Character and Leadership Education Initiative (CLEI)

The Character and Leadership Education Initiative (CLEI) is a research and practice-based initiative dedicated to advancing curricular and co-curricular opportunities that foster character and leadership development for students, faculty, and staff. Driven by the contributions of HBCUs as engines of social mobility, CLEI is intentionally focused on supporting institutions with a historic and contemporary mission of access.

Launched in 2026 through the generous support of the Educating Character Initiative (ECI) at Wake Forest University, the Yale ASCEND Initiative, and the ECMC Foundation, CLEI is strategically housed within the Center for HBCU Leadership, Research, and Policy and operates under the Office of the Provost at Howard University. CLEI is led by Dr. Jorge Burmicky, the Faculty Director, and is supported by a multidisciplinary team of full-time staff, graduate researchers, and key campus and external partners.

Mission, Vision, and Core Values

Mission

The mission of CLEI is to advance character and leadership development for students, faculty, and staff at institutions with a historic and contemporary mission of access.

Vision

CLEI advances character and leadership development by:

Conducting and disseminating rigorous, interdisciplinary, and empirical research.
Designing and implementing research-informed curricular and co-curricular programs and initiatives.
Identifying, coordinating, and amplifying character and leadership development opportunities across the university and the broader higher education ecosystem.
Cultivating community-building practices that expand access to leadership development and character education.

Core Values

We conduct research and programming that advance equitable character and leadership outcomes, with particular attention to communities and populations that have historically been denied full access to higher education.

We promote equitable outcomes through high-quality research disseminated in toptier, peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, and scholarly and public-facing publications.

We place people at the center of our work, promoting the intellectual, emotional, and physical development of individuals and communities.

We make our work accessible to leaders and communities who can benefit from our research and programming, recognizing that while our work may not always be perfect, it is always grounded in a spirit of generosity.

We believe our work is only complete when it reaches practitioners, policy professionals, and scholars positioned to effect change. We act with the understanding that we are part of a collective effort to create a more equitable higher education ecosystem

We are committed to building trust among team members and partners through intentional relationships that foster dignity, mutual respect, and personal and professional growth.

This article explores Howard University’s work to develop an HBCU-based framework for character education rooted in its longstanding commitment to truth and service.

Learn More at LearningWell Magazine

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