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Ethics Today Online

   Published by the Ethics Resource Center 
   September 17, 2003   Volume 2, Issue 1

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** A Word from the President: Moral Courage and Ethical Character
** Ask the Expert: Should Schools Be Teaching Values? Whose Values Are They Teaching?
** Starting a Character Education Initiative
** Maxims Available Online
** Free Trial Period for MAXIMize Your Family Time
** ERC's Interns Learn About Ethics While Contributing Invaluable Efforts
** From School to Work: Character Education Initiatives
** ERC Posts Online Ethics Glossary and Values Definitions
** Private Power Versus the Public Good
** Assessments and Surveys: Critical Tools in the Development of An Ethics Program
** NBES Available as PDF
** Publications and Media Coverage
** News from the ERC
** Offering Our Thanks

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** A Word from the President: Moral Courage and Ethical Character

In a recent interview with New York Times columnist Jeffrey Seglin, I discussed at some length the pressures in large organizations to refine, exaggerate, conceal, and even create "the truth." Mr. Seglin's subsequent column, "Can the Truth Be Told When Using Selective Information?" (See Publications and Media Coverage below) well captures this practice as it applies to the political arena. I believe, however, that its prevalence in all sectors of business and government deserves attention as well.

My conversation with Mr. Seglin began with a discussion of why advertising isn't considered lying. Generally, this is due to a tradition of "puffery" in advertising that is recognized by the average consumer. They know that a soft drink manufacturer will not advertise that its product causes belching and that an automobile manufacturer will not come out and say that the car you are buying will only last, on average, 100,000 miles. Ethical advertising emphasizes the positive attributes of a product, but does not exaggerate or make false claims. Only the most extreme deontologist would deem this a form of lying. The problem, though, is the slippery slope by which variations on puffery can descend fairly quickly to lies.

The same scenario occurs in organizations in all sectors, not just advertising. Few public officials will be balanced in presenting a public policy preference. A CEO is not likely to argue both for and against an acquisition. If they did, most people would feel that they lacked leadership. We should be able to assume, however, that, in making their policy arguments, leaders in the private as well as the public sector rely on unbiased data - that their policy is, rightfully, a subjective position relying on objective data.

In large organizations, or in any size organization where individuals have a great deal of loyalty to the leader or the institution, trouble arises from a tendency for staff to skew the underlying data according to what they believe the leader "wants" or the institution "needs". I have observed huge pressures on individuals in federal and state government, in corporations and in universities, to distort reality in order to defend a policy preference. This is often subliminal and perhaps even unintended. It has nothing to do with ordering people to do bad things. Rather, it is an implied or perceived pressure to provide data that supports a predetermined or preferred policy or to omit negative information from a report because it will distress the officers, the board, or even the shareholders or customers.

Good organizations can and do protect themselves by having institutional ethics architectures as well as ensuring that their employees and leaders have a moral compass. I can imagine no more serious challenge to the viability of a government or a business than the absence of both of these fundamentals.

The starting point is hiring people of character - whose education has emphasized the practice of integrity, not as an abstraction, but as essential to their future work. This is true from scientific research to accounting, from corporate strategy to foreign policy. That is why character education at all levels is so important.

The next step is putting those good people into organizations that prize honesty and creating institutions that encourage candor - with leaders that insist on it. Good policy cannot be made on the back of partial truths or missing information. To paraphrase one of Jack Nicholson's most famous lines, we need leaders who "can handle the truth."

It is too easy to excuse distortion and half-truths as 'puffery'. In so doing we blur ethical boundaries in organizations, creating cultures of dishonesty that debase those who work within them. We should not create institutions where moral heroism is necessary to get at the truth. Rather, we should build organizations where ethical concerns are a common part of the conversation and where moral courage is the norm.

Stuart C. Gilman, President

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** Ask the Expert: Should Schools Be Teaching Values? Whose Values Are They Teaching?

Two questions are among the most common to be raised when schools start talking about implementing character education programs - why are schools teaching values and how can I be sure they are teaching the values that parents want them to learn?

"The fact is that, intentionally or unintentionally, all schools teach values," says Katie Sutliff, Associate Consultant, Character Education. "Parents are the first and most important educators of children; as such, they have the primary responsibility of morally educating their children. However, communities, businesses, schools and religious organizations must actively support families if moral education is to be effective. We are all members of the moral community and are all affected by the decisions and behaviors of others. Therefore, every person, as well as every institution, shares the responsibility to grow good children into good adults."

