Corporate Social Responsibility

Reflections on our Panel Series: How Current Events are Shaping the Workplace

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 03:38:40 +0000

Reflections on our Panel Series: How Current Events are Shaping the Workplace Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/27/2020 - 21:38

Justine Roberts

For the past three weeks CESR has been hosting a series of conversations about how the pandemic and the racial justice movement have been shaping workplace procedures and policies. We have explored how employers can support employees’ mental health needs during times of crisis, how the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) departments is changing as companies re envision their workplaces in terms of worker safety, and how businesses acknowledgement of diversity in their workforce can lead to greater engagement and help build equity.

We have learned a lot from our expert speakers, and from the thoughtful questions asked by attendees. If you missed the series you can watch each of the panels at the links below:

Here are a few takeaways from some of the panelists who participated in this series:

Andrea Miller, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Delta Dental of Colorado

The one statement that keeps playing in my mind was a comment Russell Cropanzano made, “Anxiety collapses into depression.” This statement has led me to revisit things like the decline in our intranet engagement, water cooler talks, etc. Is it because people are busy, is it the summer, or are people feeling even more down and stressed out? Probably a combination of all three. I guess my point is to keep reinforcing those resources, dream up some new things and connect with people to see if they are okay. I’ve checked in with lots of team members since hearing that. I think it helps.

Russell Cropanzano, Chair of the Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics Division / Chair of the Social Responsibility and Sustainability Division:

The pandemic is a unique crisis, as it is unfolding over a number of months. People are afraid of being sick, of course, but there is also secondary damage to well-being – job loss, lack of social contact, loss in earnings, etc. It’s the reverberating effects of the pandemic that worry me the most. This could be with us for many years.
We know from research that supportive organizations can benefit people. It’s important to have regular communication and to maintain social networks. We discussed some ways to do that. However, as many Americans receive their health care through their jobs, this won’t reach many people. They are further hampered by the lack of a uniform and consistent national policy.
People’s personal situation is important. Those who are older are at greater risk. Those engaged in elder care or who are living in multi-generational households could also experience a great deal of anxiety.
Don’t underestimate the social effects. Being home effaces people’s support networks. Of course, if they lose their job, then this is even worse.

Sabrina Volpone, Assistant Professor, Organizational, Leadership, and Information Analytics PhD Program Director

The topics that we talked about in the panel are universal - BLM, COVID, leading in a pandemic … they are impacting each and every one of us as workers in ways that we have not experienced work and life before. We can have a tendency to think 'this pandemic is impacting the careers of working mothers’ or focusing on one or two groups within the workforce. This is impacting everyone in different ways and it is necessary that organizations revisit their policies and procedures over and over again through multiple lenses to make sure that the experiences of all employees are being considered.

Justine Roberts, Sustainability Community Engagement Coordinator, CESR

I appreciated the discussion in our panel on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion about how employees can rethink the boundaries between their identities in their private lives, and as employees. Working from home means that certain barriers have broken down - we see into each other’s private lives in new ways from a dog barking to a child asking for a snack. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It allows us to bring more of ourselves to work, allows us to be more authentic, and more empathetic. There is an opportunity here to recognize one another’s humanity and to make corporate decisions that respect and support our needs as people, not just as workers.

There is so much more in these conversations that is relevant and actionable. We hope you find the discussions as interesting as we did.

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Leeds Explores Denver; Learning From Successful Socially Responsible Businesses

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 23:04:58 +0000

Leeds Explores Denver; Learning From Successful Socially Responsible Businesses Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/05/2018 - 16:04

On Friday November 3rd, CESR participated in a Leeds Explores trip to Denver to learn from socially responsible businesses with sustainable practices. Twenty students participated in the company visits, organized in collaboration with the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship and the Leeds Career Development Office. Sustainability-focused visits included GroundFloor Media, Ardent Mills, and DaVita, and students focused on marketing and entrepreneurship visited Gusto and Havenly.

