The shift was predicated by urbanization.  In the agricultural society of the the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, people lived and worked together in community.  They lived together and interacted the span of their whole lives.  By the early twentieth century, however, more than one third of the population lived in cities.  Americans found themselves working no longer with neighbors but with strangers.  Susan Cain writes, “‘Citizens’ morphed into ‘employees,’ facing the question of how to make a good impression on people to whom they had no civic or family ties.”

Cain notes the attributes of a Culture of Character: Citizenship, Duty, Work, Golden Deeds, Honor, Reputation, Morals, Manners, Integrity

The attributes A Culture of Personality: Magnetic, Fascinating, Stunning, Attractive, Glowing, Dominant, Forceful, Energetic

What is it that turns a group of people from different backgrounds that come from different places into a real community? At Vanguard, we call it our relational culture. Built into the fabric of our interactions at Vanguard is a culture that causes us to go beyond the normal definition of community, reaching out and connecting with each other. Vanguard is committed to fostering a Culture of Character, in the classroom, on the athletic field, on the stage, and in the living spaces of our students.

Truth, Virtue, and Service are the values of Vanguard University. Proclaimed by founders Harold and Hulda Needham, these values are pursued in all we do at Vanguard University. Professors who serve as mentors seek to form students in the image of Christ, who is Truth.

The Champions of Character program is at the center of athletics at Vanguard University. Student athletes are coached both in athletic skill and character formation, living into the virtures of integrity and honor in all relationships. Vanguard University athletics has received multiple Champions of Character awards for its commitment to the whole formation of student athletes, both on and off the athletic playing field.

In a world of personality and its pressure to manage what strangers think of us, Vanguard University remains a community committed to a relational culture. This is where the next generation of leaders, formed in the likeness of Christ, pursue an education in order to serve and further His Kingdom.

Davis collects No.400
by Barry Faulkner
December 28, 2011

FULLERTON — After watching his team roll the metaphorical boulder up the hill against scrappy Montana Tech on Wednesday, Vanguard University women’s basketball coach Russ Davis ultimately was able to celebrate a milestone.

The Lions, ranked No. 10 in the NAIA, played with all the rust that its 25-day holiday layoff had produced. Their wire-to-wire lead became tenuous in the closing seconds, but they held on for a 62-58 triumph in the opening round of pool play at the Biola Holiday Classic at Hope International University.

Full Article from the Daily Pilot