Values and Kitchener's Five Ethnical Principles

Last week in HED 201, we discussed the ideas surrounding personal values and how ethics pertain to Kitchener’s Five Ethnical Principles. First off, values are “freely chosen personal beliefs”. In a sense, what we value dictates what we believe to be moral.Therefore, values play a big role when trying to form our moral compass, which helps us make decisions every day. Ethics also affects how we view the world around us. Kitchener’s Five Ethnical Principles take the idea of ethics and incorporates it into a model that Kitchener believe we should all live by. The five principles are:1) respecting autonomy, 2) doing no harm, 3) benefiting others, 4) being just, and 5) being faithful. To respect the autonomy of others, one should strive to “provide leaders and members freedom of choice.” Number 2 simply refers to the simple fact that as leaders, we should “refrain from harming others, physically or emotionally.” As leaders, we should perform ac that benefit others and the planet, not just ourselves. Being just simply entails being fair and promoting equality. Being faithful does not necessarily connect to a certain religion or faith, but does state that you trust one another and keep your promises to the best of your ability.

This past week, I have been thinking about what possibly I might want to present as a solution to the case study give to us in class. The case study, in short, addresses the issue of retention rates at the University of Arizona for freshmen. While trying to think of solutions to this problem, it is important that I incorporate my own set of ethics while determining what can possibly be done to improve freshmen retention rates at the University. I believe that it is important to have both confidence and knowledge in a University environment. Therefore, in my case study, I suggested that more be done to help students who are bad test-takers by offering optional seminars or workshops on how to study and take a general college test, much like how Kaplan teaches its pupils to study for the SAT, MCAT, etc. This idea would be supported by Kitchener’s Five Ethnical Principles. This idea would not harm anyone(would only help) and would benefit others. The University would be keeping its promise to students to create a positive and supportive learning environment, while respecting the student’s right to do what they wish. By doing this, the University would also help incoming freshmen be on the same level when it comes to knowledge about test taking, which in truth promotes equality among new students. I also think that less general education classes be taught in Centennial Hall, and should be moved to smaller lecture halls. Students would learn more if given a smaller classroom environment(would not harm and would benefit students). This idea would help the University keep its commitment to parents and students that education is highly valued here. Smaller class sizes would also be fair to teachers and students. This would also not restrict anyone’s ability to be in a smaller or larger class, because both will still be offered at the University of Arizona. Overall, when making decisions, try to incorporate your values along with Kitchener’s Five Ethical Principles to yield the best results