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A U n i v e r s i t y D o n o r w i t h a C h e c k e r e d

F o r m e r E m p l o y e r

Author: Anita Varma, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, April 2020

A STEM-focused university has just kicked off a new campaign

for the current year. The target is unprecedented for this

particular university, but the goal is to push hard to expand the

university in an effort to serve more students who seek to enter

STEM fields. You join the university’s fundraising team largely

because of your belief in the university’s mission, vision, and

values. Specifically, you’re pleased to see that this university

aims to help diversify STEM, starting with accepting a diverse

group of students from historically underrepresented

backgrounds.

One afternoon, you receive a call from a donor who identifies

as a retired employee of a financial group that is well-known –

for a troubling reason: this financial group was in the news

during the 2008 recession and admitted to predatory lending

practices. You immediately remember the intense outrage

when the financial group said publicly that they targeted single

moms since the financial group’s leader at the time said, “They

wouldn’t know better than to take the loan.”

The donor on the phone worked at the company and retired

before any of these issues arose, however. At the same time,

the donor’s name is associated with the financial group. The

donor tells you that they would not only like to make a

donation this year but plans to make ongoing donations in an

effort to give back to the community.

Things to Consider:

Does it make a difference that the donor was not with the financial group during

the 2008 controversy?

If a prospective student’s mother informed you that she was targeted by this

financial group during the recession, would that change your position?

O B J E C T I V E

-Please see the appendix in your syllabus for

very clear instructions

-Be sure to incorporate the Ethical Decision

Making Model from Ch. 2

-Please complete a case analysis worksheet

before beginning to write your case analysis

-DO NOT USE BULLETS IN YOUR WRITTEN CASE

ANALYSIS

-please write in paragraphs/essay format

D U E D A T E :

The final copy of this assignment is due on

Canvas by 11:59pm on

July 31, 2020