Being all that We can be

Abstract

Higher education desperately needs models for how to help students develop the skills, character traits, and sensibilities that experts agree will be essential for our society in the twenty-first century. Indeed, there is widespread agreement that leadership skills, the ability to work cooperatively in teams, a strong sense of civic responsibility, and a commitment to serve are critically important outcomes, but there is very little agreement on where or how to begin.

So where can colleges and universities find these models? What educational institutions are successfully helping young people acquire these qualities? One obvious but often overlooked answer is the armed forces. The author, with apologies to the Army for borrowing its slogan, joins with two leaders in the Marine Corps to explore what the Marines are doing right and what higher education can learn from them.