Ethics Fellows FAQS
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The deadline to apply for the 2025-2026 academic year is April 25, 2025.
The Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Collegiate Program drives the strengthening of principle-based ethics education throughout each participating school. The ultimate goal is to instill a high standard of ethics in our young people. To date, more than 450,000 students, faculty, and business people have been reached by the Collegiate Program.
The Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Collegiate Program was established by the Daniels Fund Board of Directors in 2009 as a five-year pilot. The effort was officially launched in early 2010 with eight business schools at universities in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming as initial partners. In 2019, the Daniels Fund board approved funding for the current phase of the program, which now consists of twelve partners.
Schools participating in the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Collegiate Program become members of the Consortium. Working together, Consortium members leverage individual school achievements to further strengthen and expand ethics education in the region.
For more information see, Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Collegiate Program.
The Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Collegiate Program at UCCS College of Business (DFEI at UCCS) is a resource for principle-based ethics education, serving students, educators, and the business community.
The UCCS College of Business is one of eight original participating schools in the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Collegiate Program. and is an active member of the Consortium. While housed in the College of Business, the DFEI at UCCS supports the entire campus to strengthen the teaching of principle-based ethics, promote the practical application of ethics-based principles in the curriculum, provide student opportunities to practice ethical leadership and ethical decision-making, and engage the business community.
At UCCS, we are LEADING STUDENTS TO SUCCESS THROUGH THEIR ETHICAL COMPASS.
In the 2022-2023 academic year, we reached 10.098 Students, 642 Educators/Staff, and 235 Community Members.
Bill Daniels believed deeply in ethics and integrity, and the importance of absolute ethical principles. As an exceptionally honest and fair businessman, he always based his decisions on what he believed was right – not just on what he thought was best for himself or his company. This attitude and style of conducting business earned Bill tremendous respect and loyalty throughout the business world.
We believe ethics education must convey that principles are constant foundations — not relative to a specific situation — and that doing what is right prevails over self-interest when the two may appear to be in conflict.
The Daniels Fund and the Collegiate Program partner schools established these straightforward and understandable principles that form the foundation of all Ethics Initiative activities.
The prestigious Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative (DFEI) fellowships are awarded to UCCS educators who demonstrate excellence in pedagogical activities related to applied business, professional and organizational ethics. Fellows are expected to make a substantial contribution to facilitating the objectives as part of the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative. A DFEI at UCCS Ethics Fellow encourages learning opportunities in ethical thought and decision making to their respective college and area of focus as well as develop materials for ethical education in the classroom, workshop, or other platform. Ethics Fellows share their ideas in Ethics Roundtables at UCCS. During their term (academic year), they serve as the primary contact for their college and area of focus to the DFEI at UCCS team. A DFEI Ethics Fellow earns a stipend during their term and receives training and support from the DFEI at UCCS.
The Ethics Fellow is to champion ethics in their discipline and promulgate the outcomes of his or her project through publication, teaching, and public discussion. This includes, but not limited to:
- Attend an Ethics Fellow & Champion orientation program in August.
- Expected to attend Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative at UCCS events during the academic year.
- Present at Ethics Roundtables and events.
- Promote student involvement in Student Center for Public Trust (SCPT) and DFEI at UCCS events/activities.
- Provide at least two ethics class material (i.e. Syllabi, cases, debates, role-plays, PPT) which address practical and professional ethics in the Fellow’s discipline for an Internet archive and posting on DFEI at UCCS website.
- Contribute to the ethics expert web page for UCCS Ethics Fellows – including links to videos, research, and materials relevant to the focus areas most related to your expertise.
- Present at topical ethical workshops at Southern Colorado Campuses (stipend awarded).
- Ethics Faculty Fellows must be full-time educators at UCCS. Included are tenured/tenure track faculty, clinical faculty, full time non-tenured track instructors, and full-time staff responsible for an academic or student program.
- Faculty/educators may not have been an Ethics Fellow at UCCS in the past.
In 2019, the DFEI at UCCS created a unique opportunity for students to engage in the ethics initiative, partner with an ethics fellow, and gain program-based work experience.
Students who are selected to participate in this unique opportunity will be paired with a Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Fellow Faculty Member to create ethics programs, conferences, and/or curriculum to be delivered to UCCS and the greater southern Colorado DFEI community. See more information at Student Ethics Ambassadors.
In 2016, the DFEI at UCCS offered an Ethics Champion program to colleges in the Southern Colorado Higher Education Consortium (SCHEC) through the support of the DFEI at UCCS. The SCEC includes Adams State University, Fort Lewis College, CSU-Pueblo, Lamar Community College, Odyssey Early College, Otero College, Pikes Peak Community College, Pueblo Community College, Trinidad State College, United States Air Force Academy, and Western Colorado University. College presidents selected one faculty member to be an Ethics Champion for their campus. The Ethics Champions promoted ethics education on their campus.
