Programs for the Florida Blue Center for Ethics
2026 - 2027 Events
October 12-16, 2026: Ethics Week at UNF
December 5, 2026: UNF hosts the Southeast Regional Collegiate Ethics Bowl Competition
February 6, 2027: UNF hosts the First Coast High School Ethics Bowl
Summer 2027: UNF Ethics Academy
Please also check out related events sponsored by the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.
Ethics Bowl at UNF
The Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE) Ethics Bowl combines the excitement and fun of a competitive tournament with a valuable educational experience for undergraduate students. Recognized widely by educators, the Ethics Bowl has received special commendation for excellence and innovation from the American Philosophical Association, and received the 2006 American Philosophical Association/Philosophy Documentation Center's 2006 prize for Excellence and Innovation in Philosophy Programs. The format, rules, and procedures of the Ethics Bowl all have been developed to model widely acknowledged best methods of reasoning in practical and professional ethics.
In the Ethics Bowl, a moderator poses questions to teams of three to five students. Questions may concern ethical problems on wide ranging topics, such as the classroom (e.g. cheating or plagiarism), personal relationships (e.g. dating or friendship), professional ethics (e.g. engineering, law, medicine), or social and political ethics (e.g. free speech, gun control, etc.) Each team receives a set of ethical issues in advance of the competition, and questions posed to teams at the competition are taken from that set. A panel of judges evaluates answers; rating criteria are intelligibility, focus on ethically relevant considerations, avoidance of ethical irrelevance, and deliberative thoughtfulness.
The Florida Blue Center for Ethics is a sponsor several events related to Ethics Bowl: The Southeast Regional Ethics Bowl, the First Coast Ethics Bowl, and the UNF Ethics Academy.
Intercollegiate Civil Disagreement Partnership (ICPD)
The Intercollegiate Civil Disagreement Partnership (ICDP) is a year-long, cross-institutional undergraduate fellowship program designed to strengthen students’ capacity for meaningful dialogue across disagreement, a core democratic skill and an increasingly urgent need on college campuses. Participation in ICDP enables institutions to:
● Advance commitments to free expression, inclusion, and democratic engagement
● Develop a cohort of student leaders equipped to facilitate difficult conversations
● Partner with a diverse set of peer institutions to enrich student learning
Each participating institution supports a small cohort of undergraduate fellows (typically 7-8 students), guided by 1-2 faculty or staff leads. Fellows engage in intensive training with students from partner institutions, sustained dialogue practice, and campus-based leadership experiences over the course of an academic year.
The program’s structure is intentionally flexible, allowing institutions to adapt ICDP to their local context while maintaining shared standards and experiences across the partnership. Core program elements include an in-person summer retreat, regular virtual cross-institutional discussions, expert civil disagreement panels, and ongoing campus cohort meetings.
ICDP requires modest but meaningful institutional investment, primarily in faculty/staff leadership, student support, and to support shared convenings. Institutions in ICDP signal a clear commitment to preparing students not only for professional success, but for thoughtful, engaged participation in a pluralistic democracy.
If you are interested in being an ICDP fellow, see here.
North Florida Philosophy Slams
Dive into deep discussions and communal reflections on life’s philosophical questions at our Philosophy Slams! Hosted on the patio of Sahara Cafe & Bar (10771 Beach Blvd. Ste 110, Jacksonville, FL), these engaging events take place once a month from 6:30-8:00 PM during the academic year.
Each Philosophy Slam kicks off with a concise, thought-provoking presentation lasting about 15 minutes, followed by an hour of informal open discussion. These gatherings are designed for anyone interested in exploring philosophical ideas in a relaxed and welcoming setting.
Whether you’re a philosophy enthusiast or just curious, Philosophy Slams offer a fantastic opportunity to engage with intriguing concepts and connect with fellow thinkers. Don’t miss out on this chance to ponder life’s big questions and enjoy stimulating conversation. Join us each month for an enriching experience!
2026-20267 Philosophy Slam Lineup
This year, each philosophy slams will focus on a contested concept. Different accounts of the concept will be explained, then the floor will be opened for questions and comments.
- 8/26 Dale Casamatta "Life"
- 9/16 David Sheffler "History"
- 10/21 Andrea Gaytan & Keith Cartwright "Horror"
- 11/18 Shane George "Music"
- 12/2 Tracy Alloway "Health"
- 1/20 Jenny Stuber "Social Class"
- 2/10 Gordon Rakita "Theory"
- 3/10 David MacKinnon & Dan Dinsmore "Thinking/Meta-Cognition"
- 4/7 Ash Faulkner "Friendship"
How to Ruin Dinner Podcast
You remember your mother’s admonition: “never talk sex, politics or religion at the dinner table”; she was probably right, but we aren’t eating. We are, however, serving up conversations about religion, and, never fear that will lead to sex and politics. Method, meaning and scholarship will also be under discussion as we talk with scholars about their work in the field of religious studies.
Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes!
… or copy and paste the feed location, or feed link, below to your podcast app:
https://marytreyz.domains.unf.edu/feed/podcast
Ethics Week: Oct. 12-16, 2026
Ethics Week at UNF is a week dedicated to raising awareness of ethical issues across different disciplines, promoting constructive conversations about ethical issues, and highlighting faculty and student ethics-related research.
