UNIVERSITY OF DENVER
DANIELS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Ethics and Compliance in a Post-WorldCom World
SPRING QUARTER – 2007
FACULTY
Professor Stephen Martin – Department of Business Ethics & Legal Studies
OFFICE
DCB 235 – Daniels College of Business – Second Floor
PHONE
Office – (303) 871-____
Home – (303) 282-1211
Cell – (303) 345-3345
E-MAIL
smarti23@du.edu
DEPARTMENT
The Department of Business Ethics and Legal Studies (www.daniels.du.edu/busethics)
Please contact me if you are interested in pursuing a MBA concentration in BELS.
OFFICE HOURS
TBD
COURSE
LOGISTICS
Title LGST ___ – Ethics and Compliance in a Post-WorldCom World (CRN ____)
Day TBD
Room DCB ___
COURSE
MATERIALS AND
RESOURCES
1. TEXTBOOK – TBD (will include a bound volume of
articles/studies/policies/in-class exercise materials)
2. BLACKBOARD ASSIGNMENTS – Each class session will be supplemented by
a particular set of readings and/or assignments detailed in the course
schedule below. All readings and/or assignments will be posted on the
LGST ____ course container located on the University’s Blackboard
system (http://www.du.edu/blackboard) under the “Assignments” link.
3. DISCUSSION GROUPS AND RESOURCES – Periodically, I may post
discussion forums and additional topic-specific resources on Blackboard to
enhance student understanding of the materials.
PURPOSES AND
GOALS
The seminar "Ethics and Compliance in a Post-Worldcom World" will explore how proper
ethics and corporate compliance are critical to public corporations, as well as their officers
and directors, in the post-WorldCom world. Drawing on the failures of ethics and
compliance at companies like Enron, WorldCom, Tyco and Adelphia, this seminar will
examine (1) the current regulatory environment for public companies; (2) the "nuts and
bolts" of implementing and managing a corporate compliance program; (3) the best
practices in corporate ethics, compliance and governance; (4) how to develop and foster an
ethical corporate culture and (5) how to assess and manage risk in a corporate environment.
The primary course objective to provide students with a real life understanding of how
ethics and corporate compliance impacts public companies (both positive and negative)
and how "best practice" ethics/corporate compliance programs both improve overall
corporate performance and protect the company (including its directors, officers,
employees and stakeholders). In addition, it will give students (especially those interested
in pursuing a career in this fast growing field), a practical understanding of the "nuts and
bolts" of how ethics/corporate compliance programs operate. This course fits BELS
emphasis on ethics and values-based leadership and provides a practical learning
environment for students to understand how ethics and leadership works in the real world
corporate atmosphere.
INSTRUCTIONAL
PHILOSOPHY
The course will include elements of lecture, interactive student to student and student to
professor discussion as well as student versus student debate. Class sessions will
emphasize topic introductions, theoretical foundations and case and current issue analysis.
Throughout the quarter, a series of speakers may be invited to discuss legal and ethical
issues arising in their professional environments relevant to the topics to be covered in the
class. Students are encouraged to engage these speakers both during and after each
presentation.
GRADING SCALE
PERCENTAGE RANK
93.0 - 100%
90.0 – 92.9%
87.0 – 89.9%
83.0 – 86.9%
80.0 – 82.9%
77.0 – 79.9%
73.0 – 76.9%
70.0 – 72.9%
67.0 – 69.9%
63.0 – 66.9%
60.0 – 62.9%
0.0 – 59.9%
GRADING AND
EVALUATION
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
GRADE POINT
4.0
3.7
3.3
3.0
2.7
2.3
2.0
1.7
1.3
1.0
0.7
0.0
Grades will be based on the following distribution and weighting:
ENDEAVOR
DATE
WEIGHT
1.
EXAMINATION
20%
3.
ISSUE DEBATE
20%
4.
5.
COURSE
EVALUATIONS
LETTER GRADE
GROUP
PRESENTATIONS
COMPLIANCE
ISSUE PAPER
6.
