Students and Professionals Debate Solutions to Ethical Dilemmas at the 2009 Ethics Bowl

Published on Mar 01 2009 in Ethics Bowl, Press Release by Bob Potter

University of Portland comes out on top at Annual Competition

Students from the University of Portland defeated Willamette University to win the 4th Annual Ethics Bowl of the Oregon Independent College Foundation (OICF) on February 28, 2009. Strong teams from Warner Pacific College and defending champion Concordia University were also top contenders.

Hosted by Marylhurst University, the 2009 OICF Ethics Bowl matched student teams from the OICF’s ten member colleges and universities in 5-rounds of case debates over a variety of contemporary ethical dilemmas. Teams of 3-5 students were paired in head-to-head team matches that were judged by panels of distinguished leaders from across Oregon and Washington who listened to team presentations and offered reactions to students. Mohan Nair, EVP & Chief Marketing Executive, The Regence Group; Christopher Folkestad, Executive Director, Maybelle Clark Macondald Fund; and Kathy Oliver, Executive Director, Outside In, served as judges for the final debate between University of Portland and Willamette. A complete list of participating judges is attached.

Students grappled with real-world ethical questions that challenged their thinking on issues such as social networking rights, frozen embryos, presidential pardons, mental health concerns, and a host of other timely, hot-button issues.  A complete list of cases is available upon request.

“The Ethics Bowl allows many of the brightest students from Oregon’s dynamic independent college sector to work with some of the region’s most recognized business and community personalities,” said Mohan Nair, Chair of the OICF Ethics & Leadership Program Committee. “Students are able to have in-depth discussions with business leaders that would rarely occur otherwise. The Ethics Bowl format provides a wonderful opportunity for students from the ten OICF colleges to apply decision-making skills they have developed through their coursework,”

Since 1950, the Oregon Independent College Foundation has served as a fundraising and programmatic consortium of Oregon’s ten leading private colleges and universities. Current OICF priorities include connecting students with internship and employment opportunities, increasing diversity on the member campuses, and programs that showcase the colleges’ focus on ethics. OICF members include: Concordia University, George Fox University, Lewis & Clark College, Linfield College, Marylhurst University, Pacific University, Reed College, University of Portland, Warner Pacific College, and Willamette University.

Contact:
Kevin Matheny
President/CEO
503-496-3420
kevin@oicf.org