Values and Ethics

1. Let’s take a look at what really matters to you. Values and Ethics What do you believe in? Who do you care about? What motivates you? Why are you really in college? How do you tell the difference between right and wrong?

2. What are values? • They are the ideas and beliefs about life that guide us to do what we do and be what we are… • They can be about: Politics Family Sex Friends Religion Dishonesty Being of service Taking Risks Education Respect Money Leisure Career And so on…

3. Different kinds of Values • Moral Values: • Values you hold for yourself but don’t force on others such as right vs. wrong, honesty vs. dishonesty, being of service to others • Aesthetic Values: • Personal standards of beauty as seen in nature, art, music, personal appearance • Performance Values: • Benchmarks you set for yourself such as accuracy, speed, reward for achievement, self-discipline and overall accomplishment

4. Means & Ends Values • Instrumental Values (the means): • Objectives used to reach goals such as being responsible, obedient, loving, ambitious, independent, honest • Intrinsic Values (the end): • Personal happiness, a comfortable life, personal freedom, true friendship, a successful career Does the end justify the means? Only you can decide...

5. Having good friends Having a positive relationship Having self-respect & the respect of others Being financially secure Being spiritual Making a meaningful contribution to mankind Being a moral person Being a great athlete Being physically attractive Being creative Being personally responsible Getting along well with people in general Having freedom and independence Being well educated Serving others Having peace of mind Getting recognition (being famous) Being a good citizen Being healthy Being intelligent Having strong family ties Being honest & having integrity Being dedicated and committed Values Checklist Feel free to add your own...

6. Values for College Success • Connecting your personal values to being successful in college: • Clarify your values to be sure you really understand them- • As strange as it may seem, many people operate on values without thinking them through. • Truly understanding your values is key to applying them successfully in college, in a career, or in life. • Make a forthright self-evaluation- • Are your values workable in college? • Do you need to change or re-figure them? • If necessary, change your values to make them more productive and effective… The ability to adapt and change are two primary attributes of a successful student.

7. Forging Academic Values:Participate Fully • College takes much more time and work than high school. • You also have much more freedom which requires much more personal responsibility. • Avoid being unnecessarily frivolous, make yourself stay “on-task”! • And, unless you honestly have no choice, DON’T SKIP CLASS! Cutting class costs you money, time & learning!

8. Forging Academic Values:Participate Honorably #1 • Let’s be frank: If you cheat or plagiarize, you are side-stepping the real reason you came to college: to get an education. • Academic dishonesty myths: • The risk of getting caught is small. • It only takes getting caught once and you could be out. • There is no other way to be “successful.” • No? Then dishonesty should be the hallmark of all human endeavor. • It doesn’t matter in the long run. • Not if you don’t have a conscience. • The penalty for getting caught won’t be severe. • Is this something you want to find out the hard way? As clichéd as it may sound; you are only cheating yourself!

9. Forging Academic Values:Participate Honorably #2 • If, on the other hand, you honestly give it your “best shot”: • Practicing academic integrity builds moral character. • There’s nothing like having your conscience tell you did it right! • Choosing moral actions builds others’ trust in you. • Having people believe in you is a major plus. • Making bogus grades masks real feedback about learning. • How will you ever know what you are really capable of? • Improving integrity in the classroom can rebuild national character. • The college classroom is an excellent place to begin stemming the tide of corporate greed and corruption. Your conscience is your truest source of self-esteem.

10. Challenges to your Values • At college, you are going to meet new people whose values may be quite different, if not totally opposite, to your own. • You may be politically liberal and find yourself befriending a staunch conservative. • Are you going to pass judgment and walk away? • Or are you going to be tolerant and try to see the person in a new way? • Tolerance is a very positive trait, but even it can be carried too far. • If you see your new friend show a really self-destructive tendency, like excessive drinking, it is probably best not to aid and abet them in their weakness, but rather to tell them what you really think. • Your challenge is to balance your personal welfare, your tolerance for diversity and your freedom of choice.

11. Changing Society, Changing Values • American values are changing, caused by: • Demographic changes caused by much immigration from other countries • Globalization of the world economy • Growing environmental concerns • Political polarization • Breakup of the family • Computer technology and the Internet • The Feminist movement • Federal intervention in state’s rights • Terrorism • And on and on… • All of these, and many more, will greatly affect the values of the individual.

12. Value Assessment Web Resources • College Success Factors Index • http://www.csfi-wadsworth.com • Steps to Successful Career Planning • http://career.asu.edu/S/careerplan/selfdiscovery/ValuesAssessment.htm • Journal of College and Character • http://collegevalues.org/center.cfm • Rutgers Value Assessment • http://careerservices.rutgers.edu/OCAvaluesassessment.html • Ohio Learning Network: Values Assessment • http://www.oln.org/student_services/plan_your_education/assess_values.php