Four Notre Dame students embarked on a significant step in their professional development journey by attending the Strategic Decision Making and Ethical Leadership undergraduate conference in September. These student leaders included Notre Dame Student Government leaders Dawson Kiser (Student Body President) and Maeve Miller (Chief of Staff), and student group leaders Mark Metryoos (Founder, Equity in Business Initiative) and Michelle Seaberg (President, Black Business Association). Dawson, Mark, and Michelle also serve as members of the Dean’s Ambassadors group for the Mendoza College of Business.
The conference, presented by the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE), the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University, the Poe Business Ethics Center at the Warrington College of Business, University of Florida, and the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership (NDDCEL), convened student leaders from eight universities around the country.
Students engaged in workshops and activities with faculty and industry experts to share ideas and to foster their capacities for leadership on their home campuses.
Speakers include Jessica McManus Warnell, Teaching Professor of Management & Organization and Rex and Alice A. Martin Faculty Director of the NDDCEL; Brian Ray, Director of the Poe Business Ethics Center; and Jeff Dunn, Director of the the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics, along with industry experts from companies including Cummins, Inc.
The conference aims to equip undergraduate student leaders with essential tools in ethical decision-making, laying a foundation for a productive year of leadership on their respective campuses. Attendees also had the opportunity to network with student leaders from colleges and universities across the country, fostering a community of future leaders. A 2025 convening is being considered.
Student perspectives from the 2024 event were shared at the NDDCEL Fall Forum which featured early-career professionals exploring ethical leadership at work. The insights from these students studying business inform those already in industry as they prepare for their own leadership roles.
NDDCEL is proud to co-sponsor this event, collaborating with other university ethics centers to nurture the next generation of ethical, effective leaders.
Read on for reflections from student leaders who attended:
Dawson Keiser
Mark Metryoos
Maeve Miller
Michelle Seaberg
I enjoyed when speakers discussed the importance of how each situation that we are in offers an ethical dilemma of sorts. It made me think that during decision making people need to take the time to assess all parties and likely outcomes. Additionally, I will be implementing the concept of amplifying others' ideas when I am leading group discussions. There is immense value in diversity of thought. It was nice hearing from others who cared about ethical leadership and how they believed that they could implement what we learned in their own schools and student orgs. As a leader making sure everyone's voice is heard and that everyone feels welcome is key to fostering a productive and efficient environment. Studying ethical leadership can help make that a reality.
Michelle Seaberg
I enjoyed learning about leadership strategies and ethical decision-making from both the speakers and my peers. I especially enjoyed the ideas about focusing on the development of those you lead, and when giving instruction or guidance, it is important to be transparent. It was inspiring to see how many students from across different colleges simultaneously have different leadership styles but also have similar values in what guides these various styles. I appreciated that even when we did have the occasional difference, we were in an environment where we felt we could safely share it.
Dawson Keiser
In today’s world, technology and advanced connectivity allow us to bring crucial topics like artificial intelligence, expanding equity, and social justice to the forefront more easily. We are becoming a more vocal society, where we hold individuals, corporations, and institutions accountable, and as students of Notre Dame, we are expected to contribute our knowledge and resources to address these challenges. This conference is a crucial platform for integrating ethics and business, bringing it to the forefront for others.
Mark Metryoos
Ethical leadership is important to ensure that personal agendas are not being pushed more than the dignity of those who are affected by decision-making, especially in political discourse or within a company.
Maeve Miller
Participants described “what concerns you most as you approach your business career?”
Participants described “what are you most excited about for your career in business?”
