The Neely and Jack Purcell Program on Ethics, Honor and Leadership
The Neely and Jack Purcell Program on Ethics, Honor and Leadership seeks to create a national model for how liberal arts colleges can foster academic integrity, personal responsibility, and ethical leadership development.
Grounded in a community-wide commitment to trust and honor, it will serve as the academic home for the institution’s Honor Code and related initiatives. Through research, education, and practice, the program explores core values such as honesty, fairness, and moral courage.
3rd Annual
National Convening of Honor Councils
Nov. 6–7
This event brings together student leaders, faculty and staff from leading liberal arts institutions to learn and think about character and honor on campus, and wrestle with AI, ethical issues, and campus cultures.
Ethics Bowl
The North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities sponsors an annual ethics bowl where students respond to case scenarios, demonstrating their ability to identify ethical issues, think deeply about strategies for resolving conflicts, and articulate the moral reasoning supporting their positions. The competition also prompts students to pose ethical questions to the opposing team.
Davidson’s team, consisting of six members and two alternates, will be chosen this fall for the competition in Raleigh in February 2027. Details on how to apply will be posted in the fall semester. Students should stay tuned to the Martin Institute’s WildcatSync portal for details.
As part of our goal to foster academic collaboration that builds students' capacity for ethical leadership and public solutions, the IPG offers faculty grants to support the thoughtful incorporation of character development into their courses.
We define character broadly, encompassing many forms across the liberal arts, such as ethical reasoning, civic engagement, artistic expression, historical inquiry, and social responsibility. The initiative encourages students to reflect on living with integrity, acting with empathy, and contributing to the public good. Faculty from all disciplines are welcome to apply, and we encourage diverse approaches that reflect the richness of the liberal arts and Davidson’s commitment to educating the whole person.