Character Education

Student worker cooking pasta at the Keeter Center Kitchen

The Keeter Center for Character Education

The Keeter Center for Character Education was established by the James P. Keeter family of Atlanta, Georgia, in order to provide opportunities for students to enhance their development of character and good citizenship. In the cultivation of these attributes, the Center builds on a founding principle of the College’s development that character is bestdeveloped through an education of the head, heart, and hands.

The Center was endowed Mr. Keeter’s original gift, which was made in honor of his parents, Vester and Ruby Keeter of Bradleyville, Missouri.

Student worker working as expo at the Keeter Center

Goals of The Keeter Center for Character Education

1. To reflect the College's five-fold mission emphasizing academic, Christian, vocational, cultural, and patriotic growth, and to provide society with productive, responsible citizens.

2. To promote basic Christian values such as honesty, respect for and service to others, good citizenship, generosity, honor, courage, sound use of time and talents, and work ethic.

3. To serve as a resource for administrators, teachers, and parents as they seek to fulfill their responsibilities as partners in the character-building process.

4. To publish information about and foster interest in character education.

5. To serve as a model for others who have the desire to establish similar centers.

Relationship to College of the Ozarks

The Keeter Center is an integral part of the total program at College of the Ozarks.

Called "Hard Work U." by The Wall Street Journal, this unusual American college provides a liberal arts education to deserving young people who pay no tuition; rather, they work to defray the cost of education. The balance is covered by scholarships and grants.

The work ethic--an education of the hands - is integrated into its operating philosophy and complements a solid liberal arts-based academic program - the head - within a strong Christian tradition - the heart. Debt is openly discouraged at College of the Ozarks - the College does not participate in any federal or state student loan programs.

The Keeter Report

The Keeter Report has become a section in the College’s quarterly publication the Ozark Visitor. Please click here to read the Ozark Visitor online or to register to receive a copy by mail.