PARTICIPATION
7.
EXTRA CREDIT
30%
20%
10%
*Community Service Project (4-8 hours
+ 2 page paper)
*Current Events Article (discuss an
relevant article you have read with the
class)
TBD
Course evaluations may be distributed throughout the quarter. These brief surveys will
gauge your feelings pertaining to issues such as course pace and structure, usefulness of
source materials and overall satisfaction level. Because this is a course designed to be
flexible, I will readily utilize your feedback to enhance the class format, materials and
dynamics if necessary.
ACADEMIC
INTEGRITY
The Daniels College of Business (the “College”) operates as a learning community
whereby true success and achievement demand academic integrity. The College’s
community values and standards take written form through the Code of Academic Integrity
(located at http://www.daniels.du.edu/enet/policy/codeacademicintegrity.asp). Please read
the entire Code of Academic Integrity before attending your first lecture this quarter and
pay special attention to the academic standards reproduced below.
Section II – Fundamental Purpose of the Code * * * The Academic Integrity of
the Daniels College of Business is violated when any member of the community
appropriates the work of another as his/her own without attribution. Whether in
testing, research, case studies, written reports or other academic assignments,
using that which is the product of another’s intellectual effort and representing it
as one’s own is a violation intolerable to the integrity of the community of the
College. The academic integrity of the College is also violated when any member
of the community takes unfair advantage of his/her colleagues or gives assistance
to such conduct whether in testing or in the development of other academic
assignments. Such violations which come to the attention of any member of the
community require "constructive action" . . . and failure to take such action is
itself a violation of the academic integrity of the College. * * *
In addition to the College, the University’s of Denver’s Office of Citizenship and
Community Standards developed an Honor Code (http://www.du.edu/honorcode). All
University of Denver students also are required to abide by the standards of academic
integrity detailed in the University Honor Code.
COURSE SCHEDULE:
ETHICAL EMPHASIS
INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE
CLASS I
MARCH __, 2007
1.
2.
COURSE INTRODUCTION
OVERVIEW OF TODAY’S BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
REVIEW SYLLABUS
LECTURE
CORPORATE FRAUD – THE ENRON STORY
CLASS II
MARCH __, 2007
MOVIE – CORPORATE FRAUD
IN-CLASS
Enron: The Smartest Guys in
the Room
THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT
CLASS III
APRIL __, 2007
1.
2.
3.
4.
FEDERAL SENTENCING GUIDELINES
SARBANES-OXLEY ACT
SEC AND STOCK EXCHANGE RULES
AGENCY PRONOUNCEMENTS
5.
ETHICAL FRAMEWORKS
READING ASSIGNMENT
(OUTSIDE OF CLASS)
LECTURE
LECTURE
LECTURE
LECTURE
BLACKBOARD
ETHICAL FRAMEWORKS AND LEADERSHIP
CLASS IV
APRIL __, 2007
DISCUSSION OF VARIOUS ETHICAL
FRAMEWORKS
LECTURE
CLASS V
