ALAMOSA — The Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs recently selected faculty members from regional colleges who will serve as campus ethics champions and expand the program’s reach in promoting principle-based ethics education.

The selected faculty represent two- and four-year colleges that are part of the Southern Colorado Education Consortium where colleges work collaboratively to share resources and initiatives to improve access to higher education in southern Colorado.

“These ethics champions are catalysts for students to realize that learning ethical decision-making and practicing ethical leadership will make them a better person and also a better employee when they are out in the workforce,” said Tracy Gonzales-Padron, associate professor, UCCS College of Business and  director of the Daniels Funds Ethics Initiative at UCCS.

This fall, the nine faculty members attended a workshop on the UCCS campus led by Gonzalez-Padron to learn about principle-based ethics curriculum and applying it on their campuses. Those selected this year included:

• Zena Buser, professor of business, Adams State University

• LiAnn Richardson, adjunct instructor of business, Trinidad State Junior College

The UCCS Southern Colorado Higher Education Consortium Ethics Champion Program began in March 2016. In the inaugural year, the Ethics Champion program reached 2,100 students and 531 faculty or staff through new classes, ethics workshops, and competitions.

About the sponsors

The Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative at UCCS aims to instill ethical principles into the personal and organizational decision-making process of every member of the UCCS community. The initiative is funded by a grant from the Denver-based Daniels Fund in Denver. For more information, visit http://www.uccs.edu/businessethics/

The Daniels Fund, established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels, is a private charitable foundation dedicated to making life better for the people of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming through its grants program, scholarship program, and ethics initiative. The Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative strives to deliver principle-based ethics education, and reinforce the value of ethical business and personal conduct. Visit www.DanielsFund.org.   

The UCCS College of Business was established in 1965 and has more than 1,100 undergraduates and 350 MBA and distance MBA students. Visit www.uccs.edu/business.     

The University of Colorado-Colorado Springs is one of the fastest growing universities in Colorado. Visit www.uccs.edu.