Dear Colleague:

IIT's Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions (CSEP) was founded in 1976 for the purpose of promoting research and education on the professions, with special emphasis on the ethical and social responsibility issues associated with professional practice. CSEP pursues a variety of activities and programs and now, with this first issue of PERSPECTIVES. a new dimension is added to the work of the Center. We hope that this quarterly publication will provide useful information and analysis for the large number of people and organizations concerned with the study and practice of the professions.

PERSPECTIVES will attempt to promote serious discussion of important theoretical and practical issues common to a wide variety of professions. A comparative approach which relates ethical and policy issues in one profession to those in others will be emphasized. In addition, we intend to inform our readers about important upcoming events and resources of special interest such as bibliographies, course syllabi, and new books.

We are committed to reaching and expanding the diverse audience that has constituted the Center's constituency since its founding and we expect PERSPECTIVES to interest all those concerned with the role of the professions in contemporary society. We invite your participation in this new endeavor. Suggestions for topics and possible contributions are welcome, as are announcements and your comments about our new publication. We look forward to hearing from you.

Mark S. Frankel
CSEP Project Director