Let's Talk Human Rights

By Dr. Tony Talbott

Will you join us in building up a robust collaboration between the SBA and CAS at the intersection of business, human rights, and sustainability? Be part of the first interdisciplinary cohort to explore and develop course and program content integrating these important fields. Research and education across these disciplines is not only cutting edge, but critical to being a university for the Common Good. Participation will help equip faculty, staff, and students to engage with the transformational challenges and opportunities presented by today’s increasingly global, imperiled, and interconnected world.

With these commitments in mind, we invite you to participate in the 2024-2025 Faculty Learning Community on Business, Human Rights, and Sustainability. The community involves a commitment of just a few hours a month building relationships, collaborating with faculty across campus, and learning from colleagues and experts from national and global spheres of influence.  We will kick off in September, meet once a month through May with the goal of potentially developing or enhancing a course or research/scholarship program during the summer. Participation during the academic year meetings does not obligate anyone to summer work. Summer work would be optional and compensated, as appropriate. 

Read on for more information, but be sure to apply by September 9, 2024

The School of Business Administration, Human Rights Center, Human Rights Studies Program, Hanley Sustainability Institute, and Sustainability Studies Program have initiated a multi-faceted partnership to imagine and implement opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to connect the fields of Business, Human Rights, and Sustainability. 

Among our top priorities is the creation of an interdisciplinary cohort of faculty and staff working at the intersection of these fields and innovating curricular and programmatic opportunities for our students. This opportunity is open to all SBA and CAS faculty and staff. 

This faculty learning community (FLC) will provide a facilitated peer network environment for the development (or enhancement) of courses, programs, and scholarship focused on the crossroads of business, human rights, and sustainability.  

As part of this FLC, participants will receive a stipend of $600 for their participation in the 24-25 AY meetings where they will receive support from and access to several faculty and staff co-facilitators, as well as community partners and professional organizations. In addition, participants who commit to develop (or enhance) a curricular or programmatic product to enhance student learning will be awarded an additional $400 upon completion.  Participation is limited to about 10 faculty/staff (approximately ½ from SBA and ½ from CAS).

The Faculty Learning Community (FLC) will provide (for the faculty/staff):

• Facilitation of:
  • Participants’ mutual support of each other in the pursuit of learning about and integrating business, human rights, and sustainability for future benefits to students, UD, and the disciplines.
  • Professional rejuvenation, learning from each other and imagining new possibilities together.  Inspirational work!
• A time and space to discuss, network, and build relationships.
• Opportunities to learn from and engage with national experts, theorists, and practitioners in the fields of business, entrepreneurship, human rights, and sustainability.

 Logistics:

• The faculty learning community will begin in September, 2024 and will continue through spring 2025, with an optional extended period to work on a deliverable.
• We’ll determine the day and time of week by participants’ availability.
• Plans for developed (or enhanced) courses, experiences, modules, presentations, research, etc. is encouraged but not required, with expected implementation sometime in AY 2025-2026 or AY 2026-2027.
• The faculty learning community will meet about once a month in person. 

Learning objectives (faculty will be able to):

• Identify measurable goals and objectives for courses, scholarship, and engagement efforts to be created or modified in light of this partnership.  
• Demonstrate knowledge and embracement of this intersectional framework for teaching, learning, serving, and scholarship.
• Describe best practices of connecting business, human rights, and sustainability,  partnering in ethical and inclusive ways, and promoting the quality and importance of the field.
• Incorporate business, human rights, and sustainability principles into courses taught.
• Use an integrated approach to teaching, learning, addressing local/global issues, and/or partnering with organizations.

Participant Expectations

• Attendance at all sessions (a maximum of 2 missed sessions for the year).
• Active engagement with peers and facilitators.

The co-facilitators for the FLC will:

• Line up guest speakers and opportunities for each meeting.
• Assist and see faculty teaching and scholarship work to fruition.
• Be available as collaborators on grants, assisting with proposal development as well.
• Co-create learning agenda with faculty learning community, including bringing in key colleagues and guests to spur discussion, ideation, and reflection.
• Provide resources as needed and offer support for proposals.

Compensation 

• A stipend of $600 dollars will be awarded to participants.
• An additional $400 will be awarded for the production of one of the deliverables listed below.

Potential Deliverables

• Redesign a course, develop and insert a content module, or align new partnerships for a course, program, workshop, seminar, etc.  To be offered Fall 2025, Spring 2026, Summer 2026, or Fall 2026.
• Integrate or consider scholarship integration with business, human rights, and sustainability. This can include grant proposals, policy development, assessment of student learning and/or community outcomes, white papers, institutionalizing policies/procedures, technical research, consulting, social practice of art, and other advocacy efforts, etc.
• Pursue an opportunity to present the work in public venues, popular media, at a national/local conference, at UD, or in a journal publication.   
• Create a collective product (comprehensive, collaborative scholarship) for dissemination on campus.
  • This could be a showcase, town hall, campaign, white paper, special session at UD’s Social Practice of Human Rights conference, session at UD’s Teaching and learning forum, etc.

To Apply

Submit a statement explaining why you want to participate (maximum 100 words) and your C.V. to HRC@udayton.edu by September 9, 2024.