So how can parents know that their children are taught values with which they agree and that those values are explained in a way with which they are comfortable? Parents must be invited to the table when schools and districts select and implement character education programs and parents have to answer the call.

Read the rest of Ms. Sutliff's answer, including specific ways for parents and schools to work together in implementing character education programs at:
/ask_e12.html

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** Starting a Character Education Initiative

Many schools are eager to start their character education initiatives, but do not know where to begin. Additionally, although people recognize that parents/guardians and community members make important contributions to the process, getting people involved can be a real challenge. The character education section of the ERC website provides the following information about the planning, development and implementation of character education initiatives.

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** Maxims Available Online

MAXIMize the Moment™ (MTM) and MAXIMize the Moment Junior (MTM Jr.), the ERC's subscription character education resources, combine current events and everyday issues with the time-honored wisdom of maxims. Each week, subscribing schools receive a lesson plan featuring a story, a maxim, background information about the character traits being addressed, links to websites about the featured maxim's author and/or issue, and related discussion starter questions. Now in its third year, MTM and MTM Jr. are being used in 22 states and 3 countries, have been adopted by two out-of-school-time youth organizations, and are being considered for pilot programs in two urban school systems. These programs were established with grant support from the John Templeton Foundation.

A list of all the maxims used in the first two years of MTM and MTM Jr. is newly available to all visitors to the ERC website. The maxims are indexed by author and by the character trait demonstrated by the lesson in which they were used. Over the next month, the ERC will add the related author and issue links, also indexed by character trait.

See the list of maxims and character traits at:
/character/rs_maxims.html

Read more about the ERC's MAXIMize the Moment™ school programs at:
/maximize/aboutmtm.html#schools

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** Free Trial Period for MAXIMize Your Family Time

MAXIMize Your Family Time (MAXFam) and MAXIMize Your Family Time Junior (MAXFam Jr.) are companions to the school-based programs, but can be used independently. In addition to receiving the MTM lesson plans, MAXFam subscribers get tips for communicating effectively with their children and an additional question set that explores the issues on a more profound level and encourages dialogue within families. Like MTM, MAXFam is designed to be flexible--so families can adapt the lessons to meet their individual needs.

Normally MAXFam subscriptions cost $25 for 36 issues, but for a limited time, the ERC is offering free trial subscriptions to MAXIMize Your Family Time. The free subscription will run from the date of registration through October 23.

Experience MAXFam for yourself -- sign up now to receive MAXFam or MAXFam Jr. lessons free through October 23 at:
/maximize/request_free_maxfam.html

Read more about MAXIMize Your Family Time at:
/maximize/aboutmtm.html#home

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** ERC's Interns Learn About Ethics While Contributing Invaluable Efforts

The Ethics Resource Center is fortunate to be located in Washington, DC, amidst a number of colleges and universities from which it can draw undergraduate and graduate student interns. Some of these students, who spend anywhere from a few months to a year working with the ERC, are required to complete internships for their programs and many earn credits for doing so. The ERC hopes that these students not only learn technical skills that will enhance their educational experiences but take away a better understanding about the meaning and impact of ethics in the workplace. In return, the ERC benefits from their fresh outlooks and eager and industrious assistance. This month, we post essays from the following interns reflecting upon their experiences:

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** From School to Work: Character Education Initiatives

The ERC's Character Education program assists and supports the ethical and social development of students, both in schools and youth programs, and includes curriculum materials, teacher training and assessments. ERC staff members have extensive experience helping individuals with diverse ethical and cultural backgrounds integrate character education into their daily activities. Our partnerships with a variety of educational and youth-oriented institutions such as the National FFA (formerly the Future Farmers of America) and Junior Achievement have enabled us to understand the challenges, benefits and restrictions unique to working effectively in faculty/student environments, and to develop character education programs that are both original and effective.

The ERC is currently seeking funding to pursue the following initiatives:

Read more about each of these initiatives at:
/character/support_initiatives.html

If you would like to help build a world where individuals and organizations act with integrity and/or bring any of ERC's character education programs to schools or youth organizations in your community, please call Allison at 202.872.4760 or e-mail allison@ethics.org.