Strategic CSR with GroundFloor Media
GroundFloor Media, a public relations firm and certified B Corp, shared several client projects and partnerships with businesses to construct and implement CSR programs and offer assistance in public relations. They discussed several philanthropic endeavors of their clients, such as Noble Energy’s project to provide Colorado schools with new school buses that run on compressed natural gas (CNG) instead of diesel fuel in an effort to reduce carbon emissions. Not only has this project helped to reduce emissions, it has also provided struggling school districts with a cheaper form of transportation that permits funds to be allocated elsewhere -- each CNG bus saves $3,500 per year in fuel costs compared with a diesel bus. GroundFloor Media assists in launching such projects and ensures that clients select CSR projects that add strategic value to their brands, as well as creating valuable community impacts.

In order to put values into practice, GroundFloor Media utilizes a flat organizational structure rather than hierarchical to promote team culture. When deciding how to construct teams for client projects, they consider an employee’s personality fit as well as personal interest in a case to increase engagement and overall performance.

“It’s nice to just be a worker sometimes and not a project lead,” said Amy Moynihan, GroundFloor Media’s Senior Director of Communications regarding the flat organization of the workplace. This abandonment of standard authoritarian management practices allows for flexibility in their work and increases overall engagement of employees.

Sustainable Operations with Ardent Mills
Our second stop was Ardent Mills, the largest flour milling company in North America, where CEO Dan Dye shared the company's mission and core values, explaining the ways in which corporate social responsibility is integrated into their daily work. Through the values of trust, simplicity, service, and safety, Dye discussed Ardent Mills’ unique way of conducting business.

“CSR is a natural extension of our very culture,” Dye said. “At Ardent Mills, we strive to be trusted partners. When we work with suppliers and customers, it’s much more than a transaction, it’s a relationship.”

Sr. Director of Continuous Improvement Bill Boyden provided further insight to sustainable and efficient processes that have a goal of zero waste within the company. When a student asked about the cost of implementing such processes and achieving rigorous standards, Boyden replied “it’s not about the cost, it’s about the long-term benefit. We have to ask, how can we make sustainability pay?” Their vision focuses on long-term outcomes, not short-term profits, which is at the core of their success.

Sustainability in a Fortune 200 Company with DaVita
Our final stop was at DaVita, an international kidney dialysis treatment provider that’s known for its strong corporate culture and high employee engagement. DaVita’s work revolves around the trilogy of care: caring for their people, caring for their patients, and caring for the planet. Casey Stock, Sustainability Manager at DaVita, spoke to the challenges she faces as a sustainability manager in a large organization.

“Sustainability comes with resistance,” Stock said. “It takes a certain kind of person to keep getting back up after you’re told ‘no’ and to keep working toward goals.” She said that collaboration from coworkers across the company and the intentional corporate culture that supports employee engagement makes DaVita’s CSR and sustainability efforts effective, from their Denver headquarters to their clinics around the world. Students saw this culture in action throughout the office tour, including the fun of a refurbished ski gondola as the smallest conference room in the building and the fact that the best views are available to all team members from the 14th floor cafeteria and patio.

Overall, the Leeds Explores Denver trek was a success and students were able to network while gaining insight into CSR and sustainability within various industries and professions. If you are interested in participating in upcoming treks or want to learn about past treks, view the CESR website. If you want to learn more about social responsibility in business, consider the SRE certificate.

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The UN drafts a road map for the future of business education

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 19:22:55 +0000

The UN drafts a road map for the future of business education Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 07/14/2017 - 13:22

Business, management schools and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) convened at the 2017 Global Forum for Responsible Management Education – 10 Years of PRME, of the UN-supported Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative, held at UN Headquarters and Fordham University in New York City from 18-19 July 2017. Here, they reaffirmed their commitment to the role that responsible management education has in society towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UN PRME serves as an interface between the United Nations and business schools worldwide, with the goal of the integration of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into curriculum development. The Forum took place in conjunction with the United Nations High-Level Political Forum and the UN Global Compact Annual Forum. Representatives from government, civil society, business, NGOs and business schools from all over the world attended.

