The Mu Delta chapter of Beta Alpha Psi at Ohio Northern University’s James F. Dicke College of Business Administration has been named a semifinalist for the Beta Alpha Psi Ethics Award sponsored by Grant Thornton LLC.

The 2012-13 award is made up of two parts: an abstract of a planned ethics project and a final submission of the results.

ONU’s abstract outlined a plan to conduct an Ethics Day on campus to provide an avenue for high school students to think about ethical issues.

During the event, Beta Alpha Psi will pose an ethical dilemma to high school students with an emphasis on the importance of ethical behavior and how an ethical decision can be made. 

The group also will coordinate a guest speaker, provide lunch and distribute prizes while maintaining a budget for the event. The event will be measured by a quick feedback survey at the end of Ethics Day.

Melissa Hickman, associate professor of accounting, and Matthew Phillips, assistant professor of accounting, served as advisers.

Each of the 10 semifinalist schools received $1,000 from Grant Thornton to help implement the proposed event. Their final submissions will be evaluated by a review committee, and up to four winners will be awarded $2,500 each at the Beta Alpha Psi Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif., this August.

Beta Alpha Psi is an honorary organization for accounting, finance and information systems students. The primary objective of Beta Alpha Psi is to encourage and give recognition to scholastic and professional excellence in the business information field.

The mission of the Ethics Award is to encourage the members of Beta Alpha Psi and their communities to develop a solid ethical foundation and to empower them to act on these principles no matter the situation faced.