Leadership Ethics
Critical thinking and ethical reasoning have been at the heart of the Jepson School's curriculum since its founding in 1992. Developing the ability to identify and respond to ethical problems and cultivating a sense of justice and concern for others should be a part of every student’s education, especially those who aspire to positions of leadership. This is why the study of ethics undergirds the leadership studies curriculum. Through their teaching, publications and lectures worldwide, Jepson School faculty members are helping to shape the national and international conversation on this subject.
Current projects
- The Jepson School will host the regional Mid-Atlantic Ethics Bowl, an academic competition for undergraduates Nov. 21 on campus. More.
- Public policy and ethical issues in health care pose some of modern society’s most complex questions and present daunting challenges to leaders. An innovative program between the Jepson School of Leadership Studies and the pre-health education department of the College of Arts and Sciences prepares doctors and health care professionals for ethical leadership in the health care field. Funded by the Claude Moore Charitable Fund, the multi-layered initiative includes interdisciplinary courses, internships, lectures and creation of a minor in medical humanities. More
- An investment by the David Davoud Donchian Foundation furthered Jepson's role as a center for ethics education. The grant supported student and faculty research and a national symposium on professional and applied ethics.
- The John Marshall International Center for the Study of Statemanship focuses on scholarly and practical attention to politics and ethical reasoning.
Student opportunities
Student projects tied to Jepson's varied ethics initiatives range from an essay contest and presentations at conferences to an annual Ethics Bowl, an academic competition that tests University of Richmond students' knowledge and understanding of ethnical reasoning.
Faculty expertise
The Jepson School is a scholarly center for the study and teaching of ethics and leadership. A number of Jepson faculty have professional interests in the field of ethics, including Dean Sandra J. Peart, an economist, Dr. Joanne B. Ciulla, an international authority on ethical leadership who holds the Coston Family Chair in Leadership and Ethics; Dr. Douglas A. Hicks, associate professor of leadership studies and religion and director of the University’s Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, Dr. Terry Price, whose research focuses on applied ethics, and Dr. J. Donelson Forsyth, who holds the Colonel Leo K. and Gaylee Thorsness Chair in Ethical Leadership. More