Unwrapping a Decade of Ethics

Posted on by Luke Cross

Ethical decisions and behavior are complex phenomena, but Ethics Unwrapped – a multimedia educational program produced by UT Austin McCombs’ Center for Leadership and Ethics, has managed to do so succinctly and stylishly for over ten years. “Ethics Unwrapped began as a three-year grant, funded project with a specific charge: to create a research-based video series that would be freely available and helpful for business students to learn about ethics,” said Cara Biasucci, Director of Ethics Education at McCombs’ Center for Leadership and Ethics and Creator of Ethics Unwrapped.

Critical Conversation Series

Posted on by Luke Cross

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) faces timely ethical questions head-on through its ongoing Critical Conversation Series. Introduced in 2018 by Dean of Arts and Sciences Jean King, the series has hosted discussions on a range of topics from genetically altered humans to diversity in STEM to artificial intelligence; this platform serves as a springboard for ethical dialogue across the university.

Life is Better With Ethics Podcast

Posted on by Luke Cross
The background is nearly filled by a modern glass and red brick accented building, reflecting the light from a sunny, clear skied day. What little background that isn't blue sky is filled with a lush green treeline, dwarfing the smaller saplings planted in the neatly mowed grass occupying the middle ground of the photo. Prominently in the foreground is a sidewalk cutting through the photo and three groups of people; a young women in a headscarf and two young men sit at a park style bench reading a textbook, two more yong men sit in the grass beneath the shade, and a group of three professionally dressed employees tread along the sidewalk.

The Western Michigan University Center for the Study of Ethics in Society began audio recording lectures and publishing them as publicly accessible podcasts following their adoption of the new motto, “Life is better with ethics” in 2019. In the spirit of their new maxim, what began as a means of sharing lectures grew into a podcast series with special topics, invited guests, and a more holistic attitude towards integrating ethics into daily life.

After School Ethics for All Ages

Posted on by Luke Cross
A brown medium sized, multipurpose conference room is packed with students sat around white tables, between 5 and 7 to a table. Each is predominately ocupied by school aged children, though one college aged student appears to be leading conversation in each group. Atop the tables sit drawstring bags, notebooks and waterbottles provided to the younger students. A large presentation board lights up the back wall with a powerpoint slide of conversation prompts and floor to ceiling windows bring in light from the right side.

Learning the fundamentals of utilitarian theory, Kantian theory, and virtue ethics might seem like your average college course, but in South Carolina, 6th graders can learn  these same lessons in ethics and reasoning! Through an innovative after school program, The Jackson Family Center for Ethics and Values at Coastal Carolina University connects middle school students with philosophy undergraduates to expand the ethical horizons of both while connecting the local community.

An Ethics Conference for Undergrads, by Undergrads

Posted on by Luke Cross
A cream brick walled, grey slate floored room is filled with older, well dressed professiona;s. Most are sat in an audience style configuration of folding chairs placed on top of a large spread rug, wile a few stand along the walls accompanying an old portrait of an American Colonial politician. All are watching and laughing alongside Roger Mudd, dressed in a casually conservative mixed suit and tie as he smiles and reads from a speech on a small wooden podium in front of him.

The Roger Mudd Center for Ethics at Washington and Lee University (W&L) is concerned with advancing dialogue, teaching, and research on  ethical issues. While the Mudd Center implements curricula and hosts public events for each of the university’s schools, its unique contribution is the annual Undergraduate Ethics Conference–the only conference of its kind in the country dedicated to the academic study of ethical issues.