Donate a MAXIMize the Moment subscription to a school of your choice at:
/character/support_mtmgift.html

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** ERC Posts Online Ethics Glossary and Values Definitions

What do we mean by business ethics? What is the difference between ethics, values and morals? In publications, in proposals and on the website, the ERC often includes definitions of various terms used in the world of ethics. To start the school year, for students and former students, we compiled some of those terms into an online ethics vocabulary list, to which we will add in upcoming months.

See the Ethics Glossary at:
/glossary.html

The ERC has also compiled a list of the definitions of values typically used in codes of ethics. See these Definitions of Values at:
/values_defined.html

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** Private Power Versus the Public Good

This August 28 article, written by ERC President Stuart Gilman for Canadian-based Globe and Mail, discusses the recent power-grid failure, which caused billions of dollars of losses and lots of anguish on both sides of the border. "During the next several months," Dr. Gilman predicts, "there will be a great deal of finger pointing, evaluation of the engineering failures and questions of culpability and legal liability. Most people will overlook the primary cause: More than two decades ago, a large number of government functions were privatized in both Canada and the United States."

This is not a criticism of privatization and the deregulation of the power grid, he continues. "Fortunately, we have moved beyond the notion that there are 'inherent governmental functions,' which frees us from the false reliance on ill-equipped government entities to provide us with increasingly complex, technical and decentralized services. Yet with that realization, we have not asked the new, corresponding private actors to uphold and continue that special responsibility to the public."

Read the rest of Dr. Gilman's article at:
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030828.cogilman/BNStory/National/

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** Assessments and Surveys: Critical Tools in the Development of An Ethics Program

One of our fundamental beliefs at the Ethics Resource Center is that while there are striking similarities between organizations, there are always significant differences. Whether an organization is interested in understanding its own ethical culture, identifying key issues to be addressed by its ethics training program or learning more about the global, ethical context in which it operates, our professional, in-depth assessments provide the data needed to make informed, effective decisions.

Ethics assessments can:

The ERC uses four key data collection methodologies to generate the information needed to bring an organization's ethical climate into clear focus: employee surveys, one-on-one interviews, focus groups and document reviews. These four methodologies combined provide quantitative and qualitative data to help an organization better understand both the formal and informal issues within its culture.

Our surveys, in particular, provide quantitative measures of employees' perceptions and experiences. They offer our clients a clear understanding of their organization's present to help them prepare for its future.

In addition, many clients find our benchmarking capabilities of great interest. We can compare an organization's survey results to a composite portrait based on the Ethics Resource Center's landmark National Business Ethics Surveys (most recently conducted in 2003) to determine how the organization measures up to the national average.

While larger surveys are developed and analyzed by the ERC using data collected online through the services of an outside contractor, the ERC has successfully hosted smaller online surveys recently - for subscribers to Ethics Today and MAXIMize the Moment™, as well as privately for schools and clients. Through the offerings of TechSoup.com and DiscounTech, the ERC has recently acquired more powerful survey software that will enable us to host more surveys in house at a cost that makes them more affordable for smaller businesses.

For more information about the ERC's Assessment Services, send a message including your name and your organization's name, your phone number and the best time to reach you, to Programs Manager Jerry Brown at jbrown@ethics.org.

For more information about ethics surveys, read Joshua Joseph's "Getting the Most from your Business Ethics Survey" at:
/nbes2003/2003nbes_presentations.html

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** Opinion Poll: Should There be Sarbanes-Oxley Type Regulation of Non-Profits?

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act that was passed last year applies to for-profit, publicly traded companies. Some states are considering adapting the laws to cover public charities, however, and some non-profits are adopting similar rules and regulations focusing on disclosure and accountability. (See the related story in Publications and Media Coverage on Drexel University.) What do you think should happen?

Take our September poll at:
/cfpoll.cfm

See the results of previous polls at:
/cfpollarchives.cfm

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** NBES Available as PDF

In May 2003, the ERC released the results of the 2003 National Business Ethics Survey at a national press conference and made the report of the survey available in hard copy for $29.95 (plus shipping and handling). Now, the ERC is pleased to also offer the 2003 NBES, which shows that American workers are seeing significant improvements in ethical conduct and practices within their own organizations, as a PDF file for $17.00.