Outcomes Declaration
At the conclusion of the conference, attendees outlined a road map for responsible management education for the future based on their perception and evaluation of the global situation and challenges.

Their vision and outlook for 2030—in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals—is a world where extreme poverty is eradicated, all human beings are able to fulfil their potential in dignity and equality, the human rights of all are realized, gender equality is achieved, the planet is protected from degradation, urgent action has been taken on climate change and to achieve net-zero emissions in the second half of this century, and all live in peaceful, just and inclusive societies which are free from fear and violence. Business and management education will be designed to help make this new reality happen and sustain it into the future.

Participant reactions
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfw5BiUbjLc]

Michael Leeds
Leeds keynoted the closing session of the conference, "PRME's Next Decade,” where he highlighted some of the main learnings of the 2017 Global Annual Forum and provided his reflections on a vision for the future of responsible management education, the next phase of UN PRME.

As the named gift donor of the Leeds School of Business, Leeds is president of FlightStar, Inc. and a board member of the Leeds School and the Center for Education on Social Responsibility (CESR). Considered the “ideal closer” by the United Nations Global Compact Office, he shared his accomplishments in the responsible management education field and his commitment to integrating corporate social responsibility and ethics into the fabric of business schools.

Leeds remarked, “Engaging the transformation of business in society was our original goal in late 2001 when I began my partnership with the University of Colorado’s college of business, now the Leeds School of Business.”

In looking forward to the evolution of business schools over the next decade, Leeds said, “It will be a decade where there’s an outside-in orientation, where curriculum development and course delivery will be structured in relation to the most pressing problems we face as a species, problems captured by the SDGs.”

Mark Meaney, UN PRME Chapter North America Chapter Chairperson and executive director of the Center for Education on Social Responsibility at the Leeds School, attended as well.

About the UN PRME Global Annual Forum
The high-level Global Forum explores major themes in the responsible management education community, taking stock of a decade of achievements of PRME, and developing a roadmap for the future of business and management education by bringing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into classrooms worldwide.

Speakers included leaders from business, civil society, academia and the United Nations who helped to identify global trends in sustainable development and corporate sustainability and highlight the role of educators.

About PRME
The Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative is the first organized relationship between the United Nations and business schools. Launched in 2007, the PRME initiative provides an engagement framework based on universal values and the goal to inspire and champion responsible management education, research and thought leadership globally. To date, over 650 leading academic institutions from 85 countries have joined this vibrant learning community.

CESR and PRME
CESR Executive Director Mark Meaney chairs PRME's North America Chapter. Learn more about the chapter.

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Gratitude to two esteemed board members

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 20:21:42 +0000

Gratitude to two esteemed board members Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/10/2017 - 14:21

This summer the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility (CESR) bids a fond farewell to retiring board members Terri Bourne and Geoie Writer.

Terri Bourne, Risk and Assurance Manager at Shell Ethics & Compliance Office,
Royal Dutch Shell PLC

For two of her three years of membership, Terri Bourne chaired the CESR Advisory Board, contributing greatly to CESR’s initiatives.

As risk and assurance manager at Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Terri supports Shell’s Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer in overseeing the design and implementation of a global ethics and compliance program based on Shell’s core values and business principles. Given her expertise, she sat on a panel of CSR professionals leading a sustainability case exercise at CESR’s 4^th annual Conscious Capitalism Conference in 2013.

In 2015 Terri moderated a discussion on the education of ethics in the classroom and workplace at CESR’s Partners in Business Ethics Conference, where deans and program directors from the world’s leading business schools joined corporate executives to discuss curriculum development and delivery in academic and workplace settings. In addition to her role on the panel, Terri and the chief ethics and compliance officer of Royal Dutch Shell facilitated a special case workshop of an ethical dilemma encountered in their work at Shell.

