Largest grant in Maguire Ethics Center history will advance principled leadership at SMU

The Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility at SMU received a nearly half-million-dollar Institutional Impact Grant from the Educating Character Initiative, a project of The Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University. The award—the largest grant in the Center’s 30-year history—will launch Heart of a Mustang, a campus-wide initiative to integrate character development throughout the undergraduate experience. 

The grant will support faculty and staff training, fund new courses and student programs, and expand experiential learning across Dallas. 

“Preparing students not only to lead, but to do so from a principles- or value-based approach is one of the most important things we do at SMU,” President Jay Hartzell said. “An exceptional education should give students not only knowledge and expertise, but also help them develop the judgment and wisdom to put them to good use. Heart of a Mustang will create more opportunities for our students to develop those qualities in the classroom, across campus, throughout Dallas and beyond, as we prepare high-integrity, principled leaders who are ready to make positive differences in the world around them.”

Preparing students for principled leadership

The initiative builds on SMU’s longstanding commitment to intellectual rigor and ethical responsibility by making character formation more intentional and coordinated across campus. 

"Heart of a Mustang reflects SMU's belief that higher education should develop both intellectual excellence and personal character," said Rita Kirk, William F. May Endowed Director of the Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility. "Students today face increasingly complex ethical, civic, and professional challenges. They need more than technical skills. They need the habits, virtues, and relationships that help them navigate disagreement, build trust, make responsible decisions, and serve others. This initiative gives students intentional opportunities to practice those qualities during their undergraduate journey."

The program centers on the development of virtues, including open-mindedness, intellectual humility, integrity, determination, and empathy. Over the next three years, the initiative aims to:

• Make character formation a visible and shared part of the SMU undergraduate experience.
• Develop character education resources for faculty and students.
• Fund experiences that invite students beyond familiar circles and into deeper engagement with SMU and Dallas.
• Expand courses, leadership programs, and community partnerships that continue after the grant ends.

Creating opportunities for character development

The initiative will provide grants to faculty and staff to bring Heart of a Mustang into their own areas of work. Faculty will be able to create new character-centered courses or redesign existing ones, while staff can strengthen programs and experiences that give students meaningful opportunities to develop and practice good character.

Grant recipients will join interdisciplinary cohorts that bring together colleagues from across the University to exchange ideas, reflect on their work, and learn from one another. This collaborative approach will allow Heart of a Mustang to grow organically from the knowledge and creativity already present across SMU, creating a network of faculty and staff who shape how character development takes root throughout the undergraduate experience.

Dallas as an extension of the classroom

The program treats Dallas as an extension of the classroom, helping students strengthen their principles through service, civic partnerships, and real-world experiences. Through SMU’s Dallas Office—a  major new initiative designed to coordinate partnerships with the city more intentionally—the University will build lasting partnerships that connect students with community-based learning opportunities, service initiatives, leadership programs, and structured reflection.

“Developing principled leaders means giving students opportunities to think about their values and how those values guide their decisions,” said Maguire Ethics Center Student Advisory Board Chair Max Keating. “Heart of a Mustang will help students put those lessons into practice on campus and carry them into their careers and communities.”