Core Values Project Update
Share Your Thoughts on Proposed Core Values
After more than a year of communitywide research, reflection and dialogue, we are ready to begin implementing the findings of Dickinson's Core Values Project. The project team has dug into archival research, led student and alumni focus groups, analyzed peer institutions and conducted a campuswide survey. After an in-depth review and analysis, the team produced a report recommending five core values to guide the college moving forward:
- Compassion
- Curiosity
- Equity
- Integrity
- Tenacity
“These five proposed values reflect what we heard over months of listening sessions and conversations, and they are being presented now so the community can review, question and improve them,” said Amy McKiernan, associate professor of philosophy and project lead. “We don't adopt core values because we all agree on the meaning of these values in advance. We adopt core values for shared language and solid ground for ethical reasoning and critical thinking. Based on what we learned, we made holistic recommendations for five values we think work well as a dynamic set—speaking to intellectual, emotional and motivational components of human flourishing—to inspire and challenge Dickinsonians.”
The project team now asks the community to provide feedback, which will shape the final recommendations. The detailed report outlines how each value rose to the surface and provides context for how each word can be interpreted.
Provost and Dean Renée Ann Cramer P’28 emphasized the importance of shared values in academic life. “A community expresses what it stands for not only through its teaching and scholarship but through the principles it commits to uphold,” she said. “These proposed values offer a meaningful way to articulate who we are. They are meant to support critical thought and intellectual independence, and to broaden the range of ideas explored on campus.”
All Dickinsonians are now invited to review the report and share feedback on the recommended values, including suggestions on how they should be defined, communicated and put into daily practice. The public comment period is open through Friday, April 3, and responses may be submitted via the Community Feedback Form. Community input at this point will shape which values move forward and how they’re defined.
“This project strengthens the foundation on which we make decisions that put students first,” said President John E. Jones III ’77, P’11. “I’m grateful to everyone who contributed their time and perspective and encourage everyone to review the report and provide additional thoughts.”
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published February 12, 2026