Since 1995 Terri has been directly involved in designing, operating and reviewing the effectiveness of processes that enable Shell to comply with US, UK and Dutch corporate governance requirements, in particular activities that relate to risk management and internal control, audit committees, disclosure, ethics & compliance and assurance.

George Writer, Founder of Writer Homes

George (“Geoie”) Writer served on CESR’s board from 2010 through 2017, in addition to the Leeds advisory board 1981 - 1983.

Although Geoie was originally involved with Leeds’ real estate program, he changed orientation given his commitment to student education in the areas of ethics, social responsibility and sustainability.

Mark Meaney, executive director of CESR, said, “He provided critical guidance and oversight in the development and evolution of CESR. So, while he was extremely generous in his financial support of CESR, his leadership proved essential to the long-term success of CESR. His legacy is rooted in the very spirit of CESR.”

CESR, in fact, is housed in the George and Judy Writer Suite at the Leeds School.

This year, Geoie was recognized with the George Norlin Award for outstanding alumni who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in their chosen field of endeavor and a devotion to the betterment of society and their community. In 2016 Geoie received the Leeds Distinguished Alumni and Service Award that honors alumni and friends who have distinguished themselves with outstanding professional and personal achievements and those who have loyally dedicated their time and service to the business school.

After graduating from the University of Colorado in 1957 and serving as an officer in the US Navy, Geoie founded the Writer Corporation in 1965. As a residential community builder, he built over 12,000 homes in 35 planned communities, including Colorado’s first Planned Unit Development (PUD) as well as America’s first PUD to be underwritten by both the FHA and VA.

Geoie’s convictions about business ethics and social responsibility were drivers in his own business.

“Ethics and values must be the cornerstone of any business. Any business that doesn’t adhere to the basic rules of integrity and fair dealing will eventually fail. We read examples of this in the news daily.” Geoie Writer

Writer Corporation

The success of the Writer Corporation was based on the philosophy of developing communities that integrated parks and open space with diverse housing types. He also built Writer Square, a downtown Denver mixed use development. The Colorado Design Council named Writer Square the top architectural and functional urban development for the decade of the eighties. In 2006 Writer Square received the AIA 25 Year Award for Architectural Design of Enduring Significance.

Community Participation

Geoie stays active on numerous boards including homebuilder boards, the Urban Land Institute, First National Bank Corporation, Task Force chairman of the Colorado Front Range Project and co-founder of Colorado Open Lands. Additionally, he served on the boards and executive committees of Swedish Medical Center and Health One.

Upon his retirement and move to Santa Barbara he now serves on the board and was past president of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, a trustee of the Colorado Conservation Trust, and a member of California Concern, a Santa Barbara think tank.

CESR is grateful for the contributions and dedication of these two distinguished board members.

Meet CESR's boards

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Students explore ethical business in Germany

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 16:39:16 +0000

Students explore ethical business in Germany Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 07/03/2017 - 10:39

Don Oest, faculty member at the Center for Education on Social Responsibility (CESR), along with Andrea Straccia, director of Leeds Residential Academic Program (RAP), took 28 Leeds freshmen to Germany to explore the operation and culture of global businesses.

The trip focused on ethics, efficiency, expansion and social responsibility as they relate to business in Germany. The group spent seven days in Berlin with a day trip to the city of Dresden, which was severely bombed during World War II and then restored.

“What an amazing trip and experience for all of the attendees. We got to actually see how socially responsible and sustainable businesses operate in Germany, along with their emphasis on efficiency,” remarked Oest.

