CASE STUDY 1: STATE UNIVERSITY BOARD REGENTS:

What Am I Living For?

Question: Is there anything wrong with actions of the three personalities in this case?
Elaborate your answer.

Upon studying the given case, it is clearly shown that the actions of the three
personalities are evidently wrong and impractical especially that all of them are to be considered
as public servants of the common good – the students.

The three personalities involved in the case has said to be greedy to power and authority
in which they perform unethical actions to satisfy their personal vested interest. Therefore, they
are all guilty in conflict of interest.

To discussed it in detailed approach, Dr. Agao, as the university president, is expected to

be fair and just in making huge decision that may affect the lives of the student body. Increasing
the tuition fee is feasible and relevant, if and only if it is properly studied and not only decided
abruptly based on personal interest. But in the case presented, Dr. Agao proposed to increase the
tuition fee in the university because he might benefit something from doing so. Using his
authority as the president, everything will definitely be under for his approval. Dr. Agao’s
actions have multiple hidden interests which caters his greed to money. Due to his selfish
reasons, he created a risk voluntarily defused before any corruption occurs. Making him able to
manipulate the whole board of regents and the director as well, Mr. Bundoc.

On the other note, Mr. Bundoc and Ms. Bundoc actions towards the interest of the Dr.
Agao is still considered as a conflict in interest. Ms. Bundoc being directly connected in terms
of business to the university through catering services makes it appeared that they are indebted in
every future proposal of Dr. Agao since the latter provided a great opportunity for Mrs. Bundoc
to attain a lucrative source of income. The wife here as seen made the wrong decision to allow
any connections from the university president involving financial matters. She failed to
acknowledge that being a wife of a Mr. Bundoc, who established and appointed the university
board regents. and her involvement and direct transaction in the university’s catering services as
a ‘wife’ is a major conflict of interest. Mr. Bundoc, on the other hand, now became awkward
towards the actions of Dr. Agao, therefore became easily swayed, influenced and manipulated
because they are said to be ‘indebted’. This locked up situation could be prevented if Mr. Bundoc
did not allow any involvement of his wife at all. But he let his wife continue doing business with
the university which later on made him vulnerable to accept selfish requests from Dr. Agao.

To sum it up, the three personalities in the case presented should and definitely not
allowed to create judgements based on their selfish personal ego. Ms. Bundoc accepted the bribe
from Dr. Agao for the sake of her own good – to earn money. And Mr. Bundoc should have
stood up for what is right, fair, and just for the sake of many. Even there is threat around him, he
should not be easily swayed rather become more confident to make practical and ethical
decisions. He has the own cognitive ability and reasoning to decide, and this should not be
affected by anyone even his own wife, but he failed.

In the field of academics, they should be fair as they are the first ones expected to do
common good for the university and for the students, nothing more.