Ev Brochure Draft 4 F09

Working Draft: Ethics and Values Brochure, Draft #4 Submitted by Shannon Mussett, fall 2009 The Mission Statement and Core Values of UVU state that as a university we are committed to fostering a global perspective in our region and to preparing people of integrity who will represent the best of what Utah has to offer to the world. The one course on campus devoted to and designed specifically for this purpose is Ethics and Values. In fact, Ethics and Values represents the very heart of higher education as it has been understood in the West, since the teachings of Socrates. The award-winning Ethics and Values Class has proudly served the needs of students at Utah Valley University for over two decades. Unanimously approved in 1986 as the core humanities general education requirement for all students, Ethics and Values promotes an interdisciplinary approach to education. With a view towards educating the full person to be an ethical and engaged member of society, Ethics and Values is designed to meet the changing needs of students in the 21st century. Unlike discipline specific ethics courses, Ethics and Values combines various subjects such as history, philosophy, religion, literature and art to foster critical thinking, reading and writing skills in all students, regardless of their chosen area of study. These classes provide challenging primary source material, active classroom discussions and writing intensive assignments that help students develop the skills requisite for success in the professional world. In addition to the standard version of the class, many sections of Ethics and Values satisfy the global intercultural requirement. Students can also find classes that incorporate service learning, Honors, Distance Education and off-site locations to fit their unique learning styles and schedules. Ethics and Values has received twenty years of national grants and awards from such organizations as the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) and the Hesburgh Foundation. Nationally recognized as a model for humanities classes in General Education, Ethics and Values supports the mission of Utah Valley University to be a leader in engaged education. After completion of the course: • •

94% of students agreed that the class encouraged them to consider ethical issues and ideas from various perspectives. 96% of students agreed that the discussion of ethical issues was

• •

administered in a fair and equitable manner. 84% of students had a positive attitude toward the class as a whole. 91% of students agreed that they could apply what they had learned in Ethics and Values to their life and to other courses.

For more information, please contact the department of Philosophy and Humanities. Michael Minch, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Philosophy Department Chair Director, Peace and Justice Studies Utah Valley University 800 W. University Parkway Orem, UT 84058-5999 [email protected] 801.863.7482 801.863.6146 (fax) Erin Donahoe-Rankin Advisor, Department of Philosophy and Humanities Utah Valley University 800 W. University Parkway Orem, UT 84058-5999 [email protected] 801.863.6717