(1) Applied Ethics Concentration:
After considering Philosophys current offerings and how they align with student demand and the current job market, we are proposing a new concentration in Applied Ethics within our Philosophy B.A. program. This track offers course options such as Technology and Human Values, Biomedical Ethics, Professional Ethics, among several others with obvious career focus and applicability.
In 2021 we conducted a survey of our past Philosophy graduates between 2005-19. The careers they represented were extraordinarily diverse, ranging from significant numbers practicing law, to others in ministry, business management, consulting, counseling, education, human resource management, networks analysis, online learning, software development, and academic advising, among many more. (Many of these can be found on the Georgias Hot Careers to 2030 list of careers with faster than average job growth, above average wages, and at least 100 annual openings.) In short, our graduates are multi-skilled, adaptable, and in demand. (Recent American Academy of Arts and Sciences' data shows that humanities graduates broadly are well compensated mid-career and have very low unemployment rates, in some states superior to Business B.A.s or competitive with Engineering B.S.s.) What all this data suggests is that there is great demand for well-rounded humans who, fluent in complex ethical reasoning and intellectual dialogue, are prepared for success in a diversity of career paths. One excellent way to serve this demand and continue this success is to offer an Applied Ethics degree track which brings sophisticated ethical reasoning directly into communication with specialized fields such as technology, business, environmental science, etc.
In terms of impact, firstly, we note that none of our competitor programs (e.g., Kennesaw, GSU, GCSU, Clayton, Valdosta State, Georgia Southern) have B.A. concentrations or paths similar to our proposed Applied Ethics B.A. track. Hence, the track will enhance the uniqueness of UWG as a whole, helping us to stand out regionally and attract a new body of students. We especially believe this path will attract high schoolersfor example, those exposed to the increasingly popular High School Ethics Bowl (with regional competition hosted by UWG)who are interested in and concerned about the problems of ethics and human flourishing raised by changing technological, professional, and natural environments. We also see it attracting non-traditional students with career experiences. Lastly, it will serve UWGs current students' needs by promoting the ethical fluency and intellectual adaptability required for career-readiness in future jobs whose precise nature remains unknown today.
All in all, we see a great demand here that the Philosophy Program is uniquely suited to fill. We have no doubt that this new Applied Ethics track will have a sizable impact in line with UWG strategic priorities including the relevancy, competitiveness, and regional distinctness of our program and university as a whole.
(2) Law, Justice, and Society Concentration:
The LJS concentration has existed for a long time. We are simply cleaning up the catalog by placing this concentration "under" the Philosophy B.A. where it technically belongs as a sub-option. Previously, it was classed in the catalog/curriculog system as a distinct "page." Hence, this change is just cleanup.