John Brown University Receives Grant from John Templeton Foundation
SILOAM SPRINGS, Arkansas (Sept. 26, 2022) – John Brown University announces the creation of the Intellectual Virtues Program, housed at JBU's Center for Faith and Flourishing, thanks to a $390,000 grant award from the John Templeton Foundation.
Intellectual virtues are qualities and character strengths required for good thinking and learning, such as curiosity, fairmindedness, honesty and courage.
The program provides resources to form communities of practice among faculty, revise curriculum, and provide training and resources that promote the cultivation of intellectual virtues among the university's undergraduate student body. The IVP aims to positively change the culture among students and faculty at JBU, so that intellectual virtue education is enthusiastically embraced at the university.
“I am excited about how this program will extend the intellectual virtues education begun in our new student Gateway seminar to other parts of the university," said Matt Wilson, assistant professor of philosophy and program director. "Our faculty are enthusiastic about forming communities of practice to explore how we can improve our curriculum and pedagogy together. The program’s other activities will support those curricular efforts and further embed the intellectual virtues into our institutional culture.”
According to their mission, "the John Templeton Foundation funds research and catalyzes conversations that inspire people with awe and wonder.”
”We are very grateful to the John Templeton Foundation for this grant," said Jay Bruce, director of the Center for Faith and Flourishing. "I’m confident this program will enhance the lives of JBU faculty and students and help us flourish.”
The Intellectual Virtues Program will kick off its first community of practice on Oct. 3 with JBU honors program faculty. More information can be found at www.jbuvirtue.org.
John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas’ top-ranked university (The Wall Street Journal) and top-ranked regional university (U.S. News), JBU enrolls more than 2,200 students from 36 states and 38 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers 50 undergraduate majors, with top programs including nursing, psychology, kinesiology, engineering, construction management, family and human services, and graphic design. Eighteen graduate programs are available in business, counseling, cybersecurity, education and higher education.
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