The Adrian College Habits of Mind Project began in the Fall Semester, 2001, when a group of faculty began to meet for discussions on the Habits of Mind series edited by Art Costa and Bena Kallick. These conversations resulted in a commitment on the part of the group members to begin to explore ways of incorporating Habits of Mind into their courses and across the College's curriculum.

Subsequently, the College's director of faculty development led a series of workshops for interested faculty during the Spring of 2002. These workshops proved encouraging as more faculty expressed interest in the Habits of Mind project. Through conversations with the College's academic dean, the director of faculty development suggested that the Habits project be the focus of the Fall Faculty Workshop.

The College also invited Art Costa for a two day workshop scheduled for October, 2002. Further, the College applied for a grant from SBC/Ameritech Michigan College's Foundation Technology initiative to develop an interactive website based on the Habits of Mind.