Ethics in the Classroom
lthough Siena Heights students are
not required to take a course in ethics, the topic shows up across the
curriculum.
The University policy on academic
dishonesty is part of all syllabi and students
are constantly reminded about ethical
issues that arise in the educational process.
And in the classroom, Siena Heights takes
ethics further, introducing students in all
academic areas to ethical questions they
will face in society.
The University tries to provide students
with an ethical base from which to work,
academic dean Sharon Weber, OP,
explained. “We hope to help students
develop ethical sensitivities that will stay
with them throughout their lives,” she said.
Weber would like to see the faculty
establish a specific requirement for an
introductory ethics course. “Faculty
assume students know about ethical
decision making,” she said. “We have a
responsibility to make sure that is true.”
The General Education Requirement
As one way of introducing students to
ethics, Siena Heights includes a religious
studies and philosophy requirement in the
general education program for all students.
Religious studies lecturer Anthony
Sciglitano sees an importance to bringing
ethics into academic settings. In his
courses, he provides students with a
theoretical basis in the Catholic worldview
and contemporary Catholic ethics.
Students are asked to relate ethical
discussions to their own lives by reading
books, applying concepts, and examining
current issues.
Mark Schersten, associate professor of
philosophy, uses a similar approach,
challenging students to go beyond
learning ethical theories and apply them
to their own beliefs. “I want students to be
able to say, ‘I believe this and here’s how I
can defend that belief,’” he said. There can
be many different views on an issue, he
added, “but you should be able to explain
how you reached your conclusion.”
There is a fundamental belief at Siena
Heights that students need to take their
learning beyond the classroom and apply
knowledge to life. “My approach to
education, and that of many other faculty
members at this university, is character or
soul development,” Schersten said.
Ethical Issues in Individual Majors
Ethical considerations permeate the
curriculum at Siena Heights as students
discuss current issues in their majors. Some
areas of study, such as social work, seem
naturally geared to ethical questions; but
professors in many other areas find ethics
important enough to work into their
classes.
Science majors, for example, discuss
potential misconduct in the field, such as
improperly handling data. “Science often
initiates ethical questions because
technology moves faster than the ethical
discussions that follow,” explains Carl
Kaster, professor of biology and coordinator
of the science programs. The ability to split
atoms or to clone mammals is exciting to
scientists, but what is done with that
knowledge raises ethical questions.
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