CSR 101 - Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability in Business Student Login If you are registered or auditing CSR 101, you can log into the forums to access class materials, discuss with fellow group members and share information/opportunities. Please email the instructor after you have logged in to receive access to the CSR 101 area. Login Here Syllabus Download the Syllabus (Spring 2010) here Instructor: Leo Wong, Ph.D. Dates: Every Thursday (April 29th - June 24th, excluding June 10th) Time: 6:00pm - 8:15pm Location: University of Calgary, Scurfield Hall (Room 268) Cost: Free - but students agree to volunteer at least 10 hours during and/or after the course for the Calgary Compact. Textbook: None. Online readings will be provided instead. Registration: Please email the instructor your name, contact email, resume, and a brief paragraph explaining why you would like to take the course. There are no prerequisites for this course and anyone is welcome to attend, but it will be filled on a first-come-first-serve basis. There is a maximum size of 40 students. Class audits: Students can audit specific classes as long as the maximum enrolment is not reached. Auditing will be done on a first-come-first-serve basis, upon consent by the instructor via email. Completion: To successfully complete this course, students must attend 6 out of 8 classes and complete the group project. Class participation and active group involvement will be considered as part of course completion requirements. COURSE OVERVIEW Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability issues have become mainstream business issues where the private, public and non-profit sectors converge. The purpose of this course is to inform you about how business engages in various activities related to CSR and sustainability, and to begin to develop the capacity to be a positive social change agent. Specific course objectives include: 1. To develop an enhanced ability to recognize concepts, frameworks and ideas regarding the social, environmental, ethical and organizational dimensions of business activity. 2. To be able to explain the impact of consumer forces on business decision-making, and the impact of business on society. 3. Foster thinking and discussion about CSR and sustainability issues and how you might be able to contribute as a participant and a leader in this field. Over this 8-week course, students will learn about CSR and sustainability including topics such as ethical decision-making, socially-responsible consumerism, workplace practices, environmental stewardship, community involvement, governance and reporting, organizational learning and leadership. The course will be a combination of in-class instruction/discussion, as well as guest speakers. Classes will provide background information on specific issues, focus on relevant problems and challenges and offer solutions for going forward. The course is designed to be interactive and engaging, offering students the opportunity to learn about CSR and sustainability concepts, trends and cases. It will also focus on developing practical skills such as analytical thinking, communication, and leadership to apply these concepts in the business community. Students will be asked to complete one group project and present it to the rest of the class at the end of the course. As part of the course, students will be asked to volunteer ten (10) hours towards the Calgary Compact (see www.calgarycompact.ca for volunteer information). These ten hours may be completed during or after the course schedule is complete. Graduates will become valuable resources in their community as they promote awareness of the impact corporate social responsibility and sustainability can have on society. Ideal students include individuals studying business management, working in business or a non-profit organization that is looking to engage with business, and individuals who want to take a leadership role in promoting CSR and sustainability in Calgary. ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR Leo Wong recently graduated from the University of Alberta with a Ph.D. in marketing, focusing on corporate social responsibility and prosocial consumer behaviour. His primary motivation for pursuing his doctorate was to integrate CSR and sustainability issues into business education. This course is designed to be an inclusive, barrier-reduced approach to business education regarding these issues. In addition to his studies, he has been involved in synthesizing research related to sustainability issues for the Network for Business Sustainability and has helped review the world's top MBA programs in terms of their social impact content for the Aspen Institute. Leo is a founding member of the Calgary Compact, an organization that brings together socially-responsible individuals, organizations and businesses from a diverse interest-base in order to foster dialogue, increase understanding and generate cooperation towards a more sustainable livelihood.