'Thank You' cards to the administrative staff of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University were the corporate social responsibility project chosen by the students in the International Business Transactions class taught by Fulbright professor Sarah Jenkins Hobbs. Originally, five students had ideas ranging from encouraging students to preserve library materials to painting the bathrooms at the Faculty. By the May 1st deadline for presenting their ideas only three remained: cards for encouraging staff and recognizing their importance, planting a garden to beautify the Faculty, and distributing pens made from recycled products to encourage conservation.
The goal in requiring the project was two-fold: 1) to encourage students to be sensitive to the needs of the community from which they, a corporate body, are extracting resources and profiting; and 2) to motivate students to assume responsibility for needs that they perceive. Unless these skills are developed now, later as business owners, they are less likely to assume responsibility without governmental regulation.

The proponent of a project had the responsibility of determining and acquiring any needed approvals for the project, setting a budget and methodology for financing the project, identifying the tasks that needed to be accomplished, and supervising the completion of the project. The proponent of the selected project will receive bonus points based on his/her execution of these responsibilities and each student who participated will receive points based on the average scores received from their colleagues.

More pictures (flickr)

This was a 100% student effort. The sentiment expressed in the cards was written solely by the students. Professor Hobbs is very proud of their efforts.

Lectures in International Business Transactions by Prof. Sarah Hobbs from the University of Arkansas, Fulbright lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration in the summer semester of 2013/2014: Tuesdays, 4-6 p.m., romm 400

Course Presentation (pdf)

Electronic learning materials (e-learn)

Video presentation of Prof. Hobbs

Sarah Howard Jenkins Hobbs, Charles C. Baum Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law

• challenges her students to develop a commitment to diligence and competence in the study and practice of the law
• works to ensure parity among the diverse interests in commercial law through her scholarship and participation in the quasi-legislative legal reform processes of the American Bar Association
• a member of the prestigious American Law Institute
• former Chair of the ABA UCC Subcommittee on UCC Article 1 and the Subcommittee on Payment Systems
• Chair of the Association of American Law Schools Section on Commercial and Related Consumer Law, 2012-2013
• author of volume 13 of the Revised Corbin on Contracts, one of the leading and most highly regarded summaries of contract law in print
• published extensively on Commercial Law issues
• organized several symposia of distinguished domestic scholars on significant legal issues
• recipient of UALR Bowen School of Law Faculty Excellence Award for Research, 2003 & 2011
• nominated by individual students in 1993, 2003, 2005, and 2011 for UALR Bowen School of Law Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching.