About

Learn about the history of the Partners in Business Ethics Symposium as well as the Honor and Integrity program at the Smeal College of Business.

Overview of Partners in Business Ethics

The Partners in Business Ethics Symposium, first launched and co-hosted by the Penn State Smeal College of Business and American Express in 2010, is designed to promote business ethics in academia and corporate America. Corporations and business school deans share ideas, challenges, and best practices in preparing young professionals to lead with integrity in today’s workplace.

Vision: To strengthen the integrity connection between business and business education.

Mission: To connect business school deans, thought leaders in business ethics, and corporate leaders and foster dialogue among them and a shared commitment to promoting integrity and ethical behavior.

Goals:

  1. Bridge the gap between corporate business ethics and business school business ethics by connecting leaders from both worlds and creating an opportunity for dialogue.
  2. Share best practices for creating and sustaining integrity initiatives and cultures in business and business schools.
  3. Build upon the latest research and practice to brainstorm innovative ways to build integrity into business school curricula as well as business school and business cultures.
  4.  Gain commitments for new initiatives that would be reported upon at the following meeting.

New Project & Future Metrics: Create a “Business Ethics Initiative” for the corporate world and the business school community to sign, embrace, and implement to promote integrity and ethical behavior in business and the business school environment. Best practices to be shared at future symposia.

Partners in Business Ethics Steering Committee:

Membership of Steering Committee:

Jennifer Eury, Smeal College of Business at Penn State
Mark Meaney, Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder
Robert Prentice, McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin
Gretchen Winter, The College of Business at Illinois

Responsibilities of Steering Committee:

  • Attend the annual Partners in Business Ethics Symposium.
  • Review host school proposals and select schools to host the next symposia.
  • Assist host school with planning the symposium, as needed.
  • Evaluate the organization’s progress relative to the “Business Ethics Initiative.”
  • Respond to inquiries related to the Partners in Business Ethics Symposium.
  • Attend quarterly conference calls.

Partners in Business Ethics Symposium Attendees: A network of individuals, including business school deans, thought leaders in business ethics, and corporate leaders, who are committed to addressing ethics and its unique impact on the interdependent communities. Each attending dean is encouraged to bring a corporate adviser or board member to also participate.

Partners in Business Ethics Host Schools:

Past host schools of Partners in Business Ethics Symposium:

Upcoming host schools of Partners in Business Ethics Symposium:

  • 2017 - Penn State Smeal College of Business
  • 2018 - The College of Business at Illinois & the Center for Professional Responsibility in Business and Society
  • 2019 - McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas

Expectations of host school:

  • Attend at least two Partners in Business Ethics Symposia, prior to hosting the event.
  • Fund the symposium, through corporate, donor, or college funds.
  • Identify a theme for the symposium in support of the goals for Partners in Business Ethics, the “Business Ethics Initiative,” and the school/college/university. Host schools should consider current events and the timeliness of topics to be addressed during the symposia.
  • Provide at least two planning updates to the steering committee prior to the Symposium.

Honor and Integrity at the Smeal College of Business

The Penn State Values of integrity, respect, responsibility, discovery, excellence, and community unite all of us across the University. At the Smeal College of Business, one of the ways we express these values is through our Honor and Integrity program. In particular, the Smeal Honor Code, drafted in partnership with MBA students in 2006, promotes the values of community, integrity, and responsibility. Integrity and ethical behavior are also infused into courses across the Smeal curriculum, and the G. Albert Shoemaker Program in Business Ethics supports ethics lectures and related scholarly research.

For more information about integrity at Smeal and the Smeal Honor Code, visit www.smeal.psu.edu/integrity.

About the Smeal College of Business

 

The Penn State Smeal College of Business is a vibrant intellectual community offering highly ranked undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and executive education opportunities to more than 6,000 students from across the country and around the world. Since our introduction in 1953, we have prepared 95,000 students for professional success, annually adding to Penn State's vast alumni network. We are a destination of choice for top global organizations seeking talent that will make a positive difference. Through our leading faculty and network of research centers and institutes, we are a source of knowledge that influences the business practices of tomorrow. We are forging connections, creating opportunities, and producing results.

Learn more about us here: www.smeal.psu.edu

About the Business Building

The Penn State Smeal College of Business is headquartered in the Business Building, located at the corner of Park Avenue and Shortlidge Road on Penn State's University Park campus.

The Business Building has been recognized as one of the most beautiful business school facilities in the world. Dedicated in 2005, this 210,000-square-foot building was designed by renowned Robert A.M. Stern Architects.

As part of the college’s commitment to sustainability leadership, Smeal earned LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance gold certification in 2016, the first building to do so on any Penn State campus.

Take a tour of the Business Building.