Shepherds College Character Trait #4: Integrity

Definition of Integrity – Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code

In the definition above, integrity calls for “steadfast adherence.”  The working Shepherds College definition of Integrity is “knowing and doing what is right all the time.”

Integrity is one of those character traits that you either have or you don’t. You can’t have a little.

~If you give in and lie, even if only to a bill collector, you don’t have integrity. 

~If your husband asks you not to touch his chocolate-covered peanut clusters and you sneak four of them, you don’t have integrity.

~If you’re counting calories, but omit those in the bowl of guacamole you ate exactly at midnight because you couldn’t decide whether to put them on today’s tally or tomorrow’s, then you don’t have integrity.

As the Bible says, “One who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”

Ouch! Integrity cannot be compromised – ever. If you compromise integrity, you simply don’t have it.

Integrity is not something you’re born with, and it’s not something that naturally develops as you age. It actually goes against our nature as sinful beings. You build integrity in one way -

To borrow a quote from an unknown source, “Integrity results from the relentless pursuit of honesty at all times.”

In order to relentlessly pursue the building of integrity in our students, the staff at Shepherds College holds them accountable for what they say and what they do. 

·         Dishonesty is addressed immediately.

·         Borrowing first requires permission from the owner.

·         Students do their own work.  Cheating is not tolerated.

·         Students always need to source where their information came from on projects and reports. Give credit where credit is due.

·         Students practice Conflict Resolution steps to avoid the over-exaggerated “he said, she said” arguments. This helps them focus on the facts only.

·         Teachers ask the students to give honest feedback to other students when giving constructive criticism using the THINK acrostic. Before talking, they first ask themselves if their words are:

True
Helpful
Inspiring
Necessary
Kind

Mrs. Kolkman and her THINK acrostic

·         Chef McCarthy has two acrostics of his own that he insists his students follow to develop their understanding of accountability and integrity:

Help
Others
Thrive

And

                      be Considerate of others
   always let God Order your steps
          never stop Learning
                      be Determined to never give up

Integrity is so important in the workplace and in life. A person of integrity will be respected and trusted. They will be given more responsibility and cultivate stronger relationships. They can walk through each day with a clear conscience, without guilt. It sounds like a great way to live a life of Appropriate Independence.

Now excuse me. I have a confession to make to my husband.

 

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

The Office: When No One is Looking

Who are we when we’re away from Shepherds? When we’re away from the eyes of our bosses, our co-workers, the parents and the students?

Can we say that we would talk the same, act the same and make the same decisions if no one was watching us? No one but God, that is. 

At Shepherds College, we care about building good character in our students. We care about giving them the tools they need to maintain their integrity and stay true to who God created them to be - but we can’t do that unless we first have good character ourselves. 

We try to fill our staff with people who feel confident in expressing who they are – all their little quirks and big personalities, all their gifts, talents and abilities, all their curiosity and wisdom – in ways that bring honor and glory to God.

When I was in fourth grade, I had a teacher who liked to talk to us about good health and making good meal choices. As a kid, this kind of talk just sounded like “stuff adults have to say, blah, blah, blah.” I ran into her once in the grocery store and sure enough if she didn’t have a cart full of fruits and veggies. From that day on, her words always carried more weight with me knowing that she was living them out.

When I was in seventh grade, I had a teacher who yelled at students in the hallway for swearing. The students picked on him and laughed, but I always admired his values – until I heard him in the parking lot one day cussing at his car, using words I never heard in the hallway. I looked at him differently after that. I started to question whether or not the lessons he taught were trustworthy, just as I wondered about him.

Character and integrity matter. My husband is fond of quoting a professor from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary who once said, "Be who you is. Be so who you is that you can't be any izzer."  This means at all times, in all situations. Honor God by honoring who you are in Christ - a unique creation filled with His good purpose.

Since this is so important at Shepherds, I wanted to show you a side to the staff that very few people see – who they are when no one is looking. I’ll start with someone you’re familiar with from earlier blogs, our Administrative Assistant, Cathy Harvey:

“I love my job and the outlet of combined organizational skills and creativity it offers.  But, when I am not in the Shepherds College office, guess what I do?  Surprise, surprise, I find the same organizing and creativity flows right into my home life.  What can I say? It’s what I love to do and how God wired me.  First, I have to clean, de-clutter, straighten, and re-organize all the “stuff” that seems to multiply after I leave the house every day, just like I do in the office.  Every day off usually involves some element of cleaning and organizing.  “Less is better” is my mantra!  Purge, sort, decide, and toss is my theme song. Then, clean, clean, clean for a while.

After all that, my mind feels clear to create.  The ideas are endless and sometimes keep me awake at night.  Banners for church, bulletin boards for school, costumes for the grandchildren all offer some left-brained relief as the right side of my brain takes off with all the ideas that have been quietly percolating in the back of my mind waiting to explode in the quiet of my basement “studio”.

For the last few years, my personal choice has been framed photography or crafting journals and stationery using stamps and my own photography.   

What a joy to sit and create mini-masterpieces with paper, glue, photos, pens, and anything else I care to include. 

It is a very special time for me to connect to God.  When I sit very quietly, contemplating a design I feel His presence next to me, whispering ideas and His approval; it almost gives me chills.  My downtime becomes an ‘up’ time of His encouraging thoughts towards me and my gift back to Him, offering what He instilled in me in the first place—the desire to create—just like Him.” 

When I read Cathy’s words about her home life, I am not surprised. I see this side of her at work. She is, at all times, who she is.  And she gives it all to the Glory of God.

 

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

A College with Character

Back in 2009, Shepherds College had just completed its first year. We had only a handful of students, but we could already see the potential in the program.

The leadership was dynamic, hands-on and visionary.

The teachers were warm, energetic and creative.

The curriculum was simplified, yet groundbreaking.

The program was comprehensive, life-changing and one-of-a-kind.

We all knew it could be successful in bringing hope for a brighter future to students with intellectual disabilities.  But, how would we reach the prospective students, where were they, what were they like, and what would the students be like after completing three years of our program?

This was the stuff of marketing, so in 2009 we brought in professionals who helped us develop a plan to reach young adults with intellectual disabilities who wanted an advanced education - people who needed to hear that there was a new post-secondary option available to them.

The marketing company gave us a lot of good information and a solid plan for moving forward with college recruitment, but the one area they couldn’t help us with – the one area we needed to work out on our own – was “values.” What values would underpin the whole college program? What values would resonate with all individuals? What values would we teach to the students to impact their future relationships, influence their decisions as independent adults and equip them to excel in their internships and future careers?

After many marketing and faculty meetings, we decided on six values – or character traits - that we hoped to instill in the students by the time they graduated:

Diligence – Investing their time and energy to complete each task assigned to them

Discernment – Perceiving the difference between right and wrong

Initiative – Recognizing and doing what needs to be done before they are asked to do it

Integrity – Knowing and doing what is right all the time

Respect – Recognizing and showing value to God, authority, others, property, and themselves

Responsibility – Knowing and doing what is expected of them

The students would hear about and learn these character traits in a variety of ways every day in their classes. The Residential Life training would support the development of these character traits in the students’ living areas. The faculty and staff would exemplify these character traits in their own lives so students could see them as role models for the values of the college.

And what company wouldn’t want an employee who exhibited these traits in the workplace? 

They are a cornerstone for the success of our program, and they provide a solid path for the students’ journey toward Appropriate Independence.

Watch this blog in the coming weeks. I hope to give you an idea of what teaching each character trait looks like in different classes, in Res Life, and in the activity of the students.

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

                                                                                                        Unknown

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.