APPE 2026: What To Know
APPE 2026 is one month away!
Want to see what's in store for the 35th Annual APPE International Conference? Explore the full program, including all concurrent sessions. The program is searchable by topic, name, etc.
Concurrent sessions kick off Thursday, March 5 at 1 p.m. and wrap up Saturday, March 7 at 3:15 p.m., just in time for the APPE Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl® National Competition. We'll crown a new national champion on Sunday, March 8 to conclude the event.
Whether you're a scholar, practitioner, student, or educator, we hope to see you at APPE! With the February 15 regular registration deadline approaching (a late fee of $50 will be added after that date), make sure you register soon.
Can't make it to St. Louis this year?
The schedule for the virtual conference, to be held on April 10, will be announced soon. Learn more.
Conference Highlights
Pre-Conferences
We have several pre-conference options, all held at the hotel on Thursday, March 5:
- APPE RISE Pre-Conference Symposium | 8:30 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. | Agenda
- Ethics Center Directors Summit | 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Agenda
- Designing Your Ethics Course: From Planning to Assessment | 9 a.m. - Noon
- Green Dot Bystander Training | 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. (Free for APPE Members)
An additional fee applies, and pre-registration is required. Learn more.
Tour Meet-Ups
We'll be steps away from the Gateway Arch National Park and the Old Courthouse, the site of the first two trials of the pivotal Dred Scott case. Meet up with other conference goers to explore these sites together on Thursday afternoon, or go on your own. The Old Courthouse offers daily guided tours, and the Gateway Arch includes a visitor center and museum. Neither site charges an admission fee.
Affinity Group Meet-Ups
Several Affinity Groups are arranging informal meet-ups for meals. All attendees are welcome; registration is not required.
Friday, lunch:
- Business Ethics Affinity Group
- Graduate Students
- Law, Government, and Military Ethics Affinity Group
- Moral Theory Affinity Group
Friday, dinner:
- Agriculture and Environmental Ethics Affinity Group
- Media and Journalism Ethics Affinity Group
- Early Career Affinity Group
Ethics Roundtable: What Do We Owe Each Other? Ethics in the Age of Generative Tools
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in education, creative work, and everyday communication, new ethical challenges continue to emerge. But AI is not the only tool raising concerns—issues of authorship, attribution, and honesty have long been central to academic and professional life. Students may share answers, submit unauthorized work, or rely on others’ ideas without acknowledgement, whether through technology or more traditional means. This roundtable explores the ethical responsibilities we carry in collaborative and learning environments, including how we uphold trust, accountability, and respect for intellectual labor in a culture where shortcuts are readily available. Participants will consider what we owe each other as students, educators, and citizens in shaping a more honest and values-based academic community.
Normally conducted online throughout the year, this roundtable will be held in person at the conference.
Opening Plenary: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
With increasing frequency, individuals in the United States are questioning whether they should leave the country, while people from other nations are reconsidering their plans to visit the U.S. for tourism, education, business, or other purposes. This questioning is driven by the perception that the current U.S. government is acting unjustly in various ways. Although this issue is particularly intense at present, it is not a new ethical dilemma. Rather, it is a contemporary manifestation of the broader ethical question: What are our obligations to others or ourselves if we find ourselves part of institutions that are acting unjustly? Should we remain within these institutions and strive to enact change from within, or should we leave in protest? This panel will explore these questions in the context of the current political turmoil in the United States.
Keynote: Dr. Pamela Hieronymi
Contractualism: A framework for hard ethical questions
Contractualism, as a moral theory, offers us a framework for thinking about hard ethical questions. While the theory will not, by itself, generate answers to such questions—it often leaves the hard questions hard—it can illuminate them. It can also help us to understand how our rights and obligations sometimes shift with the facts on the ground.
Dr. Pamela Hieronymi is a philosophy professor at UCLA whose research sits at the intersection of many different subfields: ethics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of action, and the lively discussion of moral responsibility and free will.
Not Yet Registered or Booked Your Hotel Room?
You can register up until the day before the conference begins. After Feb. 15 a $50 late registration fee applies. Reminder: All conference presenters must register for the conference.
You can receive the APPE discount of $174/night at the hotel if you book by Feb. 10. If possible, we ask that you book through Hyatt and stay at the conference hotel to help us meet our contractual obligations.
Use this link for information about booking your hotel room.
More Ways to Get Involved
There are still several ways to participate in APPE 2026:
- Volunteer to serve as a session chair (emails will be sent soon to those who indicated interest during registration)
- Participate in the Author's Reception (email Kristen at kristen@appe-ethics.org)
- Serve as an APPE Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl judge or moderator (fill out this form)
Last Call for Exhibitors and Sponsors
We are still accepting publishers and exhibitors for the Resource Room, as well as conference sponsors. The deadline is Feb. 15.
Questions?
Don't hesitate to reach out to Kristen at kristen@appe-ethics.org.