2008 Woodie Awards
Milgard School of Business teaches more than profit
University partners with local businesses to promote social responsibility.
Beth S. Elliott
Issue date: 5/8/08 Section: Husky Voices
Social responsibility belongs to everyone. The Center for Leadership and Social Responsibility, part of University of Washington Tacoma's Milgard School of Business, focuses their program on that principle. Executive Director Joe Lawless oversees the center, which began about two years ago.
The center aims "to develop socially responsible leaders who build sustainable organizations and communities."
Lawless, a UWT alumnus, says the center works to create opportunities between three facets: students, faculty and businesses.
In April, the center held a forum on corporate social responsibility. Organizers invited representatives from two leading northwest corporations, Starbucks and Microsoft, to discuss their views on socially responsible business practices. About 80 attendees, including students, faculty and community members, gathered at the Washington State History Museum to hear the discussion.
"Businesses talked about how they look at social responsibility and how it plays out in their business," Lawless said.
Another avenue the center is exploring is implementing a student honor code. More than just having a set of rules for the school, Lawless sees the honor code as a way to create a culture of integrity and integrate those values into who we are as a campus.
The first honor code was instituted by then governor Thomas Jefferson in 1776 at the College of William and Mary in Virginia. Today, some of the most rigorous honor codes exist in U.S. Federal military academies. Some of the mostly highly respected law schools also adhere to honor code systems, though not as strict.
The Foster School of Business, as part of the Seattle campus, has an honor code already in place. Their code states "cheating, attempted cheating, plagiarism, lying, and stealing in relation to academic work is prohibited."
Before beginning classes, students must sign a statement agreeing to conform to and uphold the Honor Code.
Lawless is also working with Dr. Jill Purdy on getting students involved in not-for-profit organizations in the area.
The center aims "to develop socially responsible leaders who build sustainable organizations and communities."
Lawless, a UWT alumnus, says the center works to create opportunities between three facets: students, faculty and businesses.
In April, the center held a forum on corporate social responsibility. Organizers invited representatives from two leading northwest corporations, Starbucks and Microsoft, to discuss their views on socially responsible business practices. About 80 attendees, including students, faculty and community members, gathered at the Washington State History Museum to hear the discussion.
"Businesses talked about how they look at social responsibility and how it plays out in their business," Lawless said.
Another avenue the center is exploring is implementing a student honor code. More than just having a set of rules for the school, Lawless sees the honor code as a way to create a culture of integrity and integrate those values into who we are as a campus.
The first honor code was instituted by then governor Thomas Jefferson in 1776 at the College of William and Mary in Virginia. Today, some of the most rigorous honor codes exist in U.S. Federal military academies. Some of the mostly highly respected law schools also adhere to honor code systems, though not as strict.
The Foster School of Business, as part of the Seattle campus, has an honor code already in place. Their code states "cheating, attempted cheating, plagiarism, lying, and stealing in relation to academic work is prohibited."
Before beginning classes, students must sign a statement agreeing to conform to and uphold the Honor Code.
Lawless is also working with Dr. Jill Purdy on getting students involved in not-for-profit organizations in the area.
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Yogi Patel
posted 5/08/08 @ 10:05 PM PST
It was great that we had a conference like that held close to campus.
What's not great is that the notification/invitation for this event was emailed out *one* day prior to the event actually occurring. (Continued…)
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