Counselor Education Doctoral Students Place First in National Ethics Competition

A team of graduate students from Old Dominion University's counselor education program captured first place in the doctoral student category of the recent American Counseling Association (ACA) Graduate Student Ethics Competition. Teams from ODU took second place in the event for the last two years.

In a letter to ODU Professor Ed Neukrug, Stephanie Dailey of the ACA's Office of Ethics and Professional Standards wrote: "Becky Michel, Joe Davis, Anita Neuer and Jodi Slaughter showed exemplary work in critically analyzing the case scenario and created an exceptional ethical decision making plan to respond to the ethical situation."

The scenario involved an elementary school counselor who was seeking professional guidance regarding her ethical responsibility to share confidential information with her principal about students and parents of students she counsels.

"The team developed a complex, thoughtful and scholarly response to a very difficult ethical dilemma. Bravo to them for their hard work on this," said Neukrug, professor of counseling and human services, who served as the liaison between the ODU team and the ACA. "For the past two years the team has come in second place, and last year the team missed first place by one point. So we obviously are doing quite well."

Added Danica Hays, ODU associate professor and counseling graduate program director, "ACA ethics teams generally reflect 'the best of the best' counselor trainees, and I am quite pleased that the rigorous work of our students is being recognized at a national level."

Each first-place team member will receive a $75 gift certificate to the ACA Bookstore, an ACA Ethics competition winner's certificate and a letter of recognition from ACA President Lynn Linde. These will be presented at the ACA Annual Conference & Exposition in Pittsburgh in March.

The students' names, institutions and responses will also be published in the March edition of Counseling Today and posted on the ACA Web site, www.counseling.org.