Berry College Good Neighbor Culture

Belonging with Responsibility at Berry College

Berry College’s Good Neighbor Culture is rooted in the legacy of our founder, Martha Berry, who believed that education should serve the whole person – head, heart and hands – and be lived out in service to others. She built this institution alongside her neighbors, not above them.

Years later, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a movement that called our nation to center dignity, love and shared responsibility. His dream asked, not only what we could achieve together, but also how we could live in right relationships with one another.

At Berry, we carry both legacies forward by preparing students to live lives of purpose, empathy and responsibility on campus and in the world beyond.

The Good Neighbor Culture isn’t a trendy slogan; it is a practice – day in, day out rhythm of learning and living life together.

Our Pillars of Good Neighbor Culture

Berry’s Good Neighbor Culture is shaped by eight values, held in four core pairings. These principles guide how we live, lead and learn in community:

Dignity & Diversity

Good Neighbors value one another and respect differences.

Understanding & Restoration

Good Neighbors listen first and work to repair community division.

Solidarity & Collaboration

Good Neighbors stand together to strengthen their communities.

Responsibility & Reflection

Good Neighbors leave the world better than they found it – and see themselves differently as a result.

These pillars shape how we show up in classrooms, residence halls, community partnerships and everyday life.

Our Commitment

Berry College is committed to creating a campus culture where all individuals are treated with dignity, where differences are approached with humility and where belonging is shaped through relationships, not assumptions.

We value open dialogue, shared responsibility and inclusive access to learning and leadership opportunities. Our programs and partnerships reflect these commitments, always within the bounds of our mission and federal non-discrimination requirements.

Additional information about how we put these principles into practice can be found at the Office of Belonging and Community Engagement. As we’re becoming one of The King Center’s designated Beloved Community Campuses, we are honored to carry this work forward in partnership with a national leader in nonviolence and community building.