2012 Symposium
2012 Undergraduate Ethics Symposium, Student Scholars and Artists
Professor Steven Dietz (University of Texas-Austin) with Grace Benson (Duke University) getting to know each other during the ice-breaker
John Dabrowski (Drew University) with Jon Harmon (Colorado College) during a workshop session
Sara Snyder (Georgetown University) and Taylor Sutton (Central Arkansas) discussing their submissions
Participants gathered for discussion after workshop sessions
Fifth Annual Undergraduate Ethics Symposium, April 12-14, 2012
THEME
Ethics and Relationships: Friends, Family and Community
PURPOSE
The Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics fosters interdisciplinary reflection on moral issues, including questions of justice and public policy, character, duty, and responsibility. In this our fifth year, we will again host the Undergraduate Ethics Symposium, designed to encourage undergraduate scholarship and artistic work. This symposium is an outstanding opportunity for student scholars, creative writers, film makers and photographers to discuss their ethics-related work with leading scholars and professionals in their fields and to participate in a significant discussion of ethical concerns.
INVITATION
Although students may submit essays and creative projects on any ethical issue, each year a theme is selected. This year's theme is Ethics and Relationships: Family, Friends and Community. Students may write argumentative, analytical or interpretive essays focused on ethical questions or subjects; or they may wish to explore ethical themes that are addressed in plays, poetry, film, or fiction. In addition, students may wish to explore ethical themes through creative writing, as well as the visual arts, such as film, documentaries and photography. The Institute welcomes works centered on ethics from all disciplines, including the humanities and social sciences, but also the natural sciences and arts. Scholars for the 2012 Undergraduate Ethics Symposium will be Professor Claudia Mills, Frederick Professor of Ethics at DePauw University, Professor Matthew Tedesco of Beloit College, and Professor Emerita Patricia Raybon from the University of Colorado and Creative Writer Professor Steven Dietz from University of Texas, Austin.
SELECTION PROCESS
Consisting of DePauw University faculty members, the selection committee for the Undergraduate Ethics Symposium will identify up to thirty works, whose authors will then be invited to the Institute for the three-day symposium, April 12 - 14, 2012. During the Symposium, these students will meet in seminars led by one of the distinguished visiting scholars or professionals, who will not only present their work at the Symposium but also read the students’ works and facilitate discussion about them. The students’ travel (airfare or mileage at $.42 per mile up to $400), lodging, and meals while at DePauw will be covered by the Institute.
SUBMISSIONS
The date for submissions has been extended to February 8, 2012. Verbal texts should be submitted in Microsoft Word format, not pdf. (N.B. Place your name and affiliation in a separate document, so that the works may be read anonymously.) The precise format of the visual entries may vary, but please note that all works must be submitted electronically, so that they may be transmitted easily to the faculty readers and other students. We would appreciate your submitting the written work in Chicago style. Student essayists (both scholarly and creative non-fiction) and student fiction writers should submit work which does not exceed 3,500 words. Student poets should submit 5-10 poems, not more than 10 pages total; student playwrights and screenwriters should submit a single dramatic work, up to 10 pages in length; film makers and documentarians should submit a single film, up to 10 minutes long; photographers should submit approximately 10 photographs or a video accompanied by a short description. Students whose works are accepted for the Symposium will be notified by March 1, 2012. For further information, please contact Nicki Hewell, Graduate Fellow, The Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University, P.O. Box 37, Greencastle, IN 46135, elizabethhewell@depauw.edu.