markkula center for applied ethics at Santa Clara University
ethics FOR THE REAL WORLD A message from the executive direc tor
All of us face ethical challenges in our professional and personal lives, but how we can address these ever-changing dilemmas with integrity isn’t always certain. Who could have imagined, when the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics was founded in 1986, that we would be debating gene patenting, Internet privacy, and how an organization maintains its ethical values in a global economy? The Center identifies areas where ethics are anything but clear and develops strategies to help people make competent, conscientious, and compassionate decisions. Located in Silicon Valley—a global hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and cutting-edge technologies—the Center is an international leader among ethics centers. In the following pages, you will learn how the Center affects our region and our world. From working directly with Silicon Valley business leaders to helping more than 2.2 million Web users solve ethical dilemmas each year, the Center is fostering a more ethical planet. In pursuing its goals, the Center advances Santa Clara University’s Jesuit Catholic values. The work we are doing today ultimately is about educating leaders who will build a more just, humane, and sustainable world. I encourage you to join the many generous supporters throughout our region and across the globe who have helped make the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics one of the premier ethics centers in the world. Your support can help us build a more ethical future, as we strive to reach more people, deepen the world’s understanding of ethics, and find solutions to ethical dilemmas. Together I know we can shape a more ethical world. Sincerely,
Kirk O. Hanson Executive Director
“Who could have imagined, when the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics was founded in 1986, that we would be debating gene patenting,
Internet privacy, and how an organization maintains its ethical values in a global economy?�
Kirk O. Hanson, the executive director of the Ethics Center and the holder of the John Courtney Murray, S.J., University Professorship of Social Ethics
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leading the way in applied ethics since 1986
The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics was born in an “ah-ha” moment as Linda and A.C. “Mike” Markkula Jr. sat in the audience of a Santa Clara welcome weekend event in 1986. Their daughter, Kristi, was an entering freshman, and the Markkulas, like other parents that day, were excited and anxious. What kind of challenges would their daughter encounter, and what guidance would she receive, both from the University and from her peers?
What would be the impact of integrating ethics into every facet of
Mike, an Apple co-founder, and his wife, Linda, were concerned that American schools were turning out a generation of “ethical agnostics,” who did not appreciate the importance of ethics in creating healthy personal relationships, institutions, and communities. Across the nation, as students graduated, they would carry this attitude into the working world, affecting businesses, government, and the wider society. Yet that day, they were inspired as they listened to the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences describe an initiative to create a center on campus that would tie together the work being done on ethics in all the University’s schools and colleges. What would be the impact, they wondered, of integrating ethics into every facet of the curriculum? Could the lessons learned at SCU be shared more broadly with Silicon Valley and even farther? The idea for the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics was born. Since that time, the Center has broadened its initial emphasis on integrating ethics into the Santa Clara curriculum and now offers programs that benefit the University, Silicon Valley, and the entire world. Today, leaders in business, medicine, technology, biotechnology, government, education, law, and athletics look to the Center for practical tools to help them negotiate the ethical challenges in their fields. SCU students and faculty rely on the Center to provide internships, grants, and a rich menu of events and workshops on ethical issues in many disciplines. Going forward, the Center will continue to expand its role as a leader in worldwide education on ethics in personal and professional life. Current executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics Kirk O. Hanson (L.) with former directors Dennis Moberg, Thomas Shanks, and Manuel Vasquez
Linda and Mike Markkula became the first and most dedicated supporters of the Ethics Center in 1986 2 |
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
when their daughter, Kristi Markkula Bowers ’90, MBA ’97, was a student at Santa Clara.
the curriculum? Could the lessons learned at SCU be shared more broadly with Silicon Valley and even farther?
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best ethical practices in business Engaging management
The ethics of doing business have never been more important to an organization’s culture and reputation. Through the scandals and meltdowns of the past few years, many companies have learned the hard way that ethical failures can lead to significant declines in market valuation and customer loyalty. The Center is a catalyst for dialog on the best way to create an ethical organizational culture within Silicon Valley businesses and around the globe.
