Student Ambassador FAQ

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 eleven 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.

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.

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.

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.

UCCS students serve as a student ethics ambassador for a semester, new ethics ambassadors are selected for Fall and Spring semester start. This is a contract student employee position.

Program requirements:

1. Eligible students must be an enrolled UCCS Undergraduate or Graduate Student during the award period.
2. The student must remain in good academic and behavior standing during award period (i.e., not on probation, no academic and student conduct violations).
3. The student must be eligible for student employment (enrolled half time). This is a student employment position that is paid monthly and adheres to all student employment guidelines to include a background check and the maximum hours policy (no student employee can work more than 25 hours per week). This is a 5 hour per week position.

Applications are accepted during the semester PRIOR to the semester to serve as an ethics ambassador. Applications for Fall semester are accepted during March/April; applications are accepted for Spring semester during November/December.

1. Apply online by clicking the button at the top right of this page.
2. Prepare a statement of consideration (500 – word statement detailing why you are interested in this program, how you will support the program, and what you hope to gain from this experience). Upload in the online application.
3. Include a faculty/staff nomination. If you do not have a nomination, you will be interviewed to identify an ethics fellow to work with.

The student must complete required assignments (approximately 85 hours):

• Attends an Ethics Champion Orientation
• Share DFEI activities and events with students.
• Assist or attend two DFEI events.
• Work with assigned UCCS Ethics Fellow to organize and execute one educational activity on behalf of DFEI.
• Serve in an advisory capacity for DFEI at UCCS.
• Submit semester activity report to DFEI at UCCS.

You will be paid at the end of each month throughout the semester serving as a UCCS Student Ethics Ambassador (i.e. August – December, January – May), beginning a week before semester start and ending on the last day of the semester.

After completing your first year as a UCCS DFEI Student Ethics Ambassador you have the opportunity to continue on to another year as long as you will still be a student here at UCCS and the assigned ethics fellow or staff member will continue to work with you.

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 platforms. 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 DFEI at UCCS supports the ethics champion program through a Southern Colorado Ethics Consortium (SCEC). The SCEC includes Adams State University, Fort Lewis College, CSU-Pueblo, Lamar Community College, Odyssey Early College (D-11), (Otero College, Pikes Peak State College, Pueblo Community College, Trinidad State College, USAFA and Western Colorado University. The Ethics Champions promote ethics education on their campus. More information can be found on the SCEC webpage.

The Ethics Club at UCCS is part of a national network of college students who demonstrate a commitment to ethical leadership. The UCCS chapter provides all students from all majors with opportunities to participate in training sessions, conferences, community service and business ethics competitions. Our chapter is supported by the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative at UCCS and the NASBA Center for the Public Trust (CPT), which has staff and resources available to help our chapter maximize its effectiveness. We strongly encourage all of our Student Ethics Ambassadors to join the UCCS chapter and become officers!

• Include on your resume or online CV "[Academic Year] UCCS Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Student Ethics Ambassador".
• Presentations or material presented can include recognition of being a student ethics ambassador per instructions above, and also include acknowledgement of support of the DFEI at UCCS.
• For DFEI at UCCS logo and use permission, please contact cobmarketing@uccs.edu.

Yes, there are sponsored ethics trainings, summits and seminar events that are offered to student ethics ambassadors before the student population. You may request funding for specific projects, events and conferences you may wish to attend as it that pertain to your area of focus. Look to our website under Fund Request and Teaching Ethics Opportunities for details.

Tracy Gonzalez-Padron, PhD

Director, DFEI at UCCS

719.255.3794

tgonzale@uccs.edu