California State University, Fullerton Student Conduct Sanction

1. Ethical Decision
Making & Application

2. What will I learn?
You will be guided through this educational sanction and
expected to obtain three takeaways:
● The five sources of ethical standards
● The ethical decision making process
● Reflection on individual conduct case
Adapted from Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University

3. What is Ethics?
Ethics are standards of behavior we are all expected to abide
by throughout many aspects of life
Ethics are NOT:
● Feelings
● Religion
● Laws
● Culturally Accepted Norms
● Science

4. Five Sources of Ethical Standards
1. Utilitarian
2. Rights
3. Fairness
4. Common Good
5. Virtue

5. Utilitarian Ethical Source
Providing the most good or doing the least harm by balancing
good over harm.
Deals with consequences while increasing the good done and
reduce the amount of harm.

6. Rights Ethical Source
Actions should be based on protecting and respecting the
moral rights of those affected.
Derived from the belief that humans have a level of dignity
based on our human nature and free will

7. Fairness Ethical Source
Equal treatment for all.
If the treatment is not equal, treatment should be fairly based
on some objective, socially accepted standard.

8. Common Good Ethical Source
Derived from the notion of communal life is good in itself and
we should all contribute to the good of the community.
Respect for all and the intertwined relationships we share
with each other require respect and compassion.

9. Virtue Ethical Source
Ethics should align with ideal virtues of human existence
(truth, honesty, courage, love, integrity, etc.)
“What kind of person will I become if I do this?”
“Is this action consistent with acting my best?”

10. Understanding Checkpoint
Link for Google Form will be embedded which will quiz the
student on general ethics and the five ethical standards.
A reflection opportunity will also be included allowing for
students to discuss where they believe their ethical standards
come from and what ethical source aligns with their personal
ethics.

11. How Should the Ethical Sources
be Used?
These sources of ethics should be used in combination to
create a personalized ethical standpoint.
Ethics are extremely subjective, which requires an
individualized search into your personal ethics

12. How to Make an Ethical Decision
Ethics takes practice!
Being mindful of the dilemmas
we face each day and the ethics
behind them allow for ethical
improvements to occur over
time.
A five step process can be utilized to
make an ethical decision:
1. Recognize an Ethical Decision
2. Get the Facts
3. Evaluate Alternative Actions
4. Make a Decision & Test It
5. Act & Reflect on the Outcome

13. Recognize
It is important to take time to consider if the decision is an
ethical dilemma or not.
“Could this decision be damaging to someone or something?”

14. Get the Facts
An understanding of the situation at hand needs to be
obtained before the decision can be considered.
What is at stake in this scenario?
What are the routes of actions to take?

15. Evaluate Alternative Actions
The sources of ethical standards can be utilized to evaluate
alternative actions:
What produces the most good and least harm? (Utilitarian)
What respects the rights of all stakeholders? (Rights)
What treats people equally (Justice)
What serves the whole community? (Common Good)
What leads me to act as who I want to be? (Virtue)

16. Make the Decision & Test It
What is the best option for the situation at hand?
How would I feel telling someone I trust or respect about the
decision I made or someone I don’t know who has no
knowledge of who I am as a person?

17. Act & Reflect
What is the best way to implement a decision considering the
stakeholders of my decision?
What have I learned from my decision and the repercussions
that occurred from the decision?

18. Case Study #1
Case study will be provided based on top conduct issues
within HRE. A Google Form will be embedded after the case
study to check the student’s understanding by discussing the
case study utilizing the ethical decision making steps

19. Case Study #2
Case study will be provided based on top conduct issues
within HRE. A Google Form will be embedded after the case
study to check the student’s understanding by discussing the
case study utilizing the ethical decision making steps

20. Case Study #3
Case study will be provided based on top conduct issues
within HRE. A Google Form will be embedded after the case
study to check the student’s understanding by discussing the
case study utilizing the ethical decision making steps

21. Reflection
Student will be asked to reflect on the conduct incident which
prompted the need to complete this sanction and discuss
where they believe their ethical decision making needs
improvement or which step in the ethical decision making
process they skipped, etc.

22. Learning Summary
Ethical Sources
1. Utilitarian
2. Rights
3. Fairness
4. Common Good
5. Virtue
Ethical Decision Making Steps
1. Recognize
2. Get the Facts
3. Evaluate Alternative Actions
4. Make a Decision & Test It
5. Act and Reflect

23. Next Steps
What will happen next in the student conduct process?
(Upon completion of this sanction, and any additional
sanctions if applicable, case will be closed. Conduct record will
be kept with HRE for seven years. Failure to complete this
sanction or any other will lead to a hold being placed on the
student’s account.)

24. References
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics (2015, August 1). A
Framework for Ethical Decision Making. Retrieved from
https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-
decision-making/a-framework-for-ethical-decision-
making/