The Business and Organizational Ethics Partnership For more than 10 years, the Center’s Business and
Travis LeBlanc, assistant attorney general, state of California,
Organizational Ethics Partnership has addressed real
at a Business and Organizational Ethics Partnership panel discussion
business-world challenges such as corruption and
on Internet ethics and cybersecurity threats
corporate governance. The partnership brings together executives and scholars in a forum designed to increase
experience, the Center has found that students do the
members’ knowledge about effectively managing ethics,
best job of encouraging peers to engage in ethical reflec-
helping participants shape policies in their organizations,
tion and decision making. The Hackworth Fellowships,
and advancing their understanding of business ethics as
made possible by a gift from Joan and the late Michael
practitioners and academics.
Hackworth, are an important part of the Center’s effort to interest and engage undergraduate students in
Partners include businesspeople from leading Bay Area
thinking critically about ethics.
companies—which have included AMD, Blue Shield of California, Cisco, Ernst & Young, Flextronics, HP,
In Santa Clara’s Leavey School of Business, four
Morrison & Foerster, Visa, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich
Hackworth fellows are currently challenging their
& Rosati—along with business ethics faculty from Santa
classmates to examine the ethical dilemmas they
Clara and other universities. The group addresses topics
will face after graduation. And they’re doing it by talking
such as doing business in China, signs of ethical collapse
with former SCU students about the ethical issues
in companies, and the legitimate role of whistle-blowers
they’ve confronted since leaving the University. Case
in organizations.
studies based on alumni experiences are the basis of a blog that sparks discussion on the ethical dilemmas
Hackworth Business Ethics Fellows
in a business career. The business ethics fellows have
What is the best way to reach undergraduates with a
also taken the dialog global through the international
message about ethics? In its more than 25 years of
network of Jesuit business schools.
“Always ask the question, ‘Is it ethical?’ And by the way, if you think there’s an ethical issue, there probably is one.”
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Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
The late Michael Hackworth, chair of the board at Cirrus Logic, kept a copy of the Center’s “Framework for Thinking Ethically”
—Michael Hackworth
tacked above his office desk. The framework makes classical ethical theory easily accessible for people who need to make day-to-day ethical decisions.
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PROTECTING THE VULNERABLE Policy development in health care
With rapid advances in biology and medicine, the study of bioethics is more important than ever before. The Center partners with local hospitals to offer assistance in medical decision making, policy development, and ethics education for health care professionals, patients, and their families. With generous support from Andrew and Beverly Honzel, the Center also engages in research on emerging issues in health care ethics, with a special interest in vulnerable patient populations.
When there is no one to decide Some of the great ethical crises in our lives happen when we are at our most vulnerable—when we must decide how to respond to the advent of terminal illness, either our own or that of a loved one. Imagine how much harder those choices would be if the dying person was too impaired to make decisions and had no relative or friend to act on his or her behalf. Through its Bioethics program, which includes partnerships with three hospitals and a hospice, the Center is actively working to help these unrepresented patients, who pose some of the greatest challenges for medical institutions. In collaboration with our partners, Center staff members have helped to develop and evaluate policies that address the difficult dilemmas presented by incapacitated, unrepresented patients.
Medical ethics up close The Center’s Health Care Ethics Internship, which has trained more than 100 students since its inception, allows undergraduates to shadow and learn from doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals as they confront everyday ethical issues in a hospital setting. The program offers undergraduates a firsthand look at the ethical dilemmas in medicine. Many interns are preparing for a career in medicine and related fields. Santa Clara student Jennifer Ngo ’10, who is now studying to be a dentist, described how the program has impacted her approach to health care: “Visiting Hospice of the Valley provided me with a viewpoint on life and people that I could never have gotten through my average daily routine. Those new perspectives have carried into my work, allowing me to look beyond the practicalities of someone’s situation and see a person seeking answers and comfort.”