In 2019, the Daniels Fund awarded us added funds to expand the ethics champion program into a Southern Colorado Ethics Consortium. See more information at SCEC Website.
UCCS Ethics Fellows will engage with ethics champions, present at workshops on Southern Colorado campuses, and learn from the ethics champions at the Champion/Fellow Orientation and Ethics Roundtables.
The application process for the next academic year is from March to April. Educators interested in becoming an ethics fellow must get upline supervisor approval (department chair/dean) before applying.
A call for applications is sent to deans and UCCS DFEI Fellows, a campus-wide announcement may or may not be made, depending on the number of fellowships available. Our goal is to have at least one new ethics fellow in each school on campus.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Apply online at Ethics Fellows Application
Submit a letter of application which:
1. Describes project(s)* to complete during the academic year that will enhance student learning of ethical issues and ethical decision-making skills.
2. Identify the relevant Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative objectives and contribution to the objective(s) if selected as a fellow. You may request work on more than one of the objectives. **Identify how the DFEI principles would be included in the project.
3. When you plan to conduct your project (e.g., month, semester, or specific time-period) and expected student impact.
*Note: Projects may not include activities relating to sustainability, social responsibility, corporate social responsibility, or social justice. Projects may relate to making ethical decisions that take into consideration the impact on the community (people and environment) and follow responsible business practices.
SELECTION PROCESS
The Director of the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative at UCCS will review applications, secure approval from Team Lead/Department Chair/Associate Dean, and submit to the Dean of the College of Business for the final selection. Applicants will be notified prior to the end of the spring semester.
- Interdisciplinary connection between ethics and a specific discipline.
- Integrate the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiatives Principles in student learning.
- Alignment with the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative learning outcomes/objectives (see table of objectives below);
- Fit within the five focus areas of the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative at UCCS;
Behavioral Ethics
- Why do good people do bad things? How do people make ethical decisions? Behavioral ethics seeks to understand the rationalizations and biases leading to misconduct.
Ethics and Technology
- What are the potential risks for ethical misconduct in the future? Explore the ethical risks in communication and technology innovation. Ethics and Fraud Explore the dangers posed by fraud, identify fraudulent scenarios and make principle-based ethical decisions to prevent fraudulent actions.
Ethics in the Organization
- Organizations that exhibit ethical behavior place ethics in high regard in their corporate culture. Learn more about the benefits of strong organizational ethics.
Ethics in Sport
- A web portal with resources on ethics in sport for academic institutions, students, sports business, youth sport organizations and associations.
- Projects for new activities for expanding principle-based ethics will receive first consideration (not a maintenance of an activity).
The stipend has varied over the years. For the 2024-2025 academic year $5000 will be awarded, paid as additional pay through payroll in August & January.
“Once a fellow – always a fellow” New fellows receive a stipend, present at an Ethics Roundtable, and are recognized by their academic year (ie. 2016-2017) in their respective area and college on the DFEI at UCCS website. Ethics Fellows continue in their role to champion ethics, share knowledge as guest speakers, and invited to the Welcome Dinner, summits, workshops and other opportunities.
For new UCCS DFEI Fellows:
- Acceptance letter to fellow and dean of college.
- Press releases sent out to local media announcing the fellows.
All UCCS DFEI Fellows:
- Project information and material posted on the DFEI website.
- Name tag ribbons “DFEI Fellow” provided for all UCCS events.
- Include on your resume or online CV "[Academic Year] UCCS Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Fellow".
- Presentations or material presented can include recognition of being a fellow per instructions above, and also include acknowledgement of support of the DFEI at UCCS
DFEI Ethics Roundtables are held throughout the academic year and open to all UCCS faculty, staff, Southern Colorado Ethics Consortium schools and Air Force Academy faculty with the intent to share their best practices, classroom experiences, subject specific course materials, and address specific concerns. Roundtables provide UCCS faculty and staff along with invited guests the opportunity to hear about how others teach ethics and implement principle based ethics in their work or area of expertise.
Yes, there are sponsored ethics trainings, summits and seminar events. You may request funding for specific projects, events and conferences you may wish to attend as it that pertain to your fellowship’s area of focus. Look to our website under Fund Request and Teaching Ethics Opportunities for details.
In addition to classroom learning, DFEI at UCCS student engagement activities provide an opportunity to demonstrate an understanding of principle-based ethics, ethical decision-making, and ethical leadership. Student participation in seminars and workshops and ethics case competitions augment the classroom experience and generate further learning. Through our DFEI at UCCS Ethics Fellow program, more student engagement opportunities will be available. A listing of students attending is available to assist you with grant course credit. Check out Student Opportunities on our website.