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Values 101
There are no textbooks in this classroom. There are no written exams either. In fact, there are no tests that will affect your grade point average. The only tests you will encounter in this senior experience are the ones that will last way beyond your college years. These are life tests.
Dr. Anthony Mussari, chairperson of the Mass Communications/Media Technologies Department at King's College, firmly believes that an education should develop a set of values that are portable. In other words, knowledge that reaches beyond the technical aspects and aims toward building solid individuals ready for the workplace, ready for life. This mentality stems from Dr. Mussari's own experiences studying, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change," a book by Stephen R. Covey.
According to Covey, the 7-Habits become the basis of a person's character, creating an empowering center of correct maps from which an individual can effectively solve problems, maximize opportunities, and continually learn and integrate other principles in an upward spiral of growth. It is these maps which Dr. Mussari has effectively implemented into his curriculum, creating an outstanding ensemble of students who learn to be proactive, to begin with the end in mind, to put first things first, to seek first to understand, then to be understood, and finally, to be interdependent. These are the qualities that help King's students to grow into practicing professionals, valuable team members, and more importantly, better human beings. What are the effects of this type of education? According to Dr. Mussari, "it's about self-transformation. As students, as professionals, we must be thoughtful about what we do. It is necessary to be mindful of our actions and the possible implications on others and ourselves. If you surround yourself with positive influences, it makes living in challenging times a little clearer. Value work, learn to value yourself and all will fall into place. In effect, you become the type of individual people want to hire, the type of individual you would want to be around." It is this type of learning that reaches beyond the mind and into the heart and soul of the student; challenging them to work on themselves first, grasp beyond "conventional" learning and to view themselves as works in progress. At King's College, particularly in the Mass Communications department, you are not a student; you are an individual training for the professional world. Dr. Mussari, along with the help of Covey help prepare you mentally by providing you with a deep-seated work ethic that will reach beyond any classroom. Textbooks and video equipment are replaceable, valuable individuals are not. Alfred Vito, a former secondary education/English major, has been a Communications major for the past three years. "The way Dr. Mussari integrates Covey is extraordinary. Doc, as we know him, doesn't just guide us with the technical aspects of forming a research paper, he helps with the inner aspects of self. Self first, then everything else will follow." The seven habits are the backbone of what the Communications department stands for. They become part of your moral fiber, while also preparing you for the Workplace 2000. Stephen Greer, a 1994 graduate of King's College, a master's graduate of Northwestern University, and an executive at General Mills, attests to the success this type of education brings. "Life is about establishing and maintaining balance. You have to balance the short-term and long-term aspects and aspirations for your life. Many people confuse pleasure with happiness. Covey's book is about teaching you an approach and a discipline in life that will allow you to focus the limited time we have on the things that will contribute to our lives...You will never contribute at a high level unless you position yourself to do so. Respect is not granted, it is earned." That is more than any textbook can teach.
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