Get more information about and order the 2003 NBES at:
/nbes2003

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** Publications and Media Coverage

-- In his August 17 New York Times column "Can Truth Be Told When Using Selective Information?" Jeffrey Seglin compares the practice of businesses selectively using information to sell products with politicians using such selectivity when trying to sell a policy to their constituencies. When it comes to products, says ERC President Stuart Gilman, "Selective marketing is basically emphasizing the positive elements of whatever goods you have. You can say that it's unfair, but it's absolutely reasonable. In a marketplace you expect people to make sensible decisions."

In reaction to news reports that President Bush staked part of his support for a war against Iraq on doubtful British intelligence, a number of experts quoted in the article said that the selective use of information in politics poses additional problems. "If they decided to lie to make the case stronger that's simply unethical," said Dr. Gilman, adding that he hopes that the president "got one bad piece of intelligence and the rest was correct."

This story is archived by the New York Times. It can be purchased at:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40717F73C540C748DDDA10894DB404482


-- "New World Ethics", which appeared in the August 2003 issue of Training and Development magazine, discusses the need for organizations to develop an ethical architecture by focusing on values and on systematically building a culture and climate that encourage and reward ethical behaviors. ERC President Stuart Gilman is quoted several times throughout the six-page article. In response to the arguments that "you can't teach values" and that people come to an organization with their values already intact, Dr. Gilman responds that it may be true, but HR has a responsibility to shape employee expectations. Companies can mold employee's behaviors, he says, because expectations form behavior; as behaviors change, so do values. The article goes on to identify a number of steps for building an ethics architecture and cites as examples the key initiatives of several companies, including Guardsmark, LLC. The article also urges the training profession to make sure that trainers have the required ethics-related knowledge and skills. Dr. Gilman agrees, noting that that "ethics is a technical field with competencies, approaches and specific tools to apply content to the everyday business world."

Read the Executive Summary at:
http://www.astd.org/virtual_community/td_magazine/2003/0308_summaries.htm#3

Non-ASTD members can purchase this article for $4 at:
http://store.astd.org/product.asp?prodid=2202&deptid=


-- An August 27 article in the Wall Street Journal's CareerJournal.com says it is easier now to get caught doing something unethical at most companies as a result of new corporate governance requirements mandated by last year's Sarbanes-Oxley Act. More companies are encouraging workers to report questionable behavior they observe in the workplace, and are providing hotlines and other avenues to come forward anonymously. Companies are also more rigorously investigating future and current employees via detailed background checks. The author of "Office and Ethics Collide More Often Than Ever" cites the results of the 2003 National Business Ethics Survey as to the frequency of misconduct in the workplace. The article also quotes ERC President Stuart Gilman, who advises workers to inquire about a company's ethics programs before they are hired. Ask how many ethics complaints the company receives and how matters are handled and, if necessary, investigated, he recommends, continuing "If someone says, 'Oh, don't worry, we never have problems,' " that should send up an immediate red flag." Future employees should try to determine how top management views employee input on ethics and compliance issues, says Dr. Gilman, since companies that are more open tend to be more ethical.

Read this article at:
http://www.careerjournal.com/recruiters/jungle/20030827-jungle.html


--According to an August 8 Philadelphia Business Journal article, Drexel University, which is a nonprofit institution, became what is believed to be the nation's first major university to adopt the best practices delineated in Sarbanes-Oxley by amending the school's bylaws in February to include the act's principles. In the article "Drexel Models Rules After Sarbanes-Oxley", C. R. "Chuck" Pennoni, a member and former chair of Drexel's board of trustees, says it is critical that Drexel shows the public that it is willing to put into practice what it teaches to its students about the importance of professional accountability through the implementation of rigid reporting requirements and ethics rules. ERC President Stuart Gilman concurs that it makes sense for educational institutions to adopt stringent financial reporting rules because of their perceived high standards of integrity and their primary mission in preparing young adults for professional careers. "They need to look at Sarbanes-Oxley and look at problems which are potential and real, " he said. "Universities have a real obligation to not only obey the law, but also to have standards which go beyond it."