APRIL __, 2007
SPEAKER – ETHICAL LEADERSHIP
PRESENTATION
ETHICAL CULTURE
CLASS VI
APRIL __, 2007
REVIEW OF RECENT SCANDALS
ENRON
WORLDCOM
QWEST
ADELPHIA
OTHERS
CREATING, COMMUNICATING AND
IMPLEMENTING AN ETHICAL CULTURE
DISCUSSION
IN-CLASS / COURSE
MATERIALS
IN-CLASS / COURSE
MATERIALS
LECTURE/DISCUSSION
COMPLIANCE PROGRAMS IN CORPORATE AMERICA
CLASS VII
APRIL __, 2007
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
HOW TO START, IMPLEMENT AND RUN A COMPLIANCE PROGRAM
CODE OF CONDUCT
COMPLIANCE ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE AND REPORTING
INTERNAL INFRASTRUCTURE
DEALING WITH VARIOUS BUSINESS UNITS AND INTERNAL
RESISTANCE
WHAT DOES LAW ENFORCEMENT REGARD AS AN EFFECTIVE
COMPLIANCE PROGRAM
GLOBAL VS DOMESTIC PROGRAM
LECTURE
LECTURE
LECTURE
LECTURE
LECTURE
LECTURE
LECTURE
REAL WORLD CORPORATE COMPLIANCE TRAINING
CLASS VIII
APRIL __, 2007
CORPORATE COMPLIANCE TRAINING
- EFFECTIVE TRAINING
- BEST PRACTICES
- CUSTOMIZED TRAINING
IN CLASS DEMONSTRATION VIA COMPUTER
BEST PRACTICES IN CORPORATE COMPLIANCE AND ETHICS
CLASS IX
APRIL __, 2007
BEST PRACTICES IN CORPORATE
COMPLIANCE/ETHICS
IN-CLASS
BASIC & ADVANCED COMPONENTS
CUTTING EDGE DEVELOPMENTS IN
CORPORATE COMPLIANCE
VARIOUS
MATERIALS/DISCUSSION
VARIOUS
MATERIALS/DISCUSSION
VARIOUS
MATERIALS/DISCUSSION
ISSUE DEBATE
CLASS X
APRIL 15, 2006
ISSUE DEBATE
IN-CLASS
DEBATE
MATERIALS
GOVERNMENT AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS
CLASS XI
MAY __, 2007
1. STRATEGIES FOR CONDUCTING
INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS
2. WHEN IS AN INVESTIGATION
NEEDED
3. FORMAL VS. INFORMAL
COURSE MATERIALS
COURSE MATERIALS
COURSE MATERIALS
LECTURE
LECTURE
LECTURE
INVESTIGATION
4. RESPONDING TO
WHISTLEBLOWERS
5. USE OF OUTSIDE ADVISORS
6. DEALING WITH GOVERNMENTAL
INQUIRIES
COURSE MATERIALS
COURSE MATERIALS
COURSE MATERIALS
LECTURE
LECTURE
LECTURE
CLASS XII
MAY __, 2007
SPEAKER – GENERAL COUNSEL OF
FORTUNE 500 COMPANY – REAL LIFE
DISCUSSION ABOUT A COMPANY THAT
FACED A GOVERNMENTAL
INVESTIGATION
PRESENTATION
CLASS XIII
MAY __, 2007
SPEAKER – GOVERNMENT PROSECUTOR –
THE GOVERNMENT’S PERSPECTIVE ON
PROSECUTING COMPANIES AND
INDIVIDUALS
PRESENTATION
GROUP PRESENTATIONS
CLASS XIV
MAY __, 2007
PREPARE FOR GROUP PRESENTATIONS
OUTSIDE OF CLASS
CLASS XV AND XVI
MAY __, 2007 AND MAY __, 2007
GROUP PRESENTATIONS
CORPORATE COMPLIANCE TOPICS
IN-CLASS
RISK MANAGEMENT AND ASSESSMENT
CLASS XVII
MAY __, 2007
Risk Management and Assessment in
Corporate America
How to Assess Risk and What to
Do Next
Compliance Auditing
Measuring Performance of
Compliance Program
Driving Accountability In a
Corporation
COURSE MATERIALS
LECTURE
LECTURE/DISCUSSION
VARIOUS TOPICS
CLASS XVIII
MAY __, 2007
ADVISING AND EDUCATING THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
CORPORATE POLICIES/PROCEDURES
CRISIS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
CONCLUSION OF CLASS
CLASS XIX
JUNE __, 2007
1. COMPLIANCE ISSUE PAPER
2. FINAL CLASS DISCUSSION
DUE TODAY
IN-CLASS
IN-CLASS
FINAL EXAMINATION – NO EXCEPTIONS FOR ABSENCES
COMPUTER REQUIRED
DATE TBD – TIME TBD -- (HELD IN OUR CLASSROOM)