Ethics Course Development Grants

The Thomas Jefferson Center is pleased to offer grants to develop courses in all fields of study that will focus on the reading of core, original texts and that will qualify for the university’s Ethics flag. Grants will be awarded in the amount of $2000 to revise an existing course, $3000 to create a new course, and up to $5000 to create a course that meets an essential need of the Core Texts and Ideas program.

For a course to qualify for the CTI designation, it should include extensive study of books, poetry, plays, short stories, works of art, scientific papers, political documents, or speeches that are distinguished both by their depth of insight or creative originality and by their influence on subsequent thought or history. The course should also address one or more fundamental questions of enduring human concern. For complete guidelines on developing Core Texts courses please see the guidelines page.

For a course to qualify for the Ethics Flag, “at least one-third of the course grade must be based on work in practical ethics, i.e., the study of what is involved in making real-life ethical choices.” For more information on this flag and how to apply for it, see the Flag Center's guidelines.

To apply, please submit a 1-page proposal outlining the texts to be studied, the major questions to be pursued in the course, and the means by which you propose to satisfy the requirements of the Ethics flag. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with preference given to courses that meet essential needs of the Program in Core Texts and Ideas or of UTeach Liberal Arts. Applicants should be sent to the academic director, Lorraine Pangle, who is also happy to discuss ideas for potential new courses and course revisions in advance.

Once a proposal is approved by the Jefferson Center, it will be the responsibility of the instructor to secure the Ethics flag for the course. Grants will be paid as research funds and will be released at the beginning of the semester in which the course is first offered with the flag.