It’s all fun and games with Lori Whisenant, a new lecturer
at the University of Kansas School of Business, from the University of Houston.
Whisenant taught at UH for 12 years and served as the
director of business law and ethics studies for the past seven years. She
worked in public accounting in the Big Four in the tax area prior to that
position.
Whisenant is happy to join a university and town with so
much school spirit.
“My husband, Scott, also joined KU. It was the perfect fit
for both our professional and family goals,” Whisenant said. “We have two young
boys, and really liked the opportunity to raise them in such a wonderful
environment like Lawrence.”
While at UH, Whisenant and a former faculty member at UH
developed an online business ethics game for undergraduate students.
“The game is a simulation that allows a student to make
decisions in ten ethical dilemmas, all of which take place while the student is
in college,” Whisenant explained. “The
goal is to end with relative balance in the student’s life, which is measured
by scores related to money, academics, health and reputation.”
The game covers obstacles a student will encounter during
college such as cheating, lying on a resume and responding to multiple offers
for employment. At the end of the game the student’s scores related to money,
academics, health and reputation determine whether the student receives a great
job offer, stays in the same job the student had during college, or is without
a job at the end of the game.
In 2011, the game was recognized by the National Association
of College and Employers (NACE). Whisenant and her partner were finalists in
the NACE’s Innovation Excellence Award.
Currently, Whisenant is developing an additional level of
the game. In this level the students are new employees of an organization and
are asked to navigate various ethical dilemmas that one may find in business.
The student’s decisions made in Level I will affect the outcomes in Level II.
“We wanted to emphasize that bad decisions in life sometimes
come back to haunt you,” Whisenant said.
This semester Whisenant is teaching Business Writing for Accountants
and Tax Research. Next semester Whisenant will teach Accounting Ethics and
plans to implement components of the game within the context of the course.
“I love teaching subjects that I'm passionate about, and writing and ethics are at the top of the list,” Whisenant said.
Whisenant attended University of Texas at Tyler where she
received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. At the University of Oklahoma she
received Master of Accountancy and Juris Doctorate. At
Georgetown University she received a Master of Laws in taxation.
