Goal: Become more comfortable and better understand persons with differing ethical values and backgrounds
Before attending the Integrity program, I didn’t quite understand why so many people could hold varying ethics. In my mind, I believed what I thought was right, was right and there was always a clear and simple solution for everything. Thanks to the Integrity program, along with the current AgEd 380 course I am in, my understanding of ethics and multiculturalism has grown substantially. Maintaining high levels of Integrity and always doing the “right” thing have always been important to me.
After learning the foundational aspects of integrity, I have gotten the opportunity to experience and observe people choosing between right versus right decisions. Ironically, the more I learn about ethics, the less clear things become showing that I have improved my reciprocity skills. This process has allowed me to gain many different perspectives and understand that sometimes situations can appear different on the surface than the whole situation actually is. Being immersed in a campus that has many differing well represented groups, has helped me understand how diversity can affect decisions.
Even though the lines of what is ethical, non-ethical and unethical can be difficult to distinguish, I now am at least aware of the distinction. Before the Integrity program, I was not aware of the possibility of something being non-ethical. This distinction is very important I believe, as some difficult decisions may appear to be ethical when they are merely just ethical dilemmas. The skills I have acquired through the Integrity program, along with AgEd 380 have better prepared me for the professional workplace.
Whenever I am in doubt as to how to view a situation, I now know to consult with someone that is detached from the problem that will be able to provide a fresh perspective. Consulting with those that have no interest or bias can be essential in identifying what is right and wrong.