Programs in Campus Ethics

Video Introduction

From its oldest lecture series, Ethics at Noon, to its newest student research efforts, the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics has always served the Santa Clara University community with presentations, workshops, training in ethics pedagogy, support for scholarship, and opportunities for experiential learning.

Hackworth Fellowships
Three Santa Clara University seniors held Hackworth Fellowships for academic year 2003-04 with the mission of designing ethics programming for undergraduates. Elizabeth Simas studied the ethical dimensions of SCU student voting behaviors.
Carmen Wahlgren promoted business ethics among undergraduate business students; and Jon Heit explored the daily moral struggles of Islamic Students at SCU.

Hackworth Grants for Faculty and Student Research
Since their inception in 2003, the Ethics Center has awarded 14 Hackworth grants to faculty, totaling more than $41,000, and another six to students totaling more than $9,000. The grants support research and teaching in applied ethics. In 2005, they went to faculty from departments as diverse as Finance and Engineering and have supported research on topics from "Guantanamo Bay: Human Rights Advocates and the Check on Legal Ethics" to "Fair Trading in Financial Markets Around the World." The Hackworth grants and fellowships are supported by an endowment gift from Michael and Joan Hackworth.

Lectures
The Ethics at Noon lecture series inspired lively discussions in 2004-05 on such topics as "Dating or Hooking Up" "Is God Unjust? The Tsunami and the Book of Job." The Center also co-sponsored a variety of talks including an appearance by WorldCom whistleblower Cynthia Cooper and Georgetown Professor of Law Robert Drinan, S.J.

Center Scholars
The Center enjoys a vibrant scholarly community of more than 50 faculty with a research or teaching interest in ethics.

Student Research Conference
The Center sponsored its second annual Student Ethics Research Conference in 2005. Three papers were selected for presentation:

* "Faith Seeking Food: Factory Farms and Catholic Social Teaching" by Jesse Ramirez

* "Formulas, Virtues, and the Sage: Reflections on Moral Wisdom" by Matthew Spencer

* "Phishing: Online Fraud, Security, and Responsibility" by Kathleen Ting

Staff

* David DeCosse, director, campus ethics programs