North Carolina Wesleyan University’s Ethics Bowl team earned second place out of 17 participating institutions at the 15th Annual NCICU Ethics Bowl, marking the strongest finish in the University’s history.
The competition was held at the North Carolina State Legislative Complex and brought together undergraduate teams from North Carolina’s independent colleges and universities to engage in thoughtful, moderated discussions on complex ethical issues.
“We are deeply proud of this team,” said Dr. Joe Lane, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at North Carolina Wesleyan University. “They demonstrated great devotion, teamwork, and understanding throughout the competition.”
NCWU advanced through the regular rounds with an undefeated 4–0 record, securing wins against Catawba College, Salem College, Barton College, and Mars Hill University. The team then earned a victory over Wingate University in the semifinal round before falling to Johnson C. Smith University in the final round to claim second place overall. The final decision was closely contested.
“This was the most fun team I’ve ever been on,” said Niana Gunter, senior and team member. “I learned a lot about formulating an argument in conjunction with other people.”
Senior team member Shafiq Jair Nuijts reflected on the experience, adding, “Going into this bowl, I was nervous considering the tremendous amount of work my teammates and I put into this. Seeing the results of our efforts pay off in this manner was an unforgettable experience.”
This year’s finish represents a milestone for NCWU, surpassing the team’s previous best performance of third place at the 2020 Ethics Bowl.
The award was presented by Dr. A. Hope Williams, President of the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU).
Competition Highlights
Throughout the day, NCWU students addressed a range of contemporary ethical topics, including corporate responsibility, international relations in global sporting events, the ethics of weapons of mass destruction, public education reform, civil-military leadership, and funding public schools during financial crises.
Team Members
Pictured (left to right; students in bold):
- Deon Bailey, Sophomore
- Dr. Jarrod Kelly
- Jolyna Sundbom, Junior
- Dr. Shane Thompson
- Dr. A. Hope Williams, President, NCICU
- Shafiq Nuijts, Senior
- Niana Gunter, Senior
- Dr. Jason Buel
- Maxima Iglesias, Senior
Not pictured: Dunya Salem, Senior, who is a member of the team but was unable to attend the competition.
Participating Institutions
The 2026 Ethics Bowl included teams from:
Barton College, Campbell University, Catawba College, Gardner-Webb University, High Point University, Johnson C. Smith University, Livingstone College, Mars Hill University, Methodist University, Montreat College, Pfeiffer University, Queens University, Salem College, University of Mount Olive, William Peace University, Wingate University, and North Carolina Wesleyan University.
The NCICU Ethics Bowl promotes civil discourse, ethical reasoning, and collaborative problem-solving—skills central to North Carolina Wesleyan University’s commitment to academic excellence and student development.
NC Wesleyan Receives Grant to Fund iBelong Male Mentoring Program℠
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – North Carolina Wesleyan University was recently awarded a grant from NC Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) to help fund the iBelong Male Mentoring Program℠. The grant will be utilized to create opportunities for black male students to engage in a variety of activities that offer academic learning, emotional support, job readiness preparation, and cultural experiences such as field trips, movie nights and counseling sessions.
The NCICU iBelong Male Mentoring Program℠ provides funding to implement strategies designed to increase the retention and graduation rates of minority males at member campuses through mentoring, life coaching and educational forums. NC Wesleyan University joins 13 other NCICU campuses with iBelong Male Mentoring Programs. Dr. Kelvin Spragley, NCWU’s Director of Teacher Education and Coordinator of Diversity and Inclusion Programming is providing leadership for this initiative.
“Mentoring programs for college and university students have been proven effective at increasing engagement, as well as persistence and completion rates for participants. This is especially true for male students of color,” stated Dr. Kelvin Spragley. “Studies have shown that African-American students have very different experiences than their majority colleagues, among these are feelings of isolation and lower levels of campus engagement. I’m honored to help guide and mentor these young men through their college experience.”
The iBelong Male Mentoring Program℠ at NC Wesleyan University is working through Black Men Winning, a recently created student organization devoted to uplifting and assisting African-American males in a holistic manner. The Black Men Winning student organization has already scheduled activities for the spring 2023 term, including a field trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a Motivational Speaker Forum, Interview Workshops, STEM Forum Participation, and a Policing and the Black Community Forum. Currently, the program has 21 participants. For more information about the program, including how to partner with the University in this initiative, please contact Dr. Spragley at kspragley@ncwu.edu.
About North Carolina Wesleyan University
North Carolina Wesleyan University (NCWU) is a small, private Methodist-affiliated institution with a liberal arts-based core curriculum that prepares students for professional advancement, life-long learning and responsible participation in their communities. NCWU offers liberal arts, professional and graduate degree programs for traditional, transfer and working-adult students. The skills cultivated by faculty and built into the curriculum include critical thinking and reflection, communication, collaboration, and information technology. North Carolina Wesleyan University delivers education that is personal, practical and purpose-driven. Personal…through mentoring and the connections that are provided. Practical…by helping students develop lifelong skills. Purpose-driven…by helping them fulfill their purpose in life. With students from all over the United States and more than 40 different countries, the University has immense cultural diversity. To learn more, visit ncwu.edu and follow on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram.
