Lasell University’s Ethics program, which is entering its 10th year in the 2026-2027 academic year, is a required portion of every student’s curriculum. Typically occurring in a student’s third year at the institution, the course’s goal is described in the academic catalogue as “addressing the interaction between the lives we lead and the application of traditional (and some nontraditional) ethical theories and principles to important decision points in our lives.”
The National Endowment for the Humanities, also known as NEH, awarded Lasell University a two-year Spotlight on Humanities in Higher Education grant that totals out to $59,748. This disbursement of funds equates to almost $30,000 a year from 2025 to 2027.
Assistant Professor of Philosophy James Lincoln who also serves as the The Nancy Lawson Donahue ’49 Professor of Ethics Core Coordinator of the Lasell’s Ethics Program and the Individuals & Society Perspective stated, “The funding will support curricular revisions and modifications to the university’s Junior Ethics Experience [JEE] as a hallmark, cohort experience, in Lasell’s Connected Learning Core Curriculum since 2016. Lasell was one of six institutions across the country to receive this prestigious grant.”
Alongside Professor Lincoln, a team of faculty, alumni, students, and partners of the institution is working collectively to enhance the Ethics program with the opportunity of restructuring. A priority moving into the restructure was explained by Professor Lincoln, he shared, “I also know there are students, and others, that feel isolated or overlooked when it comes to important things in our society today, and this program needs to speak about those things intentionally and carefully. That said, as times change, educational aims and processes must rise to the occasion.”
With the funds provided, more opportunities are available to students. “The establishment of two to three undergraduate internships per year in public philosophy & humanities, providing selected students with opportunities to develop advanced training in relationship building, events management, and community dialogue,” Lincoln explained.
Additionally, the build-up of the Ethics program allows for further connection to Lasell University’s learning outcomes.
“[The restructure will create] an intergenerational common reading component in the JEE that will reinforce a hallmark developmental arc for students in Lasell’s Core Curriculum: Moral & Ethical Reasoning. This outcome is built up for students across multiple stages of their time at Lasell [i.e., via your History, Individuals and Society, and MDSC courses] and is reflective of Lasell’s commitment to social responsibility and lifelong intellectual exploration,” Lincoln explained.
There are plenty of chances for students to give their own feedback or ideas. Professor Lincoln stated, “We are also surveying current students to help pick the common reading text for the next year’s cohort of students and to get program feedback, which is great because it builds connections across cohorts.”
With the restructuring of a fundamental curriculum program at Lasell, there is a lot of room for student input and feedback. If any students have ideas, questions, concerns, or comments, James Lincoln is available as a resource of the Ethics department.
–March 2, 2026–
