Rotarian Craig Escamilla introduced Dr. Toni Mulvaney who began her address with a recollection of her experience with academic dishonesty and plagiarism at Lamar University.  She stated that it took nearly fifteen years to overcome the experience during which time she worked diligently to make Lamar a better and more ethical place.  Her conviction is that our behavior both impacts and influences those around us.  She cited the Rotary Four Way Test as evidence that Rotarians know the value of ethical standards and are mindful of them throughout their business and professional lives.

 

Abetted by her friend, Past President, Tim Sudela, Dr. Mulvaney chose as her first illustration of unethical behavior the World Series Champion Houston Astros team.  She declared that the team’s legacy and reputation are forever tainted.  Unfortunately, she observed, the reigning mantra of modern life is, “If you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin’.”

 

Dr. Mulvaney stated that more than 74% of undergraduates across the country cheat.  Her experience includes learning that students who would never cheat at golf will cheat on an ethics exam. She has learned that many who are caught cheating have no remorse except for the fact that they got caught.  She proposed that the idea of not cheating at a sport was more important to the cheaters because of the potential for glory whereas there was no glory in passing an academic test.  She stated that, unfortunately, you can’t teach ethics.  Her belief is that ethics come from interaction with ethical people who set the example.

 

She challenged the audience with a search for a standard that involved three questions.  Is it legal?  Is it ethical? Can you get away with it and make money? She then postulated that people have “situational ethics.”  She gave several examples:  Do you do all the reps you are assigned if the trainer is not looking?  Did the checker miss charging you for an item or give too much change?  Would you share an old test with a classmate?   Would you cheat on your taxes?  Taking it farther, would you call out your boss for unethical behavior?  Should someone be punished for a past falsehood if they had been completely ethical thereafter? 

 

Dr. Mulvaney believes in the absolute standard of ethics.  “People choose to cheat because of who they are not.”  One must do the right thing all the time every time.  Her pledge and that of Lamar University is to train, teach and encourage self- reflection, and lead by example.  They plan to avoid setting unrealistic goals and to discourage cheaters, cowards, and lazy people.  They will teach students to never believe that nobody is looking because somebody is always looking.   Her challenge to Rotarians is to do the right thing until it becomes a habit.  She believes that if we decide to live as examples, then we will provide a work environment worthy of the ethical students that Lamar will produce.

 

Following Dr. Mulvaney’s speech, Rotarian Craig Escamilla presented the T. Kelsey Lamb, Sr. Award for Business Ethics to Rotarian Rebekah Maxwell, an overwhelmingly popular selection as evidenced by the standing ovation and rousing applause.