Poe Center hosts first annual ROTC ethics case competition

GAINESVILLE, Fla. –  The Poe Business Ethics Center hosted the first annual UF ROTC Ethics Case Competition in April. The Navy ROTC team won the competition with the Air Force ROTC team placing second.

ROTC members were asked to present on the decision by Apple to refuse the FBI’s request to create a “backdoor” in their technology in order to gather potential intelligence on the iPhone of a terrorist. Both teams prepared a presentation structured around their ideas and opinions of Apple’s decision and presented their thoughts to a panel of judges composed of representatives of UF’s ROTC Committee. The majority of those competing were graduating seniors will be commissioned as military officers this spring.

The midshipmen of the Navy ROTC program were thrilled with their victory and said they learned a great deal during the preparation for the event as well as the competition itself.

“This competition was a great opportunity for us to examine real life ethical dilemmas and to figure out ultimately what course of action would be for the greater good,” Midshipman Nick Grossi said.

Teammate Eric Campbell added, “It was a great opportunity to be able to brief a detailed topic to a group of distinguished people and then get feedback that will help us in our futures as military officers.”

“It was rewarding to see these future leaders of American’s sons and daughters in uniform wrestle with difficult issues. These are exactly the types of hard calls that they will have to make in a war zone,” said Dr. Brian Ray, Director of the Poe Business Ethics Center. “The Poe Center looks forward to hosting additional ethics case competitions across campus next year to help Gator grads in their professional development. We all want Gator grads who are determined to make a positive contribution to the ethical culture in the workplace and their communities.”