Voices

NASBA launches Student Ethical Leadership Certification Program

The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy’s Center for the Public Trust is launching a Student Ethical Leadership Certification Program.

The program is designed to give professors an interactive way to teach business and leadership ethics through a curriculum of six training modules available to U.S. colleges and universities.

Broken into 15-minute sections, each module is a combination of interactive presentations, narration, video segments and opinion/polling questions on current business issues.

Upon successfully completing all six modules that include a brief exam at their conclusion, participants will earn their certification in Ethical Leadership from the CPT.

Program content was developed by Drs. O.C. and Linda Ferrell and an expert advisory panel and was introduced to a select group of institutions’ graduate and undergraduate-level classes during a fall 2013 soft launch of the program.

"For professors, the curriculum is a great classroom supplement as student review sessions can be held throughout the semester, and professors can track student progress through weekly reports," stated CPT president Alfonzo Alexander. "In turn, students who complete the program will greatly benefit from increased marketability to employers, enhanced leadership skill and knowledge, understanding of ethical leadership and techniques for eliminating ethical conflicts.”

Funding for development of the project was provided by the Daniels Fund, founded by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels.

The initial phase of the program is available for college professors to incorporate into their business course syllabi, with the CPT planning to expand it to the corporate sector. For more information on the Student Ethical Leadership Certification Program, contact Lara Loewl, at (615) 312-3841, or lloewl@nasba.org.

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