Excerpted from Decision Skills for Colleges. Copyright 2008, Institute for Global Ethics
Miguel and Luis have been friends since freshman year and have just moved into an apartment off campus. They were getting along pretty well at first, but now Luis’s behavior is causing some conflicts. He stays up late playing his stereo or watching TV with the volume very loud. He knows that Miguel has an 8:30 A.M. class, but doesn’t seem to care. When asked to turn down the volume, Luis complies, but after a few minutes it’s right back where it was. He’s constantly using Miguel’s things without asking and has done things like spill beer on Miguel’s computer without telling Miguel or bothering to clean it up.
Still, Luis has been a good friend and they have a great time hanging out. Luis also has said how much he likes living in the apartment with Miguel as opposed to living on campus. Although staying in the apartment would be cheaper than moving out and Miguel doesn’t want to risk losing his friendship with Luis, he wonders how long he can cope with leaving things as they are.
Excerpted from Decision Skills for Colleges. Copyright 2008, Institute for Global Ethics
Natalie is a resident advisor in one of the dorms on campus. One night while walking through the dorm she comes across a group of her friends. A few of them are holding beer cans, but she knows only one is twenty-one years old and of legal drinking age. They make no attempts to hide the cans; they’re sure she won’t care. But Natalie does care because it’s part of her job as an R.A. to make sure that the rules are being followed. If people were harmed or property damaged because they were drinking, she could be held responsible.
In the past, Natalie has asked her friends who are underage to be discreet and not drink in front of her. On the few occasions when they have used alcohol in her presence, she has merely given them warnings, even though she hasn’t been as lenient with other students. This time, Natalie wonders if she should make another exception for them. She would hate for them to get into trouble, but she doesn’t feel she can keep giving them special treatment.
Excerpted from Decision Skills for Colleges. Copyright 2008, Institute for Global Ethics
Dave is spending a typical Friday night in his dorm. A crowd of students is in the dorm and everyone is having a great time. He and some friends are planning to go out later, but for the moment they’re hanging out and enjoying the party.
Eventually, Dave and his friends decide to take off. On his way out, Dave sees two of the guys who live next to him smash the window and lights. He decides to ignore it for the time being.
The next afternoon the resident advisor of the dorm calls a meeting. He tells the students that during last night’s party, a number of windows and lights were broken. The R.A. tells his residents that the whole dorm is going to have to pay for the repairs unless it’s discovered who is responsible. This is not the first time residents have had to pay for someone else’s vandalism and costs are adding up.
Dave knows who the culprits are. He’s always gotten along pretty well with them and considers them friends, but he doesn’t like the thought of having to pay for damage he didn’t do. Dave hopes the guys will own up to it. But if they don’t, he’s got to figure out how to handle the situation.
Excerpted from Building Decision Skills, 4th edition. Copyright 2008, Institute for Global Ethics
A new tenant has just moved into the apartment directly below Michael’s. She seems nice and has a golden retriever just like Michael has. While Michael doesn’t see much of his new neighbor, he can hear her come and go, and occasionally they cross paths outside while walking their dogs. One day, Michael notices the apartment downstairs is unusually quiet. While he hears the dog padding around from time to time, there is no sign of his neighbor. That evening, Michael checks the parking lot and sees that his neighbor’s car is gone. Some other tenants in the building comment that she has gone away for the weekend.
Early the next day, Michael begins to hear whimpering in the apartment below. The golden retriever, Michael thinks, needs to go out, needs to be fed, or could be hurt. Michael likes his new neighbor, and feels sure she must have been delayed in returning to her dog. If Michael calls the animal shelter, she could be charged with cruelty to animals. Yet what if the dog really needs help? What should Michael do?
Nancy was proud to be participating on her college Honor Council. She was expected to behave with the utmost integrity and she had added responsibilities. She enjoyed the opportunity to serve her college.
Nancy had many friends and her birthday was fast approaching. Julie headed up the effort to get Nancy a special present – tickets to her favorite group’s upcoming concert. Everyone really wanted the present to be a surprise for Nancy. Julie decided the best approach was to put the concert tickets on Nancy’s desk in her dorm room. As a senior on campus, Nancy had her own room in one of the best dormitories. When her birthday finally arrived, everyone pretended they’d overlooked it, and Julie devised a plan for the surprise.
While Nancy was in class, Julie lied to a campus security guard, telling him that she’d locked herself out of her room. She convinced the guard to let her into Nancy’s room, and she left the present sitting on Nancy’s desk.
When Nancy first discovered the tickets, she was elated about the opportunity to go to the concert, and touched by how many friends had pitched in to make this happen. As she began thinking about the situation however, she wondered how the tickets and card could have landed on her desk. She inquired gently, and learned that Julie had lied her way in.
Now Nancy feels she’s faced with a dilemma. She is a member of the Honor Council and feels she has certain standards to uphold and respect. While leaving a present in her room was harmless, lying to get in might not be. Julie did a nice thing for her, but what if other Honor Council members found out? If she overlooks the incident is she showing favoritism to Julie and undermining the purpose of the Honor Council? Yet if she knows that Julie’s intention was completely well meaning and an act of friendship wouldn’t it be heartless and unfriendly to raise the issue?
© 2008 Institute for Global Ethics®. All Rights Reserved.
Comments (0) 
Themocracy