Modern social and economic life dictates the importance of professional training to provide an intellectual, cultural, social, and scientific potential of Russia. Education is declared to be the sphere that is responsible for production of primary values and human capital. It is higher education that should develop every individual, not only as a professional in a certain area but also as person of culture, who is loyal to his/her national traditions, a citizen of his/her country, and of the world. We consider that a character-building environment is a specially organized space created in the sphere of students’ and faculty’s joint activities which incorporate a dynamic network of interrelated character-building events contributing to students’ personality development and their self-realization. Innovative approaches to higher education along with the development of traditional (information, research related and professionally oriented) functions reinforce the functions that contribute to character-building development of future professionals including socializing, values- and culture-oriented functions of professional training. Since 2002, the Academy of Qualification Improvement and Professional Retraining (Moscow, Russia) has been holding regular professional development programs for vice provosts for student affairs. In the 1990s students’ character-building activities were absolutely ignored, and the respective vice provosts’ positions were canceled. In early 2000s, the importance of character formation was reevaluated within the Russian system of higher education and returned to universities. Judging by its development dynamics we may observe the relevant experience growth within the last decade and determine character-building priorities which ensure university students’ social competences.