RALEIGH – Five students from Campbell University fared well in the Feb. 10-11 NCICU Ethics Bowl at Meredith College, winning three of the four rounds in which they competed.
Those students – Ben Dyer (senior biology major), Danielle Hall ( junior education major), Peter Newby (sophomore business major), Lindsey White (junior religion major) and Chris Wilson (senior Christian ministry major) – competed against 13 other independent colleges and universities from throughout the state. Dr. Adam English and Dr. Ken Vandergriff, both of the Department of Religion and Philosophy, served as team coaches.
“We are more than pleased with the performance of our students,” said English. “The students argued each case for an hour before a panel of three judges. They made a very favorable impression on the business leaders and representatives from other Carolina colleges who were present. We are proud of our 3-1 record.”
The competition included teams from Campbell University, Gardner-Webb University, High Point University, Livingstone College, Mars Hill College, Meredith College, Methodist University, Montreat College, Mount Olive College, St. Andrews University, Salem College, Shaw University, Wake Forest University and Wingate University.
Each round revolved around one of 10 hypothetical moral dilemmas taken from the world of business. The debates were scored by a panel of trained judges that include business and community leaders from across the state. The teams were evaluated on the quality of their argument, research, presentation style and moral theory. Each round was facilitated by trained moderators who also are business and community leaders in North Carolina.
“The NCICU Ethics Bowl provided students the opportunity to use their critical thinking skills to make ethical decisions about work place issues,” stated NCICU President Dr. A. Hope Williams. “NCICU is dedicated to developing enrichment opportunities like the Ethics Bowl to help students put their academic knowledge into practice. “
The N.C. Indpendent Colleges and Universities Ethics Bowl is designed to provide an academic experience that increases student awareness about applying ethics in leadership, decision-making, interpersonal relationships and other issues in today’s society. NCICU chose the theme “Ethics in the Workplace” to help encourage a sense of social responsibility and accountability among students at independent colleges and universities. The purpose of the competition is to emphasize the importance of being able to apply ethical standards to situations students inevitably will face as future local, state and national leaders.