From the press release:
North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) will host its inaugural Ethics Bowl competition with a focus on “Ethics in the Workplace” this weekend, February 10-11, 2012.
The competition will be held at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC and will feature students from 14 independent colleges and universities in North Carolina. The final round of debate and trophy presentation will be held Saturday from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. in the Jones Chapel at Meredith College.
The competition will include teams of students 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 institution will have a team of four to six students competing in the debate.
The 14 institutions will be randomly divided into two divisions. Each team will compete in four rounds against opponents from other colleges and universities. The teams with the most wins in each division will advance to the final round.
Each round will begin with a hypothetical ethical case. The teams will be asked to prepare a five minute response to the case and present their argument. Opposing teams will be given an opportunity to question the validity of each response. The round will end with a concluding statement given by each team.
The debates will be scored by a panel of trained judges that include business and community leaders from across the state. The teams will be evaluated on the quality of their argument, research, presentation style and moral theory. Each round will be facilitated by trained moderators who also are business and community leaders in North Carolina.
“The NCICU Ethics Bowl will provide 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 NCICU 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.
This event was made possible by numerous volunteers including moderators and judges from the business, nonprofit and public sector, as well as Dr. Jesse McCartney, the statewide coordinator and retired provost of Catawba College. Dr. McCartney noted that “the Ethics Bowl encourages students to develop skills in communication, analytical thinking, ethical decision making, and team work. These skills enable independent college and university graduates to contribute to their communities as active citizens and productive employees.”
Other organizations have realized how important this event is as well. The 2012 NCICU Ethics Bowl competition would not have been possible without the support of sponsors such as Duke Energy and Wells Fargo. Both corporations have provided the financial support necessary to help this program succeed. In addition to their support of the ethics bowl, Duke Energy has partnered with NCICU for 53 years. They participate in the Independent College Fund of North Carolina (ICFNC) named scholarship program to provide scholarships for students majoring in math or science or studying to teach math or science and attending one of the 12 independent institutions in the Duke Energy service area.
“Programs like the NCICU Ethics Bowl illustrate the importance of ethics in the work place,” said Brett Carter, president, Duke Energy North Carolina. “At Duke Energy, ethical behavior is the cornerstone of how we do business. We are excited to support the Ethics Bowl and appreciate NCICU’s focus on building critical thinking skills in the country’s next generation of leaders.”
Wells Fargo heard about the Ethics Bowl and was very interested in contributing. Because of the commitment to college access, Wells Fargo partners with NCICU to provide student scholarships at all ICFNC member institutions and is a presenting sponsor of the inaugural event.
“Wells Fargo is pleased to make this grant to the NC Independent Colleges and Universities Fund,” said Leslie Hayes, regional president for Wells Fargo in Triad West. “This helps demonstrate our ongoing and deep commitment to North Carolina. We have been proud supporters of the NCICU for more than 25 years and we are honored to provide this level of support for the Ethics Bowl and student scholarships. We’re responsible for being leaders to promote the long-term economic prosperity and quality of life for everyone in our communities. If they prosper, so do we.”
Other sponsors of this event include The Council of Independent Colleges/ The Foundation for Independent Higher Education, AT&T Foundation, Dominion Foundation, RBC Bank, UPS Foundation, Burlington Industries Foundation, Affinity LLC, BCWH Architecture, Fidelity Investments, Martin Marietta Materials and Piedmont Natural Gas.
NCICU is comprised of North Carolina’s 36 private, non-profit liberal arts, comprehensive and research colleges and universities accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. NCICU represents independent higher education in the areas of state and federal public policy and on education issues with the other sectors of education in the state. It also provides research and information to and about private colleges and universities, conducts staff development opportunities and coordinates collaborative programs. For more information, visit www.ncicu.org
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