As part of its continuing commitment to promote ethical values in the business world, Shorter University's Robert H. Ledbetter College of Business has introduced a new aspect into its annual Hopkins Institute for Business Ethics. The Hopkins Institute will now feature special lectures throughout the academic year. In the past, the event featured just one keynote speaker.

"This is an exciting change from the previous years' agenda," said Dr. Robert "Dub" Darville, Dean of the Ledbetter College of Business. "We feel the addition of several lectures over the course of the year is a valuable addition to the Hopkins Institute. This new change will keep the importance of ethical responsibility in the business world at the forefront of our students' minds as well as in the minds of our community's business leaders."

All lectures for the 3rd Annual Hopkins Institute for Business Ethics will take place at the Robert H. Ledbetter College of Business, located in the MidTown Crossing Shopping Center, 232 Shorter Ave., Rome.

The first lecture will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 22 at 9 a.m. The featured speaker will be Shorter University Provost Dr. Craig Shull. The topic for this event is "Running an Ethical Organization."

On Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 1 p.m., Dr. Vanice Roberts, Dean of Shorter University's School of Nursing, will address the topic of public healthcare in a session titled "Public Healthcare: Do We Have a Moral Responsibility?"

Carlton Ulmer of Hospital Corporation of America will be the featured speaker on Thursday, Nov. 4. The session, titled "Ethics in a For-Profit Healthcare Setting," will begin at 11 a.m.

On Thursday, Jan. 20, Dr. Dee Russell and Dr. Michael Peace, both of Floyd Medical Center, will speak at 11 a.m. The title of their topic is "Ethics in a Not-For-Profit Setting and Ethics in Healthcare Law."

Dr. Ken Davis and Dr. Al Diaz of The Harbin Clinic will be featured speakers on Thursday, Feb. 17. The topic title is "Ethics and Risk Management and the Patient Relationship." The event will begin at 11 a.m.

The final lecture will take place on Thursday, March 3 at 11 a.m. Dr. Lois Robley of Kennesaw State University will speak during a session titled "Ethics and End-of-Life Issues."

"The Hopkins Institute for Business Ethics is open to everyone, not just Shorter students," said Dr. Darville. "We encourage businesses, employees and residents of the local community to make plans to attend these events. People are looking for individuals to be leaders who exhibit ethical decision-making, and Shorter, as a Christian institution, wants to be a voice promoting the importance of ethics instruction and practice."

The Hopkins Institute for Business Ethics is an annual lectureship established in the fall of 2008 thanks to a generous gift from Shorter University Trustee Col. Harvard Hopkins and his wife.