FSU hosts 25th annual national conference on college student values

Student affairs professionals, faculty and students from across the nation converge on Florida State University each year to discuss a shared interest — developing character and integrity in college students — at the Jon C. Dalton Institute on College Student Values.

The Dalton Institute —or “Dalton Experience” —is celebrating its 25th year by exploring the theme “Widening Inequalities: Educating College Students to be Fair and Equitable in the World They Will Lead,” Feb. 5–7.

Florida State is hosting about 175 participants and volunteers for the 2015 Dalton Institute. The event features keynote speakers and concurrent session presenters, who engage participants in conversation about various topics.

This year’s conference examines the role of higher education and student affairs in promoting the values of fairness and equity in the intellectual and ethical development of college students. Speakers are addressing issues such as equal access to higher education, equal pay for equal work, racial and ethnic equality and gender equality.

Alexander W. Astin, Allan M. Cartter Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Higher Educationand Founding Director of the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, and Helen S. Astin, Distinguished Professor Emerita of Higher Education and Senior Scholar at the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, are presenting the opening keynote Thursday evening.

First held in 1991, the Dalton Institute has provided an opportunity to learn about the most current issues, research and educational activities pertaining to character education in college. Originally the Institute on College Student Values, the conference was renamed the Jon C. Dalton Institute on College Student Values in 2010 to honor the work and commitment of Jon C. Dalton, the institute’s founder and faculty-in-residence.

In 2010, Dalton retired from teaching in the Higher Education Program at Florida State. Dalton served as the Vice President for Student Affairs at FSU, before becoming a full-time faculty member. He is a past president of Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, serves as co-editor of the Journal of College and Character.