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“Watching families cope with death led me to a greater understanding of my own attitudes about life.”
—Jennifer Ngo ’10, reflecting on her experience as a health care ethics intern at the Ethics Center
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THE INTERNET AND SILICON VALLEY Identifying emerging issues
Ethical dilemmas that no one could have imagined just a few years ago are everyday issues in Silicon Valley. The Center’s location in the valley gives it a unique opportunity to address some of these emerging ethical challenges, both online and beyond.
Ethics for the online world Should the government be allowed to sift through citizens’ emails looking for words like “bomb” or “jihad” in an effort to foil a terrorist plot? What is the impact of social media on offline relationships? Should companies providing
Charles “Chuck” Geschke,
Internet service be “Net neutral,” that is, treat all sources of data equally?
co-founder, Adobe
In a video series called “Internet Ethics: Views From Silicon Valley,” the Center goes to thought leaders in the valley to hear what they consider to be the top ethical issues facing Web users, content providers, and designers. Adobe co-founder Charles “Chuck” Geschke, Apple co-founder A.C. “Mike” Markkula Jr., NetApp Executive Chairman Dan Warmenhoven, and Symantec CEO Steve Bennett are some of the valley visionaries who have participated. The brief videos are intended as conversation starters for classes or individuals who understand that in ethics, asking the right question is key to
Steve Bennett, President and
finding the right answer.
Chief Executive Officer, Symantec
Innovations in ethics The Silicon Valley spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship infuses the work of the Center’s student fellows in environmental ethics, who use technology to make a difference in the world. Samantha Juda ’13, Christina Lesnick ’13, and Tim Vierengel ’13 developed a carbon footprint calculator to help college students figure out how much energy they consume. This committed cohort of Center fellows began work on the calculator as first-year students with Sherry Booth of the SCU English department
Dan Warmenhoven, Chairman
and the Sustainable Living Undergraduate Research Project.
of the Board of Directors and Executive Chairman, NetApp
The group then won an Environmental Ethics Fellowship at the Center, which allowed them to complete design and development of the calculator with assistance from the Center’s Web developer Antony Setiawan M.S. ’12. The calculator, which can be found online at www.scu.edu/carboncalculator, now serves as a model for other universities trying to understand their environmental impact. The Environmental Ethics Fellowship is supported by a gift from John and Joan Casey.
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Undergraduate fellows at the Ethics Center developed a calculator that helps students estimate the size of their carbon footprint.
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The Public Sector Serving government at all levels
Sometimes it’s easy to see when things go wrong in government: Elected officials take bribes, candidates lie about their opponents, and city officials make important public decisions in secret meetings. Other times, the right thing is not clearly evident. Whether the ethical issues are obvious or complicated, the Center is working with the public sector to prepare officials to address ethical dilemmas that might arise.
Public Sector Roundtable How can pension reform be handled in a way that is fair to workers and taxpayers? If elected officials discuss an issue
“These forums provide a great setting for bright and dedicated individuals
using social media, does that violate sunshine laws? When
to share ideas that can be challenged
is a donation an attempt to influence votes? These are just a
or further explored among the group.
few examples of the difficult ethical issues confronting elected officials. For a group of mayors, city council members, city
So often in opinion forums, we see
managers, and other officials, the Center has provided a
diverse opinions lead to an emotional
supportive space to discuss these issues in the form of the quarterly Public Sector Roundtable. Drawing on experts— including members of the Fair Political Practices Commission and California’s Citizens Redistricting Committee—the group has wrestled with a host of thorny dilemmas
diatribe and then polarization. I have never seen this happen one time within the roundtable.”
facing local officials.
