Management and Marketing

Program for the Study of Ethics

The Program for the Study of Ethics (PSE) was established on the campus of Western Illinois University in 1997 as a joint program of the College of Business and Technology and the College of Arts and Sciences. It serves as a special ethics resource for the University and community at large.

PSE Highlights

The program staffs and continually develops an Ethics Resource Center in Stipes Hall 443 for use by faculty and students across the curriculum. The collection includes a wide range of both theoretical and applied ethics-related books, tapes/DVDs, and other educational material.

The PSE maintains an institutional membership with the APPE (Association of Practical and Professional Ethics) and the program’s leadership attends the APPE annual meeting every other year.

Our Accomplishments

Organized annual CBT Ethics Day programs (Fall 1997-2003), featuring individuals from leading corporations, universities, and other organizations speaking on contemporary business ethics and social responsibility issues. Events included: panel discussions; interactive presentations; classroom visits; student ethics case competitions; and much more.

Awarded Social Responsibility Leadership Awards for excellence in ethical and social responsibility leadership to five corporations and non-profit organizations. The recipients, all of whom had senior representatives on campus to receive their awards, were: Motorola Corp. (IL); Springfield remanufacturing Corp. (MO); Bandag Corp. (IA); Business Partners for Development at the World Bank (Wash. DC); and StreetWise (IL).

Initiated annual Ethics and Religion programs, featuring religious leaders from a wide range of faiths who discussed the application of their own religious beliefs to the question: "What does it mean to live a good life?"

Sponsored one to two individual or panel presentations per year by invited experts on applied ethics topics, including: children and moral education; the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; corporate ethics education; ethics and violence; agriculture, business, and society; and many more.

Directors

Gordon P. Rands, Ph.D.
Department of Management

Christopher A,. Pynes, Ph.D.
Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies