Core Commitments: Educating Students for Personal and Social

Responsibility2007 UCF FCTL Summer Faculty Development

Conference Dr. John Burris, Visiting Instructor, Religious Studies Dr. Manoj Chopra, Professor, Engineering Dr. Annabelle Conroy, Assistant Professor, Political

Science Dr. Ronnie Hawkins, Associate Professor, Philosophy Dr. Dawn Oetjen, Associate Professor, Health

Professions Nancy Stanlick, Associate Professor, Philosophy

UCF Core Commitments Faculty Development Conference,

Summer 2007 at the UCF Karen L. Smith Faculty Center for

Teaching and LearningFaculty development included the incorporation of Core Commitments content into selected courses at UCF. The following pages show the 5 dimensions and each course’s content-specific application.

Core Commitments (AAC&U Statement)

Striving for excellence: Strong work ethic and consciously doing one’s very best in all aspects of college

Cultivating personal and academic integrity: Sense of honor ranging from honesty in relationships to principled engagement with a formal academic honors code

Contributing to a larger community: Responsibility to the educational community (classroom, campus life), the local community, and the wider society, both national and global

Taking seriously the perspectives of others: Obligation to inform one’s own judgment; engaging diverse and competing perspectives as a resource for learning, for citizenship, and for work

Developing competence in ethical and moral reasoning: Ethical and moral reasoning in ways that incorporate the other four responsibilities; using such reasoning in learning and in life. 

Core CommitmentsJohn Burris, World Religions (REL 2300)

CORE COMMITMENTS IN WORLD RELIGIONS

Striving for Excellence Distinguishing studying religion from practicing it

Cultivating Personal and Academic Integrity

Seeing the value of others’ religious commitments

Contributing to a Larger Community

Recognizing we live in religious and cultural communities

Taking Seriously the Perspectives of Others

Acknowledging the fact of religious diversity

Developing Competence in Ethical Reasoning

Understanding why all people have a right to their religion

Core CommitmentsManoj Chopra, EGN 3310 – Engineering Mechanics Statics, Ethics in Engineering

Core Commitments Engineering ContextStriving for excellence Effort, Perseverance, Technical

Education

Personal and Academic Integrity

Professional Honor Code, Academic Creed

Contribution to Larger Community

Teamwork, Service to Profession, Quality of Life

Perspectives of Others Fair and Open Minded Evaluation of Sources

Ethical and Moral Reasoning Critical and Ethical Evaluation of Alternatives

Core CommitmentsAnnabelle Conroy

INR 4075 Human Rights Policy Striving for excellence Working consistently throughout the term to develop

the modules’ through the blogs help others who are having difficulties with assignments

Cultivating personal and academic integrity

Properly acknowledging the ideas/work of others; carefully documenting each case under study

Contributing to a larger community Developing research, policy recommendations and campaign strategies that take into account the needs, values and beliefs of the target population

Taking seriously the perspectives of others

Exchanging views with different populations (academic, non-academic) by means of blogs

attached to class wikis Developing competence in ethical and moral reasoning

Supporting research findings with accurate data, but recognizing the ethical implications of the findings

and policy recommendations

Dawn Oetjen, Dept. of Health Professions, “Facing” Ethical Dilemmas through the use of an Ethics Committee Role-Play Assignment

Core Commitment My Context

Striving for Excellence ACHE Code of Ethics

Cultivating Personal and Academic Integrity

Use of decision-making framework/applications

Contributing to a Larger Community

Teamwork; Professional knowledge enhancement

Perspectives of Others Respect; Fairness; Distributive justice; Multidisciplinary/Diverse Cultures

Ethical and Moral Reasoning Critical and ethical evaluation of alternatives

Core CommitmentsNancy Stanlick, Formal Logic I (PHI 2100)

Core Commitment Formal Logic I

Striving for excellence Developing skills in methods and principles of deductive logic

Personal and Academic Integrity

Dedication to the ethical use of human reason

Contribution to Larger Community

To mediate differences and find solutions

Perspectives of Others Critical appraisal; respect for differences

Moral Reasoning Application to practical issues