—Phil Kleinheinz, former Santa Clara fire chief
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Codes of honor and ethics Undergraduates who participate in student government confront many of the same ethical issues that their professional peers face in city, state, and federal government. Fairness, transparency, and responsibility are key to good governance at any level. That was the conclusion of former Hackworth Fellow Daniel Solomon ’10, who took as his fellowship project the creation of a code of ethics and values for Santa Clara’s Associated Student Government. Solomon, the chief justice of the judicial branch of ASG, engaged his classmates in a yearlong process of discussion that led to the adoption of the code in June 2010. In it, student representatives commit themselves, for example, to “seek out diverse ideas/opinions and reserve judgment until I have all of the relevant information” and to “treat all viewpoints with respect, even if I do not personally agree with them.” Markkula Center for Applied Ethics | 11
The NEXT GENERATION Character development in the schools
Of the 55 million students who head off to elementary and secondary schools nationwide each fall, most will receive an education that lacks clear messages about values or ethical decision making. At the end of the school day, many go home to an empty house. They are exposed to hours of violent and materialistic messages on television. And growing numbers are never taught about values and character at home. These trends place even greater importance on the role of teachers in shaping students’ understanding of values and moral decision making. The Character Education program provides tools and curriculum to help teachers bring ethics into the classroom, while providing parents with access to information on raising an ethical child.
Character Based Literacy The Character Based Literacy program is written to the national Common Core State Standards and is currently in use in hundreds of public schools, Catholic schools, and court-community schools in California and throughout the United States. It gives teachers the tools to form a moral community in the classroom and shape the decisions made by students that will impact the direction of their lives. Tom Kostic, who teaches in the Orange County Department of Education, Alternative and Correctional Education Schools and Services, points out that CBL “has made a huge impact not only in the lives of our students but also on the teachers who are delivering the program.” “I have seen students read who have never read, write when they previously hated to write, and speak in front of the class when they were afraid to even call out their name during roll call,” Kostic said.
Teacher training for Character Based Literacy
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from student to teacher An Ethics Center alumna reflects
Griselda Renteria ’07, M.A. ’09 knows firsthand how teachers can connect with students using the Center’s Character Based Literacy program. While working as a teacher in Santa Clara County’s alternative school program, Renteria had one student who was particularly difficult. Though she was only in middle school, this student was tattooed, tough, and mixed up with gangs. She was one of Renteria’s hardest-to-reach students—but things began to change when she was introduced to the Center’s Character Based Literacy curriculum. “She read the novels, and she did all of my activities. She held onto the curriculum so well,” Renteria said. “Looking at her character education binder, you see how she transformed from the beginning of the year, from making bad decisions to questioning what she was doing, and finally deciding she needed to make her life better and make better decisions.” Renteria’s connection to the Center began when she was 17. She was an incoming freshman at Santa Clara—the first person in her family to attend college—and she found a part-time job working at the Center. She soon became an integral part of the Character Education Program, eventually winning the Center’s Markkula Prize in 2007. The prize is given to a senior undergraduate annually for outstanding work in applied ethics. Currently, Renteria is a middle school special education teacher in the Cupertino Unified School
Griselda Renteria helps students connect thought
District, and she continues to use the Character
and action using Character Based Literacy.
Based Literacy program in her classroom. Renteria still works for the program, too. Now, she writes lesson plans, which will be used nationally by teachers just like her.
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A global mission Ethics on the Web
A third of the Center’s more than 2 million annual Web visits come from countries outside the United States, a testament to the global nature of ethical dilemmas—and evidence of the Center’s international reach. Through the Web, the Center was able to connect Radio Free Burma with Santa Clara Philosophy Professor Scott LaBarge, an expert on heroism. The Internet also enabled the Center to work with the Library of Congress to make our resources on Darfur widely available. And in partnership with the Center for International Business Ethics in Beijing, the Ethics Center created a library of videos, articles, and podcasts on doing business in China. Building on these achievements, the Center’s online reputation and reach continue to grow every day.
