Faced with the
prospect of entering a business world that has been rocked with
scandal in the past few years, accounting students at Millsaps College
decided to confront the issue of business ethics head-on.
Student members of Beta Alpha Psi, the international accounting
honorary, envisioned a week long symposium entitled, "Acts
of Conscience in the Workplace." Dr. Jeffrey Wigand, the corporate
whistle-blower who was the subject of the 1999 movie, The Insider,
seemed to be the obvious choice as a featured speaker at the symposium,
which will be held January 31 through February 3 at Millsaps College.
Mississippi Baptist Medical Center and AmSouth Bank are sponsors
for this event.
"We wanted to hear from someone who had faced a real ethical
dilemma, made a decision, and lived with the consequences,"
said Irena Zaneva, senior accounting student at Millsaps.
Dr. Kimberly Burke, associate professor of accounting at the Else
School of Management at Millsaps, made the initial contact with
Dr. Wigand. "I was truly impressed with the depth of his commitment
to talking to young people about the impact one individual's commitment
to ethics can make in the workplace. As a result, we were able to
build an entire program of events around Dr. Wigand's appearance."
The symposium begins Monday, Jan. 31, with a faculty colloquium,
"Who We Are: Honor, Integrity, and Character in the Workplace,"
from 11:30 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. in Room 215 of the Ford Academic
Complex. Dr. Patrick Hopkins, Dr. Ken Harmon and Dr. Sarah Lea McGuire,
all of Millsaps College, will chair the discussions. This event
is free and open to the public.
On Tuesday, Feb. 1 the motion picture, The Insider, will
be screened at 4:15 and 6:30 p.m. in Room 215 of the Ford Academic
Complex. The showings are free and open to the public.
On Wednesday, Feb. 2, winners of the student ethics essay competition
will present their entries. This competition is open to juniors,
seniors and graduate students of the College, and is designed to
challenge students to analyze significant ethical issues and write
thought-provoking essays. These presentations will take place between
6:30 and 8 p.m. in Room 215 of the Ford Academic Complex and are
free and open to the public.
On Thursday, Feb. 3, a lunch and panel discussion featuring Dr.
Wigand will take place in the Leggett Center between 11:30 a.m.
and 1 p.m. Mike Moore, former Mississippi attorney general, is slated
to participate in the panel discussion with Dr. Wigand. The lunch
is open to public at a cost of $15. Seating is limited and reservations
are required by Feb. 1. Call 601-974-1250 for reservations. Also
on Thursday, Wigand will deliver a lecture at 7 p.m. in the Leggett
Center. This lecture is open to the public with limited seating.
Tickets are available at the door for $5.
For more information on the symposium, contact Martha Lee at the
Else School of Management at Millsaps College, 601-974-1250 or leemm@millsaps.edu.