Read the story online starting at:
http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2003/08/11/focus2.html

Or get the printer-friendly format at:
http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2003/08/11/focus2.html?t=printable


-- In a July 18 Washington Business Journal article, "For Ethics Questions, Answers Should Already Be Known", the author writes that companies are starting to look more seriously at the ethical basis on which they do business and to institute training programs that prepare employees for ethical questions they might face. After citing the positive results of the 2003 National Business Ethics Survey, she says there is still a long way to go, and offers a number of suggestions for ensuring ethical behavior. First, she advocates building an ethical culture, noting that the NBES shows that where companies have an ethics program, employees have a higher perception that they will be held accountable for their ethics and are more likely to behave ethically. She also advises "walking the talk", involving employees, talking about ethics frequently, offering training and noticing the warning signs.

Read this story online starting at:
http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2003/07/21/focus9.html

Or get the printer-friendly format at:
http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2003/07/21/focus9.html?t=printable


-- "Laws Promote Accountability: Sarbanes-Oxley Act Not a Likely End-All Toward Better Ethics", published July 25 in the Philadelphia Business Journal, discusses the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which requires companies to perform a variety of tasks designed to effectuate accountability and public confidence. Among other things, the law's goals include making financial disclosure more understandable to investors and enhancing the objectivity of securities analysts. "Investing is not supposed to be gambling," says ERC President Stuart Gilman "It's supposed to give the people reliable information about public companies. There's a difference between playing roulette and investing in IBM." Dr. Gilman also notes that Sarbanes-Oxley doesn't solve all the problems associated with corporate disclosure. "It's not enough to say we're following the law, " he says. "You shouldn't be targeting minimal compliance. You want to stay as far from the thin ice as you can. Sarbanes-Oxley is the minimal standard. You shouldn't create behaviors in your organization to meet a minimal standard. Aim for the bull's-eye, not the edge of a target, not only the letter of the law but the [spirit] of the law."

Read this story online starting at:
http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2003/07/28/focus1.html

Or get the printer-friendly format at:
http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2003/07/28/focus1.html?t=printable


-- In an August 22 New York Daily News article entitled "Ashcroft Recruits Patriot Act Squad", the author states that Attorney General John Ashcroft has asked all 94 federal prosecutors to call their congressional delegations and defend the controversial Patriot Act. ERC President Stuart Gilman said Ashcroft's request comes close to crossing an ethical line. "It's not the wisest or most ethical way to use the office of the attorney general," he said.

Read the story at:
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/nydailynews/387488611.html?did=387488611&FMT=
ABS&FMTS=FT&desc=ASHCROFT+RECRUITS+PATRIOT+ACT+SQUAD


-- ERC President Stuart Gilman appeared September 5 on the Canadian broadcast Report on Business Television's (ROBT) SqueezePlay. The show's focus was on the recent blackout and whether North Americans would be better served by utilities owned by private or public companies. See Dr. Gilman's related article at:
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030828.cogilman/BNStory/National/


-- The August 1, 2003, issue of Human Resource Executive reprinted a chart from ERC/SHRM study showing that the need to follow the boss's directives is the biggest motive for compromising an organization's ethics, followed by the need to meet overly aggressive objectives, to help the organization survive, to meet schedule pressures, and to be viewed as a team player.


-- Financial Times' FTCareers USA publication cites the results of the 2003 National Business Ethics Survey in its August 8 article "Corporate Reform Talk Smacks of Lip Service". The article spotlights the debate over the quality and effectiveness of ethics reforms that have been instituted, noting the danger of developing a false sense of security from "cosmetic compliance" with regulatory mandates.

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** News from the ERC

-- ERC President Stuart Gilman was plenary speaker at the 2003 Annual Forum of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) on August 18 in Nashville, TN. In his talk on "Modeling Ethics in a Fishbowl," he discussed the ethical vulnerabilities specific to procurement officials, including "contracting out", the shift from public to private function, the shift from regulator to facilitator and the shift from "Gate Keeper" to "Strategic Player". As government diffuses responsibilities to the private sector, he noted, it is becoming evident that government must also hold these entities to ethical standards. Procurement officers must address the tension that exists between government standards and private practices. Dr. Gilman next discussed what could be done to address these vulnerabilities, both generally and through use of the NIGP's code of conduct. Finally, he discussed several specific ethics issues, including the difficulties faced by a new era of contracting out and modernization of procurement procedures as well as the dangers of conflicts of interest and the appearance of impropriety.

