Southwire, West Georgia announce sustainable business honors program
From Special Reports
education@newnan.com
As they prepare for careers in business, university students face a changing landscape where focus is shifting from current and recent earnings reports to long-term profitability. Looking further into the future, companies seek leaders who understand sustained financial stability balanced with environmental and social responsibility.
To help train those future leaders, Southwire Company and the Carrollton-based University of West Georgia’s Richards College of Business have unveiled the Southwire Sustainable Business Honors Program. Funded by a $1.1 million gift from Southwire, the program will allow students to complete undergraduate business studies and earn MBA degrees in four years. The gift is the largest in the history of the Richards College of Business.
“Southwire and the University of West Georgia have had a great long-standing relationship,” said Dr. Beheruz N. Sethna, president of the University of West Georgia. “We are grateful and excited at this latest investment they have made in our future and our students.”
Students enrolled in the Southwire Sustainable Business Honors Program will meet the university’s requirements for general education, including global perspectives and critical thinking; complete requirements for both bachelor’s and master’s degree in business administration; and engage in classroom and extra-curricular activities focusing on sustainable business development, ethics and corporate responsibility.
Throughout the program, which launches this fall, students will engage in real-world experiences at Southwire such as internships in their major field of study, working with the company’s Project GIFT (Giving Inspiration for Tomorrow), contributing to and editing Southwire’s Living Well magazine, and participating in the Southwire Engineering Academy.
“All companies, as well as non-profits and governmental agencies, are faced with planning for the future in ways that ensure long-term sustainability for the business, the community, and the environment,” said Richards College of Business Dean Faye McIntyre. “Now more than ever, programs such as the Southwire Sustainable Business Honors Program are needed to train the leaders of tomorrow to accomplish these goals. We could not offer this program without the support of Southwire – a true partner with the Richards College – and we are thrilled to be able to offer this opportunity to our students.”
