Ethics - Introduction

Deciding What's Right: Ethics for Daniels Scholars

Having to choose the right thing to do is not new to you. You’ve probably faced many situations with friends, peers, teammates, coworkers, and maybe even relatives or supervisors that presented an uncomfortable choice. Perhaps a friend asked to borrow your notes for an important exam he forgot about. You may have seen a teammate buying drugs or a coworker taking tips that didn’t belong to her.

These situations are examples of “ethical dilemmas.” What makes them so difficult to deal with is that whatever action you take may cause you to violate a value or principle that is important to you. If you give your friend the notes, you are condoning cheating. If you don’t, you’re being disloyal. If you ignore your teammate’s drug use, you’re putting your team’s performance in jeopardy. If you tell your coach, you are a snitch.

Up until now, you may have relied on your “gut” to guide you in these situations. If something didn’t feel right, you didn’t do it. In college and throughout your life, you’re likely to face many more ethical dilemmas. The information and exercises in this booklet are designed to help you go beyond your gut feelings about right and wrong and discover the core values and principles that determine who you are as a person and how you will act throughout your life.

Fortunately, not every important decision in your life is an ethical dilemma. Choosing which college to attend was a very important decision, and it involved deciding the “right” college for you. But you didn’t have to examine your beliefs about who you are as a person and how you should act—or want to act—in the world. Ethical dilemmas make you do that.

This web site was created for you by the National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE®)in partnership with the Daniels Fund. We are grateful for the advice and assistance provided by Sam Cassidy, J.D., Clinical Professor, and Ruth Jebe, J.D., M.S.M., Senior Lecturer, in the Department of Business Ethics and Legal Studies at the University of Denver Daniels College of Business.

Bill Daniels was a Denver business pioneer, entrepreneur, and visionary leader. He also was a man who believed deeply in conducting his business ventures—and his personal life—with commitment, integrity, and honesty. He dedicated his considerable personal fortune to programs that would help others and pass on his values. Bill’s contribution to the University of Denver in the 1980s laid the groundwork for the Daniels College of Business Values Based Leadership program, which continues to meet society’s demand for strong ethical leaders. His funding of the Daniels Scholar program, which includes this focus on ethics, shows his belief in you and his desire to see that you have the tools you need to be an ethical leader in every facet of the exciting future that lies ahead of you.

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