Read the NIGP Code of Conduct at:
http://www.nigp.org/genlinfo/2001CodeofEthics.pdf


-- ERC Fellows Chairman Stephen Potts was one of the independent judges on the panel selecting the recipients for the National Capital Business Ethics Awards, which are presented annually by the Greater Washington and Northern Virginia Chapters of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, in partnership with George Mason University. According to their website, these awards recognize businesses outside the financial services industry that exemplify a strong commitment to business excellence and to the highest standards of civic and social responsibility, integrity and ethical conduct. Local award entries are submitted to a national competition that culminates with the selection of three winners of the American Business Ethics Award.

Read more about the regional awards at:
http://www.businessethicsawards.org

Read more about the American Business Ethics Award at:
http://www.financialpro.org/Press/ABEA/abea.cfm


-- Four members of Transparency International's chapter in Greece visited the ERC on Wednesday, August 27. They met with ERC President Stuart Gilman, ERC Fellows Chairman Steve Potts, Director of International Programs Alex Zalami and Associate Consultant Abby Davidson to learn more about the ERC and to share information about their work on ethical spending of political money, legislative advocacy in the Greek parliament, and efforts to promote integrity in the upcoming Olympic Games in Athens, 2004.


- Joshua Joseph, ERC's Senior Researcher, has taken a position as Research Director, Human Relations Publications, at BNA, where he will oversee ongoing survey reports as well as new product development. Joseph started working for ERC as an intern in 1997 and subsequently moved into a part-time position while doing his graduate doctoral work at American University. He worked on the founding documents for the ERC Fellows program as well as authoring "Integrating Ethics and Compliance". He developed and wrote the National Business Ethics Survey in 2000 and again in 2003, as well as co-authoring the SHRM/ERC 2003 Business Ethics Survey. Mr. Joseph also provided assistance and support for national business ethics surveys in Turkey, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates and consulted on dozens if not hundreds of client surveys and research reports.

- Associate Consultant Leslie Altizer has been named Research Analyst. Mr. Altizer joined the ERC in March 2003 and has been involved in numerous consulting and research projects. He received his Master of Sciences Degree from Radford University in May of 2002, in the field of Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Mr. Altizer attended Emory & Henry College where he obtained his B.A. in Psychology, with a Minor in Philosophy.

- Abby Davidson joined the ERC in August 2003 as an Associate Consultant for International Programs. She will work with the Director of International Programs to build ethics institutions and ethics capacity around the world by providing technical assistance and enhancing ethics resources in developing nations. Ms. Davidson received her B.A. in English from Brown University, where she focused on nation-building in the context of decolonization, expanding cross-cultural dialogue, U.S. policy in the Middle East, and Arab literature in translation. She studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, is proficient in French and is currently studying Arabic at the Middle East Institute. Ms. Davidson previously served on the staff for her home Congressman, the Honorable Sander M. Levin.

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** Offering Our Thanks

As a non-profit organization, the Ethics Resource Center depends on contributions from many generous donors. Without their dedication and trust, many of the programs and projects highlighted in this newsletter would not be possible.

The ERC thanks the following for their contributions for general support:

The ERC thanks the John Templeton Foundation for their final grant payment in support of the ERC's MAXIMize the Moment™ program, awarded for achieving the benchmark of over 300 paid subscriptions within the two years of grant support.

The ERC also thanks TechSoup.com for making Perseus survey software available for an administrative fee. TechSoup.com is a comprehensive source of technology information for nonprofit organizations. DiscounTech, a service of TechSoup, is a technology product distribution service, which brings together generous contributions from leading technology providers for the benefit of the nonprofit sector. Through DiscounTech, for a small administrative fee, nonprofits can order donated and discounted software and essential technology products, such as office applications, networking equipment, fundraising software, accounting software, and other donated computer applications.

FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: September 1 marked the kick-off of the 2003 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) official solicitation period. Federal employees participating in their annual workplace fund-raising drive may contribute to the ERC by marking number 2456. CFC contributions help students by providing schools with relevant, timely educational resources that encourage good character by modeling positive decision-making and creating healthy dialogue.

We invite you to join our loyal contributors in lending your support. To find out how to contribute or to donate online, go to:
/support_how.html

The Ethics Resource Center (ERC) is a non-profit, non-partisan educational organization exempt from taxation under the Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

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PLEASE NOTE: Ethics Today will be published 11 times this year, with the July and August issues combined into one. An index will be published at the end of August.

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