October Programs to Address Freedom of Expression in Cyberspace; Women's Leadership

October 1 -- Facebook, blogs, Twitter and other online media have made us all publishers. But what risks and responsibilities come with the territory? When, if ever, should others have a say in what we post in cyberspace? Student and faculty panelists will explore these timely issues at a forum entitled, Freedom of Expression in Cyberspace: Who Should Decide What You Publish? The program will be held Thursday, Oct. 1, at 1 p.m. is co-sponsored by the Mann Center, University Library, the Journalism and Mass Communication Department, and the University Fellows program.

October 19 -- Dr. Betty L. Siegel will speak on Women's Leadership: An Invitational Approach to Success on Monday, Oct. 19, at 3 p.m. in the Mann Center's A. Gerow Hodges Lectures in Ethics and Leadership. She is president emeritus of Kennesaw State University, Georgia's third-largest university, where she served as president for 25 years and was the longest-serving female president of a college or university in the United States. Dr. Siegel is an internationally known speaker and currently holds Kennesaw's Distinguished Chair of Leadership, Ethics and Character.

Both programs are open to the public and will be held on the Samford Univerity campus in the Brock Forum of Dwight Beeson Hall.

Are Universities Responsible for Financial Crisis? Global Scholars Call for Curricular Reform

Mann Center Director John Knapp was among an international group of scholars who issued a joint statement last month calling attention to higher education's complicity in ethical failures precipitating the global financial crisis. The signers were Fellows of the Caux Round Table (CRT), an international organization of leaders in business, government and education that promotes principles for responsible economic activity.

Meeting in Switzerland, representatives of universities in Europe, North America and Asia agreed that educators too often emphasize "technical competencies and practical skills, with little consideration for broader social responsibilities and expectations for principled behavior. This incomplete approach to professional education reflects a disdain for the ethical dimension of practice and was partially to blame for the recent massive market failures."

The statement continues, "Graduates of professional schools should learn to serve the public interest and the common good, for true professionals integrate and balance the application of technical skills with responsiveness to the legitimate needs and interests of others. The pillars of such professionalism are (1) stewardship of the interests of others, (2) earned trust through their diligence and discipline, and (3) specialized competence to exercise autonomous discretion and informed judgment. . . . Thus, professional responsibility may be understood as the capacity to respond fully to the needs and interests of those who depend upon the professionals’ skills, and the ability to exercise these skills in an ethical manner."

News and Views

Forty years after the Woodstock music festival underscored generational differences in America, the public today sees less conflict between older and younger adults, according to a new study by Pew Research Center. However, by "lopsided margins" the public rates older adults as superior to younger adults in "moral values, work ethic and respect for others. Even younger adults share in these assessments." The sole exception is in attitudes about race, where a plurality of the public gives younger adults higher marks.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) now requires ethics plans from institutions applying for grants. Applicants must demonstrate how they will provide training and oversight to assure ethical research conduct by undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers. The announcement last month states, "The responsible and ethical conduct of research (RCR) is critical for excellence, as well as public trust, inscience and engineering. Consequently, education in RCR is considered essential in the preparation of future scientists and engineers."

A Labor Day survey finds that the recession is taking a toll on Americans' attitudes at work. According to the study by Harris Interactive for the employment firm Adecco, two-thirds are dissatisfied with their compensation, half are unhappy with their bosses, and six in ten feel they get too little support from their colleagues. Seventy-seven percent say their leaders lack vision.