Massive open online courses offer ethics education for everyone The Center and Santa Clara recently joined the world of open online education with the premiere of a business ethics course exploring the common and difficult decisions that confront professionals. This massive open online course (MOOC) explores such
Center Executive Director Kirk O. Hanson
daily dilemmas as conflicts of interest, résumé inflation, and gifts and bribes. MOOCs
addresses attendees at the annual
allow anyone with Internet access to enroll in courses taught by some of the brightest
Center for International Business Ethics
minds in the world.
conference in Beijing.
The BIG q Connecting students across the country
“In cheating, one attempts to take credit for that which is not rightfully his. Whatever personal benefits that may come out of cheating are stolen, as their acquisition was not legitimate,” argues a student from Florida State University. “There are many different motivations for cheating, and often times, cheaters are good people who make bad decisions,” adds a Santa Clara student. They and hundreds of others from universities across the United States are engaged in an online dialog about everyday ethical issues for undergraduates, called The Big Q. Using Facebook, Twitter, and a blog, The Big Q asks students to reflect on quandaries about sexuality, academic integrity, alcohol and drug use, roommates, parents, and the wider world. The subject of articles in Huffington Post College, USA Today College, and Inside Higher Education, the blog has received more than 125,000 page views since it started in 2010.
“With massive open online courses, we can give the public a feel for the quality of education Santa Clara University students receive every day. We’re also thrilled the ethical framework we developed at the Ethics Center will be highlighted.” —Kirk O. Hanson, Center executive director and MOOC instructor
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Considering Hard Questions Bringing the best minds to campus
Leon Panetta ’60, J.D. ’63, former secretary of defense, gave presentations for the Center about Americans’ responsibility for the health of the oceans and about U.S. engagement in Iraq.
Joe Grundfest, former commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission, talked with our Business and Organizational Ethics Partnership about the nexus of law
Leon Panetta
and ethics.
Janet Napolitano ’79, secretary of homeland security, was the featured speaker for our “Immigration Week.”
Michele Borba ’72, M.A. ’75, nationally known expert on bullying, worked with our Catholic School Principals’ Institute Janet Napolitano
on creating a safe school environment.
Franklin “Pitch” Johnson, legendary Silicon Valley venture capitalist, talked with students and faculty about ethical issues in venture capital.
Myron Steele, chief justice of the Delaware Supreme Court, explained the role of the Delaware courts in U.S. corporate law.
Franklin “Pitch” Johnson
Ann Ravel, chair of the California Fair Political Practices Commission, met with our Public Sector Roundtable about the role of money in political campaigns.
Thomas Reese, S.J., former editor in chief of America magazine, analyzed ethics in the 2012 elections. Stephanie Canciello, unali artists
Thomas Reese, S.J.
Jose Antonio Vargas, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, spoke on defining what it means to be an American.
Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and craigconnects, was a popular speaker at the lecture series “IT, Ethics, and Law.”
Craig Newmark
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Markkula Center for Applied Ethics 500 El Camino Real Santa Clara, CA 95053-0633 408-554-5319 ethics@scu.edu scu.edu/ethics-center
Paper Choice—Environmental Benefits Statement Using post-consumer waste fiber
Pounds of Trees saved: Energy saved: paper used:
Wastewater reduced:
Solid waste reduced:
Greenhouse gasses reduced:
1,715 lbs.
2,540 gallons
161 lbs.
1,744.4 lbs. of CO2
6
2.3 million BTUs
Sustainability is a top priority as Santa Clara University strives for carbon neutrality by the end of 2015. Learn more about SCU’s efforts at www.scu.edu/sustainability.
SCU OMC-8296 3/2013 3,000
Calculations based on the Environmental Paper Network and U.S. EPA’s Power Profiler. In addition, the paper has been Green Power certified by the manufacturer ensuring that it has been manufactured with 100 percent certified renewable energy.