Ethics Across the Curriculum posted 10/21/09
Adrian College opens Institute of Ethics

ADRIAN, Mich. – Adrian College is excited to announce that its third Institute, the Institute of Ethics, is now open. The mission of the Institute of Ethics is to create awareness of the ethical dimensions to academic fields of study and to promote its discussion on campus.

The introduction of Institutes is fairly new to the Adrian College campus. Soon after his arrival in 2005, President Docking began talking about the establishment of Institutes. Out of the vision of the administration and through the hard work of sub-committees, the Institutes were born.

“There has been a wonderful response to the Institute of Ethics by all segments of the campus community,” said Dr. Fritz Detwiler, director of the Institute of Ethics.

He says that the establishment of the Institute comes at a perfect time.

“Increasing numbers of Americans are sensing the need to discuss issues that confront us --from the professions, to the economy, to health care, to America's position in the world in terms of their ethical dimensions. That does not mean that we will all suddenly agree, but it will raise the level of the debate to the point at which we identify and clarify the values that are behind the policies we seek.”

One task of the Institute is to provide faculty and students with the necessary background and tools to integrate ethical questions into their courses.

“We want our graduates to understand the ethical issues that will confront them as professionals and give them the tools to deal with those issues effectively in a way that promotes ‘caring for humanity and the world,’” said Detwiler.

Institutes give opportunities for colleges and universities to expand the scope of activities and opportunities in a thematic area, especially ones that would otherwise not occur at the college or university if the Institute did not exist.

They also allow interdisciplinary work to thrive outside departmental boundaries, exist to facilitate faculty interaction and student learning, and are designed to bring various stakeholders together in a common interest.  Such stakeholders include students, faculty, alumni and community members. Other activities included within the Institute are the introduction of new courses and lecture series, the opportunity to host conferences and attend workshops and to conduct research.

Detwiler has many new tasks as the director. He is responsible for initiating, organizing and managing all activities of the Institute. He is required to promote the Institute and its activities via published articles, talks and interaction with the community.

Additionally, Detwiler is also responsible for teaching both regularly scheduled courses and seminars specifically developed as part of the Institute’s activities. Academic advising is also expected.

Detwiler was a prime candidate for the director position as he has been a part of the Adrian College community since 1983. He is starting his 27th year at the College and has focused his teaching area on religion and culture. Some of the courses he has taught include Religions in America, Medical Ethics, Religions of the East, Sociology of Religion, and Native American Sacred Traditions.

Detwiler received his Doctor of Philosophy in 1983 from The Pennsylvania State University, in University Park, Pa. He received a Master of Divinity in 1973 from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, in Evanston Ill. and a Bachelor of Arts in 1969 from Lebanon Valley College, located in Anneville, Pa.

Detwiler has been published several times and holds prestigious honors in the education community. He has also served on many committees throughout the campus community including the Bixby Memorial Hospital Ethics Committee; is a former president of the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts & Letters; was the director of the ACES Council of Independent Colleges Walmart Foundation Grant and is a former faculty athletic representative to the MIAA.