Ethics is one of life's lesson at UW-Whitewater

K. Praveen Parboteeah

It's a fact of life. Even the best people get into bad situations. But thanks to faculty like K. Praveen Parboteeah, UW-Whitewater is helping prepare students to be ethical and socially responsible citizens.

"The public wants people to be ethical," the associate management professor said. "Students have to recognize that it's important to be honest and that on a personal level, they have a reputation to uphold."

Enter the course "Social Responsibility of Business" and the Business Ethics Student Association (BESA). Both have been key players in the "ethics movement" sweeping campus.

"Social Responsibility" explores the controversial issues associated with the relationships between businesses and their environment. The course's goal, says Parboteeah, is to have students develop the necessary skills to intelligently deal with ethical issues in the workplace and the world.

"Sometimes good people get in bad situations. It's important for students to have an awareness of the ethical dilemmas they may face in their careers."

To bring more ethical awareness to the university, Parboteeah helped launch BESA. The group is the first student ethics organization in the UW System. Its mission is to promote good ethical practices, integrity and professional development through networking, critical thinking and exposure to a wide range of topics.

Cindy Hoesly, a member of BESA, is glad there's an organization on campus dedicated to issues of ethics and integrity.

"The phrase 'ethics' has almost become a buzzword," she said. "Everyone is talking about it and trying to improve upon it. Students need to learn about ethics now so that they have a solid base before the first test arises in the 'real' world."

Hoesly said she is much better prepared to enter the workforce thanks to the class on social responsibility and her involvement with BESA. "I still expect to be challenged by unexpected ethical dilemmas, but I'm confident that the base I've built as an undergrad will help guide me through the tough decisions."