Business college has emphasized ethics for years

To the editor:

The Aug. 21 Southeast Missourian contained an interesting article on the challenges some business schools nationwide are facing since the recent financial scandals came to public attention and raised questions about business ethics.

I'm pleased that the faculty of the Donald L. Harrison College of Business recognized the importance of ethical business practices and built into the curriculum a required ethics component more than 10 years ago. Every business student of the Harrison College of Business at Southeast Missouri State University must successfully complete a required business ethics course during the senior year. The course is taught by business faculty and faculty from the Department of Philosophy. The course emphasizes both ethical theory and ethical reasoning using case studies.

We have completed extensive study of the impact of this course on the ethical reasoning abilities of students. While no course by itself will turn someone into an ethical and moral decision maker, we have concrete evidence that the college's required course in business ethics improves student ability to think critically about the ethical and moral dimensions to decision making and the decisions that must be made in the practice of business. This is just one way the Harrison College of Business achieves its mission of providing business studies today for tomorrow's business successes.

GERALD S. McDOUGALL

Dean

Donald L. Harrison College of Business

Southeast Missouri State

University

Cape Girardeau