Ethics at Ohio State (ETHOS) encourages faculty, staff, and students to reflect on how the values that define our university can be better integrated into the life and work of our campus communities. This CEHV program aims to develop the research, teaching & learning, and other academic elements of the Shared Values Initiative at The Ohio State University.
Values—such as excellence and impact, diversity and innovation, inclusion and equity, care and compassion, and integrity and respect—shape individual and institutional efforts to advance Ohio State's mission as a leading land-grant university. What do our shared values mean to us, and require of us, in an ever-changing world? How do these values appear differently within various research, instructional, or community engagement contexts?
ETHOS will host events and other programming focused on our university's mission and the practical ethical challenges that face researchers, instructors, and students. Currently, ETHOS has two main components:
- ETHOS Events: thematic events and group discussions on ethics and shared values topics, including the Shared Values Initiative's signature Community Conversations. CEHV's work on these events will be coordinated by CEHV Steering Committee member Winston C. Thompson (Educational Studies, College of Education and Human Ecology) and Director Piers Norris Turner (Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences).
- ETHOS Fellows Program: a 6-session certificate program that introduces faculty, staff, and students to the values underlying the Shared Values Initiative and invites discussion of the significance and application of those values in their work. Participants must commit to advancing values-based efforts in their colleges, departments, or other units, by hosting discussions, events, or other projects. Completion of the program will result in a $500 fund and consultation from CEHV to initiate their projects.
The ETHOS Fellows Program began in spring 2021, and will be offered each autumn semester going forward. Those interested in participating in the program in the future may find more information here. Space is very limited, but colleges, departments, or other units may also nominate and sponsor someone for the program (with a commitment to provide the $500 fund for the participant's values-related efforts).
ETHOS started with an ETHOS Spotlight video featuring Ohio State's Distinguished Professor of Soil Science, Rattan Lal, whose internationally-recognized work on soil and agriculture has been motivated by questions about the ethics of sustainability.
If you have questions about ETHOS, please contact CEHV Director Piers Norris Turner, turner.894@osu.edu .