The group visited the following places and organizations:

Transparency International – a global civil society organization leading the fight against corruption
German Ministry of Education – to understand the focus and emphasis on education in Germany
Schultheiss Brewery - one of the oldest breweries in Germany to learn how they are operating in a sustainable manner with recycling
Deutsche Bahn – a German government-owned railroad and its emphasis on social responsibility and sustainability
BMW Manufacturing Site – to see how efficient BMW builds their motorcycles
BSR – a German government owned waste-to-energy power station
Volkswagen Manufacturing Site (Dresden) – to learn how Volkswagen builds electric cars
Sustainable Infrastructure of Potsdamer Platz – an innovative urban hub and famous model for sustainable city development
Berlin Wall Memorial – to understand the history of the division of East and West Berlin and the ethics regarding the innocent lives that were lost in trying to flee from East to West Berlin, along with the memory of Holocaust victims

The trip ended with the group experiencing a German soccer game between Hertha Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen at the Olympic Stadium, which holds up to 100,000 spectators and was built for the Olympic Summer Games in 1936.

For more on CESR's global experience courses, visit CESR Learning

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Getting to the Core of Real Food with Kimbal Musk at the 7th Annual Conscious Capitalism Conference

Anonymous — Mon, 08 May 2017 18:41:33 +0000

Getting to the Core of Real Food with Kimbal Musk at the 7th Annual Conscious Capitalism Conference Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/08/2017 - 12:41

Kimbal Musk, Co-founder of The Kitchen

Students, faculty and community members made up the sold out crowd at the 7^th annual Conscious Capitalism Conference on food security. Hosted by the Center for Education on Social Responsibility (CESR), the event featured a variety of panels and talks, with Kimbal Musk, co-founder of The Kitchen, headlining as keynote speaker.

The morning sessions were kicked off with a vision from Mark Retzloff, chairman of the board at Natural Habitats Group, Alfalfa’s Market, and followed by a talk on how to design a flourishing food system for an uncertain future from Dr. Fred Kirschenmann, distinguished fellow at Leopold Center of Sustainable Agriculture and professor at Iowa State University. Before lunch, Dr. Pete Newton, associate professor in environmental studies and coordinator for sustainable food systems specializations at ��񱦵�, facilitated the morning panel on sustainable food systems featuring panelists, Dr. Hussein Amery, director at the Division of Liberal Arts & International Studies at Colorado School of Mines, Dr. Thomas Dean, professor of entrepreneurship and sustainable enterprise in the Department of Management at Colorado State University and Dr. Cullen Hendrix, associate professor Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy, Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.

Dr. Fred Kirschenmann, distinguished fellow at Leopold Center of Sustainable Agriculture and professor at Iowa State University

Kimbal Musk's influence on a new generation of farmers

Musk’s lunch keynote was centered on scaling real food systems through urban farming and learning gardens. He suggested that to have real food there needs to be “trust." For Musk’s restaurants that supply farm-to-table meals to customers, the focus is on connecting with the community in comparison to chain restaurants serving industrial food where everyone in the supply chain is treated as a commodity.

Musk also talked about his recent business venture, Square Roots, a new take on urban farming where the farms are created in shipping containers located in Brooklyn, New York City. Through this program, Musk hopes he can train a new generation of farmers and create more accessible fresh produce to cities. He also works with younger generations to do the same, through The Kitchen Community’s Learning Gardens. These gardens are built to promote and encourage hands-on learning experiences, with each garden specifically tailored to the area they are in.

“We help kids dig into their education, thrive with real, nutritious foods and healthy habits, and become active participants in strengthening their communities.” - The Kitchen Community Learning Gardens

A student's perspective & takeaway

Susan Morrell, a ��񱦵� junior majoring in ecology and evolutionary biology, attended the conference because of her personal interest in food security. Morrell shared that the highlight of the day, for her, was Dorceta Taylor’s talk on food deserts, obesity and Detroit’s food system. Taylor spoke about the obstacles many low-income families face when trying to get the food they need, and how they overcome these obstacles (i.e. through community cooking or urban agriculture).

Morrell said, “Dr. Taylor pointed out the flaws behind food desert studies, and changed the way I think about food access in cities.”

