Rhodes College has been awarded a three-year Institutional Impact Grant of $600,000 by the Educating Character Initiative, a project of The Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University. The Educating Character Initiative is funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. The college will use this grant to integrate character education into its liberal arts curriculum and student experience, as well as to support a re-alignment of the college’s motto—Truth, Loyalty, Service—which is featured on its seal.
Founded in 1848 in Clarksville, TN, Rhodes moved to Memphis, TN, in 1925. It has consistently refined and expanded its truth-seeking processes and embraced its interdependent relationship with the region and beyond. Additionally, the Rhodes Honor System has encouraged students to commit to academic honesty and integrity in all aspects of their campus life.
The title of Rhodes’ project is “Service to Whom? Loyalty to What? Truth from Where? Living into Rhodes’ Values for the Next Hundred Years in Memphis.” A team of committed staff, faculty, administrators, and students will seek new understandings of the college’s motto, aiming to prepare undergraduates to meet the challenges of the 21st century with character and integrity.
The project leaders are faculty Lori Garner (principal investigator, English), Benjamin Curtis (philosophy), Mary Miller (biology), Hadi Khoshneviss (sociology), and staff members Matthew Bailey (student transitions), Jim Duncan (athletics), Jazmine Rodriguez (student leadership and engagement), Amy Moen (career and professional development), Richie Trenthem (information services), and Jessica Cowan (Turley Memphis Center for Community Engagement).
“At the January 2026 meeting of the college’s Board of Trustees, Professor Lori Garner laid out a compelling vision that will not only reclaim and revitalize the language of the Rhodes seal—Truth, Loyalty, Service—but also serve as the foundation of character education at Rhodes. 'Truth' will be supported by curiosity, 'loyalty' will be supported by courage, and 'service' will be supported by compassion. Emphasizing these virtues will transform how we think about a Rhodes education, enrich our campus culture, and revitalize our relationship to the Memphis community,” said Dr. Timothy Huebner, provost and vice president for academic affairs.
“In 2024, Rhodes was the recipient of a $50,000 Capacity-Building Grant from the Educating Character Initiative and under the leadership of Professor Catie Welsh. The skills I learned at that point led to some of the most productive and moving experiences I’ve had in my teaching career,” said Garner. “Building out an expansive vision with colleagues and student leaders from every corner of campus has been an incredible process of discovery, and we are all immensely grateful to Wake Forest and the Educating Character Initiative for the support to help our students live out their values not only during their college years but throughout their lives.”
Plans for Rhodes’ campus-wide activities include interdisciplinary workshops for new and redesigned courses, curricular integration, peer-led discussions, residence life programs, training for coaches and student athletes, and full-cohort assemblies for sophomore and junior classes. Hands-on student leadership and advocacy in the City of Memphis also will be emphasized.
The campus will explore several questions, such as: What does curiosity mean to a generation of students who have never experienced a world without smartphones and social media? How can student employment and internships be reframed as intentional opportunities for character development? What type of courage is needed to protect the campus’ green spaces and neighboring green spaces? How can student organizations establish expectations and a common language that endure even after student leaders have graduated? What instructional strategies can inspire students to reject shortcuts and embrace intellectual curiosity and independent thinking in the age of artificial intelligence? How can students demonstrate compassion as civic leaders?
An interactive exhibit also is being planned to showcase archival materials that convey the history of the college’s motto and seal, highlighting how these values have been embodied in the past and how they might shape the next 100 years.