The bioethics minor as proposed would include courses across disciplines, such as philosophy, biobehavioral health, sociology and biology, to address sensitive social issues and inform students in different fields, Weiss said.
While ethics itself can be a very broad term, bioethics focuses on social issues specific to the life sciences and health professions, said Nancy Tuana, director of the Penn State Rock Ethics Institute and professor of philosophy.
Bioethics discussions often involve issues like treatment of lab animals or falsification of results, and can also include health topics like safety of prescription drugs and treatment of patients, Weiss said.
Another prominent issue in bioethics -- and one that many students are familiar with -- is stem cell research, Tuana said.
Tuana said one predominant question scientists all over the world are struggling with is "Should we be terminating fertilized eggs to obtain stem cells that could potentially eradicate devastating illnesses that affect a large number of people?"
Planning began on this minor last semester at the Rock Ethics Institute here at University Park and at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Weiss said, in an attempt to provide ethics education to students entering health-care fields and pursuing careers in medical and scientific research.
Tuana explained that it was important for experts here at University Park to connect with experts in Hershey in order to develop Penn State's bioethics training available to students.
In fact, Weiss said some scientists do not want to be bothered by learning about ethics at all and believe that ethics sometimes undercuts important, cutting-edge research.
Even for those not in a scientific or health field, these ethics issues are far-reaching, such as questions concerning health-care coverage, Weiss explained.
"Who decides what behavior shouldn't be covered, and how do they know what decisions to make?" he said. "For instance, should a smoker have the same cost of coverage as a non-smoker?"
Tuana, Weiss and others associated with the development of the new minor say they hope to have it on the books by next year and want to include information about the minor in recruiting material sent to potential freshmen.
Weiss also explained that the first and last courses in the minor regimen are planned so the minor begins with a broad introduction and then concludes with an integrated project involving bioethics.
For those planning on working toward an advanced degree or attending medical school, recruiters are looking more closely for students who show some training in bioethical issues, Tuana said.
Weiss explained that a background in bioethics can sometimes provide students with more well-rounded perspective to science or health care, which most graduate schools want.
"This is a person taking issues seriously and thinking about the issues more broadly," he said. "Students with this background can be more attractive to graduate schools and, more importantly, can become more considerate, educated and aware citizens."
Tuana also expressed the intrinsic values to training in bioethics.
"Every day we are all dealing with moral and ethical issues," she said. "Being able to deal with these issues is a skill everyone should have, just like being able to read or communicate with others."
She also explained the importance of students developing these skills while receiving a professional degree at a university.
"College is a rite of passage. Part of life is trying to find out what is important to you and what kind of life you want to live," she said. "An examination of the ethical components of one's beliefs is important because the ethics they live by are the ones they are most committed to."
