Participants will enroll in a semester-long honors seminar course, titled “Global Trends in Compliance, Governance, Ethics, and Whistleblowing.” This course will study, both domestically and internationally, the law of compliance, governance, and ethics, and will place special importance on the phenomenon of whistleblowing as a valuable tool in compliance among businesses and organizations. Over spring break, students will travel to the beautiful, medieval city of Siena, Italy, a bustling business hub and university city, in the heart of Tuscany and an hour’s distance from Florence, where they will have the opportunity to explore how the city's numerous established and emerging businesses, financial entities, and organizations navigate these issues.
Global Trends in Compliance, Governance, Ethics, and Whistleblowing
Study in Italy will take place March 15-22, 2025.*
Please note that this program includes a spring semester course that will meet on campus.
*All travel dates are tentative and subject to international travel restrictions.
October 1, 2024
| 2:00-3:00pm HHC Great Room |
Course Title: HON-H251: Global Trends in Compliance, Governance, Ethics, and Whistleblowing
Academic Director & Instructor: Jennifer Pacella
Syllabus Description:
This course will examine, both domestically and internationally, the law of corporate and organizational governance and compliance, as a critical means of improving the ethics of organizations applicable to any industry or sector of the world. We will study the internal controls, business practices and norms, operations, regulations, and laws that govern how business entities and organizations are managed and how the rights of stakeholders are balanced from a global perspective. Special emphasis will be placed on the ever-popular phenomenon of whistleblowing, a crucial tool for ensuring compliance and ethics. We will examine the pivotal role that whistleblowers play in society and in organizations across the globe; their contributions to uncovering wrongdoing; the differences between internal and external whistleblowing; common reactions to whistleblowers; and the benefits that whistleblowers offer to organizations.
This course will study the major federal U.S. whistleblowing laws, while conducting a comparative analysis with whistleblowing laws on an international level, specifically that of recent and novel legislative developments in the European Union (EU), requiring all EU Member States to adopt whistleblower protection laws in their respective countries. Particular attention will be paid to whistleblowing in EU Member States that have histories of totalitarian leadership, with Italy being the country of focus, as such histories often give rise to complex cultural and societal considerations related to the acceptability of whistleblowing in society and in workplaces. These considerations will be studied to understand the full universe of possible repercussions on the success of whistleblowing protection laws in Italy and other similarly situated countries, thereby affecting the overall functioning of organizational compliance and governance systems generally.
- Daily excursions, including:
- Meetings with businesses and local organizations
- Research seminar and discussion with local Italian law professors and students
- Visits to local cultural museums and historical sites
- Group welcome and farewell dinners
- Tuscan cooking lesson
Program participants will stay in a centrally located hotel during their stay in Italy. The hotel was selected for its central location, so that students will have easy and walkable access to various dining options and attractions, as well as to public transportation.
Program Fee - $1950*
The program fee includes accommodations in Italy, some meals, transportation to and from all excursion sites, entry fees to all museums and historical sites, student travel insurance, and administrative fees
*Program fee is subject to change due to unforeseeable circumstances.
IUB Tuition
If you are enrolled as a full-time student during the spring semester and enroll in HON-H251 as part of your block credits, there is no additional tuition cost to participate in Global Trends in Compliance, Governance, Ethics, and Whistleblowing.
Additional Variable Costs
Variable costs are paid before and after you arrive in Italy as you pay for roundtrip international airfare, airport transfers, meals not covered by the program, snacks, souvenirs, and other personal expenses.
Note: The program fee will appear on your bursar bill and is paid directly to IU. See the program fee sheet for more details.
Scholarships
All admitted program participants are awarded an automatic HIEP Hutton Honors Study Abroad Scholarship of $500 applied directly to the program fee. No separate application is required.
Additionally, applicants to Hutton Honors Study Abroad programs may be considered for additional merit and need-based scholarships. If finances will be a barrier to participating in your study abroad experience, we invite you to apply for these awards. Please submit your application no later than your program's final application deadline.
Note: Program participants are not eligible to apply for the HIEP Grant.
Please see the IU Education Abroad Office website for more information on other available scholarships and financial aid opportunities.