III Periodic Review of Centers (Academic Policy 100.o)

The Center for Ethics

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A. Written Report Summary:

(1) Purpose
The Center for Ethics is charged with conducting responsible moral discourse concerning societal ethics and the ethical practices of a wide range of professionals. Areas of societal ethics include the values that inform health, economic growth, education, and conservation policies. Professional ethics encompass the ethical issues that confront fields such as public administration, business, health, and education.

The Center’s functions also include public ethics inquiry and education, achieved through courses, public lectures and conferences, professional development workshops, and a resource center. Finally, the Center pursues funded research in ethics and ethics education.

The Center was initially created in 1996 as the Practical Ethics Center. In 2005 the name was changed to the Center for Ethics and its mission statement revised. The Center is pursing a new slate of programs and activities, complemented by a new director and new staff.

(2) Objectives

1. To support ethics education and discussion on The University of Montana campuses and in the local community;

2. To create a national center for ethics education, environmental ethics and the ethical issues arising from scientific research and emerging technology; and

3. To develop an active ethics consulting program.

(3) Anticipated Activities
The Center of Ethics currently pursues a wide range of activities and plans to expand and develop more programs as the Center grows.

A. Current Programs

Debating Science, 3-year national Science Foundation Grant
The Center is in the first year of a 3-year, $270,000 National Science Foundation grant to develop an ethics education program for graduate students in science and engineering. The title of the project is Debating Science: An New Model of Ethics Education in Science and Engineering. The Center’s Director, Dane Scott wrote the grant request with UM co-authors Christopher Preston, Department of Philosophy; and Rebecca Bendick, Department of Geology, Other partners include Jim Costa, Director of the Highlands Biological Station at the University of North Carolina; Clark Wolf, Director of the Bioethics Center at Iowa State University; and Catherine Murphy, Professor in the Department of Chemistry at University of South Carolina.

The purpose of this project is to develop and disseminate educational tools for instruction in ethical dialogue and practical reasoning in order to help scientist more effectively participate in social and ethical debates over emerging technologies. Areas of emerging technology addressed in this program include biotechnology, nanotechnology, and technologies designed to meliorate global climate change.

This project is an excellent first step in creating a national center for ethics education and discussion about emerging technologies. The project will produce several products that will help in this goal beyond the 3-year granting period. These products are new educational materials, including curricula, course syllabi, a book, and ancillary materials for teaching ethical dialogue and practical reasoning to graduate students in the natural and social sciences. In addition, three online courses and online resource and electronic activity center with materials relevant to social and ethical public debates over science and technology will be created and housed at the Center.

Environmental Ethics Institute
In the summer 2006, the Center launched its first annual Environmental Ethics Institute, “Exploring the Landscapes of Environmental Thought.” The institute consisted of three courses, two field trips and six evening lectures and panel discussions. The courses were taught by leading scholars of national and international renown. These courses were attended by students from around the country: in addition to current UM students, attendees came from Northeastern University, University of New Mexico, University of Texas, University of South Carolina, to name a few. Professionals also participated in these courses. For example, there was a journalist from Colorado, a high school teacher from Texas, and university professor from California. The panels and evening lectures were well attended—total attendance was over 400 people. The panel discussions averaged 100 people in attendance and the four evening lectures averaged 50 people. The 2007 Environmental Ethics Institute is currently in the planning stage. As an annual event, this program is an excellent start in the Center’s effort to create a national center in environmental ethics.

Consulting Services
Historically, the Center has offered limited professional ethics consulting on a fee for service basis to corporations, governmental agencies, associations and individuals. Over the next few years, the Center will be seeking ways to build and expand upon previous programs. Some new consulting activities that will be pursued are:

· Designing an ethics training program for a corporate-wide, multiple site venture;

· Developing ethics courses for continuing professional education in a variety of areas including law, medicine, nursing, and social work; and

· Creating and teaching seminars for city councils, governmental agencies and corporations on such topics as conflict of interest, intellectual property, public service and public interest.

Ethics Speaker Series
The Center will continue to offer its popular Ethics at Noon speaker series. As of 2005, the series is organized along themes. The 2005-2006 theme focused on local and global issues of justice and sustainability. The theme for 2007 will be ethics and leadership. The series is offered bimonthly during the school year. It has been well attended historically, with most lectures in 2005-2006 attracting 40 to 50 people.