After Taylor’s special presentation, Dr. Damien Thompson, associate professor at Regis University, facilitated a panel on food justice. The afternoon panel featured panelists Dr. Jody Beck, assistant professor in the School of Landscape Architecture at CU Denver, Ashley Colpaart, co-founder and CEO at The Food Corridor, and Dr. Nanna Meyer from CU Colorado Springs. Dr. Mark Meaney, executive director of the Center for Education on Social Responsibility (CESR), ended the day’s conference with a final synthesis.

Afternoon panel with Dr. Damien Thompson, Dr. Jody Beck, Ashley Colpaart and Dr. Nanna Meyer

“As a listener to these experts, my biggest take-away was forming the opinion that there was insufficient communication between groups that are working to solve similar problems. I believe that if experts collaborated further, innovative solutions that cross environmental, social, political, and entrepreneurial realms could be generated. The biggest question is, how do we facilitate this communication?” said Morrell.

CESR would like the thank everyone who attended and participated in this year’s Conscious Capitalism Conference!

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A CESR Winner in Diversity and Inclusiveness

Anonymous — Fri, 05 May 2017 19:39:37 +0000

A CESR Winner in Diversity and Inclusiveness Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/05/2017 - 13:39

Lorna Christoff, one of the Center for Education on Social Responsibility’s (CESR) popular faculty members, has been recognized with the Faculty/Staff Impact Award. The honor is presented by the Office of Diversity Affairs (ODA) and the Multicultural Business Student Association (MBSA) at the Leeds School of Business to a staff or faculty member who has aided in creating an inclusive environment for underrepresented students at Leeds.

Nominated by a student

“She exemplifies the Impact Award by her work at Leeds to ensure students are engaged, active learners and passionate business leaders,” said the student, who attended the KeyBank Summer Bridge program last summer.

The student went on to say, “Every day she would show up ready to challenge the students and ensure they would be successful at Leeds. Lorna sets the bar high. She’s direct, tells it like it is and always wants students to achieve their very best. She is known for giving tough feedback with detail and examples, but always with kindness...”

Joe Duarte, program manager at the ODA, commented, “Our community is lucky to have such an amazing faculty partnership with Lorna!”

What it takes

Award winners are evaluated using the following criteria:

Leeds faculty, instructor or staff member
Supporter of the mission and vision of ODA and/or MBSA
Has had the direct involvement with ODA and/or MBSA
Contributes to student success
Promotes inclusivity and diversity

About Lorna

Lorna teaches the popular upper-division elective Leadership Challenges: Exercises in Moral Courage offered by CESR. She also introduces freshmen to business ethics and social responsibility in The World of Business. In recent years, Lorna has also taught a junior level business ethics course, as well as the onboarding/introductory class for incoming students of the Business Minor, which she developed.

Although as a part-time faculty member Lorna is ineligible for the Leeds specific student-nomination Frascona teaching award, she has been nominated for this award every year since joining the Leeds faculty in 2010.

In addition to her law degree and familiarity with tax law, Lorna has experience in many facets of financial markets. She has worked in residential mortgages, mutual and hedge funds, and consumer banking. In addition, she owned and managed a real estate investment company that managed its own properties and provided property management services to other real estate owners: over 200 residential units at a time.

Lorna earned her Bachelor of Science degree in International Business from CU-Boulder and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver.

See Lorna's 2-minute video about her course, Leadership Challenges: Exercises in Moral Courage

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CESR Project Inspires Student’s Career in Urban Farming

Anonymous — Wed, 03 May 2017 17:05:11 +0000

CESR Project Inspires Student’s Career in Urban Farming Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/03/2017 - 11:05

Last fall, Graham Hankin explored aquaponics for a sustainability paper in his Business Applications of Social Responsibility course, offered by the Center for Education for Social Responsibility (CESR) at the Leeds School of Business. With that, his interest was sparked and since then the junior Leeds student has embarked on a career in aquaponics.

What is aquaponics?

Aquaponics is the marriage of aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (the soil-less growing of plants) that grows fish and plants together in one integrated system. The fish waste provides an organic food source for the growing plants and the plants provide a natural filter for the water the fish live in.

