Betty Siegel to Speak Oct. 19 on Women's Leadership

Dr. Betty L. Siegel will speak Monday, Oct. 19, on Women's Leadership: An Invitational Approach, as part of 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.

The 3 p.m. program is open to the public and will be held at the university's Brock Forum in Dwight Beeson Hall. Samford students will earn Convo credit.

Toyota Executive to Address Diversity at November Programs for Students, Businesses

Jerome Miller, Toyota USA's vice president for diversity and social responsibility, will speak to campus and community audiences during a two-day visit in November. At Samford on Thursday, Nov. 5, he will lead students, faculty and guests in considering the question, How Do You Fit Into The Diversity Picture? The 10 a.m. program in the university's Reid Chapel is part of the continuing series, the A. Gerow Hodges Lectures in Ethics and Leadership. The following day he will address the annual Diversity Summit of the Birmingham Business Alliance in an opening session sponsored by Samford.

Miller is an internationally known leader in diversity management who has held senior executive positions at Toyota, Delta Air Lines, The Coca-Cola Company and Intercontinental Hotels.

Teaching and Research at Samford

An essay on Value-Based Deaning was published recently by Judge John L. Carroll, Dean of Samford University's Cumberland School of Law. He argues that law schools can be more successful if their leaders are committed to "sharing power, open communication and transparency, servant leadership, and respect for everyone." The essay appears in the University of Toledo Law Review.

The Samford University Library has published a web-based resource guide on issues related to social media. This is a follow-up to the Oct. 1 program on Freedom of Expression in Cyberspace, conducted by the Mann Center, University Library, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, and University Fellows. The well-attended forum featured a panel of students and faculty exploring the risks and responsibilities inherent in social media and online publishing.

News and Views

Transparency International has published its 2009 Global Corruption Report, a useful handbook that describes strategies for tackling corruption in business, areas needing reform, and ways for companies, governments, investors and others to raise corporate integrity and meet "the challenges that corruption poses to sustainable economic growth and development." Related Resources: 2009 Global Corruption Report;Transparency International.

Thirty-five percent of students ages 13 to 18 have used cell phones to cheat in the classroom, either by texting answers to others or by storing information on a phone, according to a survey for Common Sense Media by the Benenson Strategy Group. More than 40 percent of these students do not see their behaviors as serious cheating offenses. Meanwhile, three-quarters of parents say that cell phone cheating happens at their teens’ schools, but only 3 percent believe their own teen has ever used a cell phone to cheat. The study reports that teens with cell phones send 440 text messages a week and 110 a week while in the classroom. Related Resource: Report of Survey Findings.

A "Manifesto for a Global Economic Ethic" was published Oct. 6 by a UN-led consortium of organizations. Calling for multi-stakeholder dialog, the document builds on the 1993 Parliament of World Religions’ Declaration towards a Global Ethic by espousing five "universally acceptable" values: the principle of humanity; non-violence and respect for life; justice and solidarity; honesty and tolerance; and mutual esteem and partnership. Related Resource: Manifesto for a Global Economic Ethic.

Also at the UN, more than 1,000 companies have been delisted by the Global Compact since 2008 for failing to meet the mandatory annual reporting requirement, or Communication on Progress (COP) policy. Business members of the Global Compact agree to report annually on progress in implementing ten principles covering human rights, workplace standards, the environment, and anti-corruption. The Global Compact continues to grow at a rate of roughly 100 new companies per month, with total participants now numbering over 7,000 organizations in more than 135 countries. Related Resources: Names of Delisted Companies; UN Global Compact.