Let's Talk Human Rights

By Hannah Nicholas’ 20 and Jared Marsh’ 20

Flyer Enterprises (FE) is one of the nation’s largest student run businesses with 200+ employees, ten locations, and $1.2 million in annual revenue. The Human Rights Center (HRC) and FE began collaborating, with the Hanley Sustainability Institute (HSI), in the Fall 2019 semester. HRC and HSI are working with FE to further their business practices that impact human rights and sustainability. 

The main strategic vision for this partnership is to collaborate on initiatives to align FE’s business practices towards a triple bottom line: environmental, social, and economic sustainability. These efforts will improve FE’s human rights and sustainability record: creating opportunities for inclusivity in the workforce, mitigating liability in unfavorable business practices, and diversifying customer clientele. These strategies will help FE improve their competitive edge by allowing them to stay current with emerging innovations in the business sector. 

Hannah Nicholas, came into this partnership as the lead consultant to Flyer Enterprises. Currently working as a Student Engagement Intern at the HRC, Hannah saw this partnership as a critical opportunity to utilize  her background in business and passions for corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and social justice.

“The partnership between FE, HRC, and HSI will not only help FE gain further leverage against large corporate competitors, but it will also serve as a prime example of how student-run businesses can make positive environmental, social, and economic change within our communities,” says Hannah.

Many businesses are starting to incorporate a triple bottom line approach  that is guided by the United Nations (UN) Global Compact. The Global Compact’s two goals are to 1) Do business responsibly by aligning strategies and operations with Ten Principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption; and 2) Take strategic actions to advance broader societal goals, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with an emphasis on collaboration and innovation.

The partnership believes that FE could be at the forefront of student-run organizations making this transition that corporations worldwide are undergoing. To ensure this success of the business, the partnership is focusing on addressing: equity, inclusion and diversity in hiring practices, code of vendor and supplier conduct policies, waste management (including recycling, landfill, and compost), use of the green revolving fund for reusable dishware and sanitation systems, and employee education. FE has also consulted with the Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center (MEC) and the L. William Crotty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

"Working with the HRC has been incredibly beneficial for FE so far. We are always looking for innovative ways to bring value to our communities. Recently, we have been working on hiring practices that emphasize the need for diversity in the workplace. HRC have been gracious enough to share their expertise with FE and help us grow in the right directions,” said Collin Wolf, FE Chief Marketing Officer

Both HRC and HSI offer innovative students and resources uniquely positioned to respond to this work. They both have student employees working on this collaboration with the classroom and professional experience needed for  the project, while leveraging the support from faculty and staff in the centers.

“It has been rewarding to be one of the collaborators on this initiative through the Hanley Sustainability Institute. It’s been a joy to take part in the exchange of ideas between Flyer Enterprises, the Human Rights Center, and the Hanley Sustainability Institute, and I’m looking forward to continuing these efforts in the fall. As an alum of Flyer Enterprises, it’s also very exciting for me to see FE’s executive team continue to innovate their practices in a way that so proudly exhibits the mission of the University of Dayton and the SDGs,” explained  Lauren Wolford, a Graduate Assistant at HSI. 

Due to the emerging crisis caused by COVID-19, the team has paused implementation of recycling and compost education and operation initiatives that were set to begin late March. Now, due to the current situation, the HRC and HSI team is conducting research to develop virtual materials and policy in preparation for implementation of onboarding of FE employees in Fall 2020. The education materials being developed will outline specific short term and long term goals that will be implemented within each FE division. By creating and presenting these educational resources, the team hopes to start to inform and equip all FE employees with a  toolkit on how to effectively implement new environmental, social, and economic sustainability initiatives within their every day line of work. 

We hope this work will serve as a basis for the partnership to support FE to meet human rights and sustainability standards and we look forward to growing and expanding this initiative in the coming years.

Hannah Nicholas’ 20 is pursuing a B.S. in Finance and Operations and Supply Chain Management, graduating in December of 2020. Through her involvement with the Human Rights Center and other experiential learning opportunities, Hannah has grown her passions for corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and social justice. 

Jared Marsh’ 20 will graduate in December 2020 with a B.A. in Human Rights Studies. As a former student of Mechanical Engineering, Jared is working to combine his technical and social abilities. Jared has professional and academic experience in the fields of Corporate Sustainability, Climate Change Adaptation, and Engineering Aviation.