Students are deeply involved in governing their own affairs, and they work closely with coaches, staff members, and program directors, who are partners with the faculty in developing students along many dimensions. Inspires students to develop and strengthen their moral reasoning skills Maryville College sets out several goals for character building and begins curricular support for these goals in the freshman year. The fall freshman seminar addresses moral reasoning through discussions of identity, vocation, and the integration of values and religious belief. In the January term of the senior year, all students take a course in ethics, values, and decision making. The course examines ethical theories, and the concepts of service , global citizenship, and responsibility for the common good.
Students reflect on the ethical challenges faced by individuals in their chosen vocations.
Maryville College fosters spiritual growth, in which one seeks to realize the integral unity of one's beliefs and how one lives. The freshman and senior seminar programs, the various programs of the chaplain's office, the work of the volunteer services office, and a range of residence hall programming all focus on personal maturity. Faculty members complement these co-curricular efforts through their view that spiritual development is a part of their challenge as educators. Likewise, the curriculum is designed to integrate spiritual and intellectual development. For example, students must take a course in New or Old Testament studies.