Other Campus and Community Outreach

Discussion Forums
The Center creates forums for discussions of campus policies and issues with ethical implications. Currently, a panel discussion focusing on President Dennison’s proposal to establish an ethics code is planned for the fall of 2006. These events are planned as timely issues arise.

KUFM Radio Commentaries
The Center’s director contributes a monthly ethics commentary, “Everyday Ethics,”
to KUFM Montana Public Radio. The commentary explores a range of ethical issues relevant to the Missoula community. Recent subjects include: Leadership and prudence; Happiness and the virtues; and Global warming and moral responsibility.

Ethics Discussions
The Center’s director facilitates discussions about ethics around campus. In 2006, the director spoke to courses in Chemistry, Business, Honors and Environmental Studies.

Additionally, the Center’s director speaks to various community and professional groups. In 2006, the director spoke to the Kalispell Rotary Club and participated in panels at the annual meetings of the Montana Hospital Association and Montana Public Health Association.

Ethics Courses

Traditional Courses
In addition to the courses offered in conjunction with the summer Environmental Ethics Institute, the Center currently offers two courses: “the Notion of the Virtues”, part of the Montana Lifelong Learning Institute winter session; and a summer course in Business Ethics. Both courses are taught by the Center’s director and will continue to be offered on an annual basis.

Online Ethics Courses
The Center currently offers one online course in research ethics. This course is taken by students from around the country. In 2006-2007 the Center’s online offerings will be expanded to include two courses on environmental ethics for nontraditional students and working professionals.

Global Ethics
The Center is working with the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center to promote ethics education and dialogue on global issues. This year the Center is working with the Mansfield Center to organize a conference on ethical issues arising from the handling of toxic wastes. The event will compare and discuss the experiences of Minamata, Japan with mercury poisoning, with those of Libby, Montana with lead poisoning. In addition, a collaborative project in the planning phase is a conference on comparative ethics between the United States, India and China that focuses on the moral challenges of aging populations.

B. Programs in Development and Under Consideration

Ethics and Leadership Programs
In conjunction with the Department of Philosophy and the Davidson Honors College, the Center is discussing the possibility of creating an Ethics and Leadership Program. The central piece of this program would be an ethics minor to be housed in the Philosophy Department. The program would also include an Ethics and Leadership Seminar and a Challenges of Moral Leadership Lectures and Workshops, which would be organized and run by the Center. A decision to pursue this program will be made by September 2007.

The Center is also discussing with the Business School collaborating on offering a certificate in Ethics and Business Leadership for the Masters of Business Administration program. The Center would offer an Ethics and Business Leadership Seminar and Challenges to Moral Leadership in Business Lectures and Workshop series.

Graduate Certificate in Environmental Ethics and Public Policy
Finally, this year we will be exploring the potential with the Center’s advisory board and environmental ethics committee for combining the online courses and summer institute into a one-year certificate program in environmental ethics and public policy.

(4) Other organizations involved
Current partners:

The National Science Foundation
Davidson Honors College
School of Business Administration

Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center
Montana Committee for the Humanities

The Highlands Biological Station of the University of North Carolina

Continuing Education at The University of Montana

Montana Lifelong Learning Institute

Advisory Boards and Program Committees:

2006-2007 members of the Center’s Campus Advisory Board:
Albert Borgmann, Professor, Department of Philosophy
Jim Burchfield, Associate Dean, College of Forestry

Roberta Evans, Interim Dean, School of Education

Michael Harrington, Associate Dean, School of Business

Jim McKusick, Dean, Davidson Honors College

Jakki Mohr, Professor, School of Business

Carol Van Vaulkenburg, Chair, Print Department, School of Journalism

Terry Weidner, Director, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center

Environmental Ethics Committee:
Christopher Preston, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy
Dan Spencer, Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies Program

Ruth Heffron, interested member of the community

Bill Borrie, Associate Professor College of Forestry

Phil Condon, Associate Professor, Environmental Studies

(5) Reporting line within the University
The Center reports to the Provost


(6) Relationship to the institutional mission

The Center for Ethics contributes to The University of Montana’s mission to “produce competent and humane professionals and informed, ethical, and engaged citizens of local and global communities.” The Center contributes to this mission be offering courses, institutes, lectures, conducting research and workshops. The director teaches one ethics course a year in Environmental Studies during the regular term, a business ethics course in the Master of Business Administration during the summer term, and is contributing ethics courses to Continuing Education’s Montana Lifelong Learning Institute. Moreover, the director contributes to several classes across campus each semester by presenting lectures on and leading discussions about ethics. The Center offers two to three environmental ethics courses as part of the Environmental Ethics Institute each summer. These course are taught by leading scholars in the filed from universities around the country. The Environmental Ethics Institute compliments the many environmental programs on the UM campus. The Center’s emerging collaborative efforts with the Mansfield Center promote the development of engaged global citizens. Finally, the Center has an active research program that focuses on ways to improve ethical dialogue in public and international debates about scientific research and emerging technologies.


