Catawba College has received an invitation to be one of the colleges and universities invited to participate in the 39^th annual Hilton Head Ethics symposium, slated in November 2016. In 2015, Catawba shared the invitation with Presbyterian College in South Carolina, Hampden-Sydney in Virginia, the Citadel in South Carolina and 15 other institutions.

The event is sponsored by the Low Country Men of the Church, of Hilton Head, and strives to foster ethical decision making by utilizing Christian moral values. It also seeks to help students realize they can be successful in their careers and be ethical.

Students will participate in intensive small group case study discussions about ethical issues involved in the work place that are moderated by retired CEOs and persons active in major corporations, as well as nonprofit organizations and service programs. They will hear prominent leaders talk about their journeys and the difficult ethical decisions they have had to make along the way.

The 2015 keynote speakers for the symposium were Dr. Nancy Taft and Joanne Brandes. Taft is a surgeon at a large not-for-profit hospital in Chicago and a veteran of two tours of duty to Afghanistan in her role as a Lt. Col. in the U.S. Army, where she directed a trauma unit performing surgery on U.S. soldiers serving there. Bramdes is a retired executive vice-president, CAO, general counsel and secretary of the Johnson Diversey division of the S.C. Johnson worldwide company.

Two current Catawba seniors, Jevgenij Gamper and Rafal Baran, attended the 2015 symposium.

Baran reflected on his experience, “By planning my future in accounting, I am aware of the importance of ethics in the world of business. . . . Real world examples presented during the speeches of representatives of the major U.S. companies gave me an insight into the environment, which I, as a senior, will be exploring very soon.”

“This was a terrific opportunity to join fellow students in insightful debates and discussions on a variety of ethical dilemmas,” Gamper said, “and  an outstanding chance to meet and network with executives from different industries who are ready to share their lifelong experiences — these are the two main features which make the Ethics Symposium such a great experience.”

The Catawba students were accompanied by the Rev. Dr. Kenneth Clapp, chaplain and senior vice-president who teaches a course on business ethics in the Ketner School of Business and has served as a facilitator for the faculty sessions at the Hilton Head Symposium.