ERIC Number: EJ1332035
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1360-080X
EISSN: N/A
The Mandatory Ethics and Governance Courses in Fiji's Universities: Institutional Ecologies, Teaching Philosophies and the (Ethical) Future of Tertiary Education in the Pacific
White, Thomas A. J.; Mua, Makereta
Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, v44 n2 p138-150 2022
For the last 15 years and across Fiji's three universities, over 40,000 students have completed mandatory courses in Ethics and Governance. Emerging from growing perceptions of graduate misconduct, Fiji's 2006 'clean-up' military coup and corporate scandals from Enron to the Fiji National Bank, these courses explore personal, political and corporate governance and topics ranging from religion, human rights, cultural relativism and gender, to the environment, business ethics, personal integrity and the meaning of work. This article reports on intra-university contests regarding the merits, costs, values and efficacy of these courses. Frequently mischaracterised as moral instruction, and ineffective at producing the 'good employee', some courses have been replaced with program-specific professional ethics courses. The andragogic philosophy of these courses, however, targets moral autonomy and ethical literacy, skills aimed more for the 'good citizen'. Whether the remaining mandatory, holistic Ethics courses continue may depend on what student outcomes Fiji's universities prioritise most.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Required Courses, Ethical Instruction, Governance, Holistic Approach, Universities, Andragogy, Moral Values, Personal Autonomy
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Fiji
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A