(7) Similar programs
The closest comparable entities are the Center for the Study of Ethics at Utah Valley State College and the Center for Values and Social Policy at the University of Colorado-Boulder. While the Center will retain its general mandate to address applied and professional ethics, it is developing an emphasis in environmental ethics. This is in response to recommendations made by the Provost’s Ethics Task Force’s review of the Center. The closest center with an emphasis in environmental ethics is the Center for Environmental Philosophy, University of North Texas.

(8) Budget

Current faculty and percentage of time:

Dane Scott, Director, The Center for Ethics 100%
Faculty for Environmental Ethics Institute
(visiting scholars on a contracted services basis)

Current Staff
Kari Samuel, Administrative Officer 50%
Graduate Student Assistants, part time 30%

Need and cost for new faculty (next five years):
New positions will be explored as programs grow. At this time the only program which seems likely to need new faculty is the Environmental Ethics Institute. If the program associated with the Environmental Ethics Institute grows to a point at which additional staff is necessary, a part-time faculty position to coordinate courses, organize the events and direct the Institute may be created. This will be pursued only in the event the revenue from the Environmental Ethics Institute justifies the associated cost.

Need for other personnel
As with the future faculty needs described above, future personnel needs are uncertain at this time. As the Center’s new programs and funds grow, new personnel may be considered.

Use and anticipated needs (next five years) of University Resources

Library: None
Technology/equipment: $5,000 for computers
Current equipment is adequate, but replacement is anticipated within 3-4 years.

Facilities and Space: None

Source of Funding:
The University of Montana
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant (ended FY 2006, funds continue to FY 2007)
The National Science Foundation grant (awarded FY 2007, funding FY 2008-2010)
Sales and Services (derived from course fees and consulting)
UM foundation Accounts

Anticipated sources of funding over the next 5 years include: continued support from The University of Montana, additional grants, revenue from online and summer courses, consulting fees, and donations through the UM foundation.

Please note that the current director arrived in August 2005. Prior to 2005, the major emphasis of the Center was the Masters in Teaching Ethics program, which was discontinued prior to the new director’s arrival. The only existing program that was available for continuation was the Ethics at Noon Speakers Series. Consequently, the Center started with a new slate of programs in 2005-2006. Over the last year the Center launched several new initiatives and was awarded a major grant. There is every reason to believe that once the new programs (such as the Ethics and Leadership Program and Environmental Ethics Institute) develop a track record, and the new director is given time to work with the UM Foundation to develop a fundraising program, it will be possible to build an endowment for the Center. This will place the Center on a firm financial foundation.

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B. Review and Approval Process

2. The Faculty Senate through its Chair, ECOS, and Committees as appropriate shall recommend continuance or discontinuance by vote.

Review in terms of Scope as stated in academic policy 100.0
To provide instruction, scholarship, or service to the University, state or world by: (1) focusing attention on an area of strength and/or addressing a critical issue, or (2) facilitating collaborative, multi-disciplinary endeavors to combine resources from several programs or institutions to address issues of common interest.

Review in terms of the University’s mission.

§ Comments:

§ Does ECOS/Faculty Senate consider this center controversial?
No

§ Is the relationship with academic units beneficial?
Yes. It is not clear whether the director has a partial academic appointment or just an affiliation with the department of Philosophy.

§ Is the program revenue neutral or does it consume more resources than it generates? If so, is the use of University resources justified?
Currently, general funds support the director’s salary. The Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate would like to see the Center move toward financial independence. The director has only been on campus for a year and a half and should be given time to develop funding strategies. The Center was awarded an NSF grant, which is a start in the right direction.

§ Is the entity making progress toward objectives?
Seems to be. The Environmental Ethics Institute and the Ethics Speaker Series have been well attended. Further development of consulting activities and an action plan for the goal of establishing a national center for ethics education, environmental ethics and the ethical issues arising from scientific research and emerging technology would be helpful.

Recommendation: Continue, review again in two years

Justification: The new director should be given the opportunity to develop funding sources and action plans. The objectives are supportive of the University’s mission.