Course Description
This course provides a forum for examining a selection of higher education topics that have been prominent in contemporary discussions of higher education and are deemed to be controversial, at least from an ethical point of view. Invited guests, experts in their area of higher education, will assist us in the examination of some of these topics. We start with an introduction to three dominant ethical theories (consequentialism, deontology, and virtue theory), focusing on their application in interesting cases outside higher education. We then examine specific issues in higher education and their ethical implications: challenges to academic freedom, conceptions of institutional autonomy, fundraising and disinvestment, plagiarism and academic misconduct, faculty and student freedom of expression, and ethical conduct in research. In examining these issues, we will also discuss topics of broader ethical significance including the mission of the university, democracy, freedom of expression, expertise, and knowledge. By the end of the course, we will be able to develop a framework to handle ethical issues in the context of higher education.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- demonstrate a clear understanding of ethical debates in higher education and be able to take part in these debates by critiquing significant arguments
- explain how various positions taken on these topics relate to deeper principles and problems in ethics
- be able to apply a framework of dealing with ethical issues related to higher education
- perform their own evaluation and critique of the validity and soundness of arguments with care and clarity, both orally and in writing
Course Information
This course is addressed to staff and faculty with managerial and leadership responsibilities at OSUN institutions. The successful completion of the course will grant participants 1 US credit (2 ECTS)- upon request- as part of the OSUN Professional Development Program for University Administrators.
Instructor: Dr. Monica Jitareanu (CEU)
Dates: 3 May - 30 May 2023
Application deadline: 24 April 2023
Schedule: TBC
How to Apply
Please submit your application here.
For queries and more information, please reach out to: Dr. Pusa Nastase, Lead of the Global Professional Development Program at the Yehuda Elkana Center for Teaching, Learning, and Higher Education Research- nastasep@ceu.edu.