Coastal Carolina Universitys Jackson Family Center for Ethics and Values will offer its first event, a four-part series called Tea & Ethics beginning Thursday, Nov. 11. The series is free and open to the public.

Ethical Issues at the Beginning of Life: Abortion, Cloning, Reproductive Technology will be the first discussion in the series, scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts, room 249. The session will be led by Phil Schneider, associate professor of philosophy at Coastal, and Cheryl Rhodes, visiting professor of religion from the University of South Carolina.

Additional talks hosted by the Jackson Family Center for Ethics and Values in 2005 will include Local Concerns in Environmental Ethics on Jan. 20; Ethical Issues in Technology on March 3; and Sports Ethics: Can Ethical Behavior Win? on April 21.

The purpose of the center is to cultivate and promote awareness in students of the importance of personal and professional integrity. The center will sponsor scholarships and visiting scholars as well as public discussion forums on ethical issues in science, business, education, and the arts and humanities.

The grand opening of the Center will be Monday, Nov. 8. The board of directors includes: Beau Forshee, Rachel Gandy, Laura Hoy, Kirk Lawton, Jeanne Mize, Gerrita Postlewait, Petesy Reynolds, John Trueluck, Emily Vallarino, Bobby Wilkes and Kaki Williamson. University representatives are: David Bennett, David DeCenzo, Edgar Dyer, Doug Nelson and Sharon Thompson. Claudia McCullough is the Jackson Center director, and Scott Gallimore is the assistant director.

For more information, call 349-4149 or visit www.coastal.edu/jacksoncenter.