applied civic research and public scholarship

Community Partnerships

C4G partners with organizations committed to strengthening civic life, including:

  • Community-Engaged Alliance (CEA)
  • Third Way Civics

These partnerships expand opportunities for service-learning, civic deliberation, and applied democratic problem-solving across Indiana.

Why This Work Matters

Democracy depends not only on institutions, but on character — habits of courage, responsibility, integrity, and hope. C4G affirms that higher education plays a decisive role in cultivating those habits.

Through research, teaching, leadership development, and community engagement, Ball State is advancing a replicable model for civic character education — strengthening the health and vitality of our democratic life.

Connect With Us

For more information about Cultivating Civic Character for the Common Good (C4G), contact:

Center for Economic and Civic Learning
cecl@bsu.edu