Ethics Center > Course Descriptions

Director: Lou Lombardi, Professor of Philosophy

The Ethics Center encourages reflection on a broad range of values issues, from social policy to professional challenges to interpersonal relations. The Center sponsors and supports student, faculty, and administration activities that highlight the ethical dimensions of our actions. Underlying the Center’s efforts is the desire to enhance an institutional environment in which each member of the community is encouraged to engage in the reflection required to clarify and to deepen our ethical commitments.

The academic component of the Center includes three research courses, one offered each year. Students undertake original research using various sources, from traditional library resources, to news and web materials, to interviews. Participation is by invitation only; nominations should be sent to the Director of the Ethics Center.

300 The Evolution of the College’s Values
Collaborative research project culminating in a report on a particular aspect of the evolution of the College’s values. The course runs for an academic year, earning .5 credit per semester.  Participation by invitation.

310 Ethics in Personal Development and Relationships
Collaborative research project culminating in a report on the ethical dimension of personal development or interpersonal relationships. The course runs for an academic year, earning .5 credit per semester.  Participation by invitation.

320  Educational Reform
Collaborative research project examining ethical issues in educational reform, such as the ideals of reform, curriculum focus and goals, non-academic responsibilities of schools, and fairness in school funding.  The project may be connected to a planned conference in the fall, with students preparing background information beforehand and afterwards developing and evaluating points raised in the conference.  The project will culminate in a report presented at the Student Symposium and developed for dissemination on the web. The course runs for the academic year, earning .5 credit per semester.  Participation by invitation.

330  Comparative and International Education: Education as the Practice of Freedom
(Meets GEC Cultural Diversity Requirement. Cross-listed as Education 320, Politics 320 and Sociology and Anthropology 344.)

340 Equity and Social Justice in Schools
(Cross-listed as Education 310 and Politics 309.)