Susan Manring, associate professor of management, and Christina Benson, assistant professor of business law and ethics, were among a diverse group of experts and educators who made presentations during the annual AACSB International Sustainability Conference June 15-17 in Charlotte, N.C.
Manring’s presentation, “Engaging Students through Sustainability Initiatives with Local Companies,” focused on the processes of students collaborating with businesses to create and manage sustainable business practices. She discussed work her students had completed which involved auditing a local company’s current sustainability initiatives and providing analysis and recommendations to the company for future projects.
Benson, along with Laura Erskine, assistant professor in the College of Business at Illinois State University, presented “Teaching Sustainability – Experiential Learning Examples.” Benson discussed examples of integrating experiential business ethics and sustainability assignments into undergraduate coursework, including a hands-on consulting project on business ethics and an interactive “greenwashing” workshop in which students critically evaluated green claims made in corporate advertising and sustainability reporting.
“I found the conference to be a great opportunity for faculty from AACSB accredited business schools to share their experiences and best practices for incorporating ethics and social responsibility into our business courses and programs,” Benson said.
AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business is a global, nonprofit membership organization of educational institutions, businesses and other entities devoted to the advancement of management education. Their annual sustainability conference brings together deans, directors, and research and faculty leadership to discuss elements of sustainable business, corporate social responsibility, ethics and special initiatives.
About Susan Manring, associate professor of management
Manring received her Ph.D. in organizational behavior from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Her research areas of interest include sustainable enterprise development, inter-organizational learning networks and change management. Prior to joining Elon, she was an organizational consultant.
About Christina Benson, assistant professor of business law and ethics
Benson received her J.D. and master’s of business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on international trade and sustainable development. Prior to joining Elon, Benson practiced law in Washington, D.C., for 10 years specializing in international trade and transactions.