“That’s the cool thing about urban farming – any indoor space or abandoned warehouse can become an urban farm. You can grow a lot faster, more dense and produce a higher yield."
Graham Hankin, Leeds ’18, Multimedia Specialist at The Aquaponic Source

Since aquaponics is a method that requires no soil, it is particularly suited for urban environments. Large amounts of fresh and healthy food (including fish) can now be grown sustainably on urban rooftops, parking lots or any vacant plot in the city. This form of farming allows city communities to have access to the freshest food, without having to trek miles and miles for it.

Graham Hankin

We asked Graham about his leap into a career most people have never heard of.

How did you get into aquaponics?

I’m a marketing major and I have no sustainability or agriculture background, besides the fact that I am very interested in it. I got into aquaponics a year ago, during a product strategy class and I launched a restaurant idea for aquaponics. That idea was creating this aquaponics restaurant where this farm would be on the roof of the restaurant and you would be able to see the fish in the center of the restaurant. It would be like farm-to-table, but there’s no distance between the farm and the restaurant.

What was your paper for Business Applications of Social Responsibility?

It was a sustainability model paper, where it shows how a company can make something and use a ridiculous amount of waste, even though they don’t have to. That’s what our farming culture and agriculture businesses are at right now. They’re creating these massive farms and not worrying about the repercussions of them because they’re growing using pesticides and stuff that ruins soil, ruins water quality in the area and it doesn’t need to be that way. They are just working on the cheapest method possible to make the product. They should be worried about the longstanding impact they’re having on the world. I explained aquaponics and how it can be the future of our farming. Not only is there no waste, but it’s an ecosystem.

Tell us about your current internship with The Aquaponic Source

I’m the marketing/multi media specialist at The Aquaponic Source. They make educational courses, build custom systems and run commercial farms. Right now, I’m working on spreading as much information about the company as I can…because, I would say, about 90% of people out there don’t know what aquaponics is.

What advice do you have for your peers looking to get into aquaponics?

We have a lot of farming courses anyone can take, from elementary and middle school to commercial scale farming. If a student wants to get involved in this, they can go to The Aquaponics Source, where there are online courses, free information or they can ‘like’ us on Facebook.

Check out CESR courses inspiring future leaders in sustainability

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CESR Faculty Member a Finalist for Teaching Excellence

Anonymous — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 17:30:02 +0000

CESR Faculty Member a Finalist for Teaching Excellence Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 04/17/2017 - 11:30

The Center for Education on Social Responsibility (CESR) is proud to announce that CESR instructor Liz Stapp has been named one of three finalists for the 2017 Joseph L. Frascona Teaching Excellence Award. The award winner will be announced at the Leeds Recognition Ceremony at the Coors Event Center May 12, 2017. (Daniel Brown and Curtis Sears are the other two finalists.)

After teaching at Daniels College of Business for four years, Liz joined CESR in 2011. With a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law and seven years of collective experience with federal law, intellectual property, electronic commerce law and contract law, Liz applies her legal expertise to CESR’s Business Law, Ethics and Social Responsibility class. Liz also developed and teaches Corporate Boards in Action, a one-of-a-kind course which explores the complexity of corporate boards and the need for values-driven leadership (watch a preview).

Just last week, Liz was awarded the Marinus Smith Award for the second time, by the CU Parents Association recognizing her positive impact on a student’s life. She first received the award in 2014.

The Award

The Frascona Selection Committee read 229 nomination letters for 67 Leeds teachers. Erick Mueller, winner of the 2016 award and chair of this year’s selection committee, remarked,

“It was inspiring! The evidence is clear that we have a large number of passionate, dedicated and highly capable teachers who are providing exceptional learning opportunities for our students.”

The $10,000 award is made possible by the Falkenberg family, in honor of the late Dr. Joseph L. Frascona. Leeds faculty members are eligible when they are in their second year (or beyond) of full-time teaching. In addition, a recipient of the award cannot receive it again for three years.

Past CESR Nominees and Winners

This isn’t the first time a CESR instructor has been recognized.

