Utah Valley University’s (UVU) Center for the Study of Ethics (CSE) hosted its 33rd annual Ethics Awareness Week from September 21-25. This year’s theme, “Intellectual Virtues,” focused on the characteristics that enable individuals to effectively engage in thinking, learning, problem-solving, and decision-making. Sessions covered civil discourse, ethical healthcare, social media, and AI. Topics were explored through panel discussions, lectures, and workshops.
Intellectual virtues include traits such as curiosity, humility, open-mindedness, and attentiveness. These virtues are implicated in higher education’s ethical obligations to students and to society, in part because cultivating these traits prepares students not only for academic success but for meaningful democratic participation in an information landscape increasingly shaped by competing perspectives.
The week culminated in an ethics slam by the UVU Ethics Bowl team. The Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl is a competition where teams of students consider case studies involving complex moral issues, arguing for a position and being judged by how well they foster critical thinking and moral reasoning. Last year, UVU’s team placed in the top eight teams of the 36 that advanced to the national level, losing narrowly to Stanford.
“Ethics Awareness Week challenges our students to think critically not just about what they believe, but how they arrived at those beliefs,” said Chris Weigel, CSE director. “By focusing on intellectual virtues, we’re giving students the vocabulary and the ethical underpinnings for something they already intuitively care about, sharpening the habits of mind they need to navigate difficult conversations and to succeed in their own lives as they define it, whether in a classroom, a workplace, a family, or their broader community.”
This year’s recipient of the Excellence in Ethics Award was Rachelle Hill. Hill currently serves as an assistant with the Victim Services Commission within the Utah Department of Criminal Justice, where she works to elevate victim services and ensure meaningful change is shaped by those most impacted. She began her career advocating for crime victims in 1999 and has since directly assisted more than 3,000 individuals impacted by crime, helping them access critical support, services, and resources. Her advocacy extends beyond direct service through leadership and participation in local and statewide committees and coalitions, including the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition, Statewide Advocates for Victim Organizations (SWAVO), the 3rd District Victims’ Rights Committee, and the Utah Sentencing Commission.
Held annually during the last week of September, Ethics Awareness Week explores the moral dimensions of numerous disciplines and topics through a series of panel discussions and other
events. CSE advances the interdisciplinary exploration of ethical theory and practice. The center administers a variety of programs designed to advance ethics education on our campus, within our community, and in national and cross-cultural contexts. The study of ethics is a critical tool in navigating the complexities of personal, professional, and civic life. The CSE is a nonpartisan, non-advocacy organization committed to the inclusion of diverse perspectives and practices.
For additional information, please visit https://www.uvu.edu/ethics/.
