Intended for high school students, parents, guidance counselors, college administrators, trustees, faculty and alumni, The Templeton Guide recognizes programs that represent the best practices in the field of character development during the college years. The programs were chosen through a highly selective process that considered clarity of vision and statement of purpose; institutional resources; involvement of institutional leaders; impact on students, faculty, campus and community; integration into the core curriculum or academic study; longevity; external awards and recognition; and assessment.

The Templeton Guide contains profiles of 405 exemplary college programs in 10 categories. Programs profiled include those of Brown University, Colgate University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, Princeton University, Stanford University and Yale University. Marist is profiled in two sections highlighting the top programs for first-year students and for civic education.....

.....Templeton recognized Marist's Self-Management program as a nationwide model for students entering college. The program teaches students to examine how their own feelings, behaviors and thoughts are central to personal development and achievement in all aspects of life. Two Marist educators, Dr. Edward O'Keefe and Donna Berger, initiated the program with the college's Academic Learning Center in 1989. They are also the authors of Self-Management for College Students: The ABC Approach, a book used in the Marist program and in many other colleges and universities nationwide. Now in its second printing, the text was chosen in 1995 by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top three personal development and study guides in the country.

“Marist College's strong commitment to character development and the strength of its program make it a model for colleges and universities nationwide,” says Dr. Arthur J. Schwartz, director of character development programs at the John Templeton Foundation. “With The Templeton Guide, we hope to help prospective college students and their parents who want to know what colleges are doing to promote the core values of honesty, self-control, respect and service to those less fortunate. The Templeton Guide identifies colleges that encourage students to understand the importance of personal and civic responsibility, which will help them succeed in college and beyond. Marist's work in this area is most impressive.”