Last year Owen Borum, former CESR instructor of Business Law, Ethics and Social Responsibility, The World of Business, and Business Applications of Social Responsibility, placed as a finalist for the third year in a row after having been previously nominated five times.

Another popular CESR instructor, Catherine Milburn has been nominated multiple times, including this year again. She teaches Integrated Reporting for Socially Responsible Strategies, The World of Business, and the popular Global Seminar: Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Panama (see video).

Also nominated again this year is Don Oest, who has been nominated for the award seven times (last year was the first time he was eligible to be nominated). He teaches The World of Business and the BASE program, a four-module course on how firms operate at various stages of their life cycle.

CESR award winners in the past have included Kevin McMahon in 2015, Donna Sockell in 2009, former CESR board member Cathleen Burns in 2006, and CESR Faculty Affiliate Kai Larsen in 2005.

Additional CESR instructors nominated

Rick Reed, a CESR instructor for the last two years, was nominated for the first time this year.

Although most of CESR’s faculty are nominated each year, not all are eligible for consideration due to varying appointments. CESR instructors nominated but not eligible this year include Birdie Reznicek, Lorna Christoff, Mark Meaney, Nancy Chapple and Scott Gwozdz.

Meet CESR’s exemplary faculty

Learn about CESR’s innovative courses

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Students Tackle the Palm Oil Industry to Win Ethics Competition

Anonymous — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 15:45:13 +0000

Students Tackle the Palm Oil Industry to Win Ethics Competition Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 04/17/2017 - 09:45

On March 17th, six student teams were challenged to apply their values and skills learned in Leeds classes to a real-world ethics case at CESR’s 5^th annual Business Ethic Case Competition. ANNA Consulting (Noah Green, Nathan Mpiana, Alexandra McPherson, Alex Schott) rose above the rest, placing first by successfully tackling the ethical dilemma presented:

Analyze the production practices and ethical and financial implications of a palm oil plantation and refinery in Indonesia, considering social and environmental issues including massive-scale deforestation, labor rights violations, and violation of indigenous people.

Winning teams

1^st place: ANNA Consulting (Noah Green, Alex Schott, Nathan Mpiana, Alexandra McPherson)

2^nd place: Labyrinth Consulting (Thomas Anderson, Yohannes Tilahun, Meredith Maney, Leilani Osmundson, Makda Fitsum)

3^rd place: Flatiron Consulting (Setu Oza, Lindsay Meehan, Emily Stock, Jack Wegerbauer, Vince Houghton, Brianna Huynh)

BECC 2017 Case

For the final round case, teams were introduced to Best Palm Oil (BPO), a multinational corporation that operates the fourth largest palm oil plantation and refinery in Indonesia and produces 15% of Indonesia’s palm oil exports. Students were provided detailed information on the company and the palm oil industry, including the social and environmental impacts of the palm oil industry (massive-scale deforestation, labor rights violations, and violation of indigenous people).

BPO was looking to expand production into Malaysia to take advantage of economies of scale. In an effort to raise capital, the owners decided to take their company public. But pressure from potential investors and NGOs might require changes in practices and participation in overall industry reform.

Student teams were asked to act as consultants for BPO and analyze the ethical and financial implications of making no changes vs changing production practices, as the industry leader in responsible sourcing.

About the competition

The CESR Business Ethic Case Competition enhances students’ learning and understanding of real-world ethical dilemmas. Participants analyze, create recommendations for, and present solutions to a real business case. Prize money is awarded to first ($6,000), second ($4,000), third ($2,000) and non-placing teams ($300 each).

The competition is closely related to the Diversity and Business Ethics Case Competition, which takes place each February and is sponsored by Tim Borden, a pioneering force in the development of ethical issues in corporate governance.

CESR would like to congratulate ANNA Consulting and thank everyone who participated in this year’s BECC.

Looking to enhance your knowledge on corporate social responsibility? Check out our upcoming events here.

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