Ethics and the Common Good is an upper-level interdisciplinary requirement designed to facilitate student engagement with philosophical/Christian theological ethical theory and its application. As such, each section must include a diverse range of ethical perspectives and facilitate students’ development in ethical reasoning.
Each course should be taught from interdisciplinary perspectives, including philosophical or theological ethics as well as one or more disciplines associated with the applied components of the course.
Ethics and the Common Good also helps students grapple with the meaning of the “common good” from a Christian perspective and Christians’ civic engagement responsibilities, including responsibilities in digital environments.
The Ethics and the Common Good course includes content that is shared across sections. For this reason, most courses will not overlap with students’ major to avoid possible duplication of content (which would occur if a student were required to take two or more courses in this category).
Faculty members teaching Ethics and the Common Good courses must be individuals with broad knowledge of ethical theory. They should be prepared to teach students to think critically, engage in healthy classroom dialogue, and support arguments with evidence through their writing and speaking. Faculty are required to attend periodic workshops designed to enhance teaching and learning assessment in this context.