Students in Dr. Jackie Gilbert’s Principles of Management class at MTSU are taking a stand against bullying, whether in social settings on campus, in the free-for-all interactions of cyberspace or inside corporate offices.

They want to educate other students about the issue, including what they can do to stop it.

“Take a Stand to Stop Bullying,” hosted Nov. 28 by the MTSU Leadership and Service Office, featured presentations by students in Gilbert’s undergraduate Experiential Learning, or EXL, management class on the topics of cyberbullying, corporate bullying and stalking.

“Their overall goal is to educate their peers,” Gilbert said. “What are the consequences of bullying, and more importantly, what can they do about it?”

During the event, three student groups made up of juniors and seniors each presented a topic for 25 minutes, followed by a five-minute period for the audience to ask questions.

Dr. Jackie Gilbert

“This is a student event to educate peers; namely, to provide information on the content, cause, and remedies of bullying both within school systems and within organizations,” Gilbert said.

Gilbert’s research and teaching interests for the past two years have been focused on workplace bullying.

In 2011, Gilbert applied for Distinguished Lecture Series funds to bring Gary Namie to campus. Namie is co-director of the Workplace Bullying Institute and a nationally recognized expert on bullying.

In spring 2011, a non-EXL Principles of Management class explored five different aspects of bad behavior: mobbing, hazing, cyberbullying, stalking and corporate bullying. Students then created an instructional video to raise awareness.

The goal of the project, according to that video, was to “groom a generation who will make a difference, one that will engender transparency, accountability, empowerment, and shared governance within their sphere of influence.

“They will infiltrate companies to promote good management and to change their firm’s culture,” the video continued. “They are the freedom fighters of a new era, trained to be rabble-rousers in the best possible way.”

You can watch the students’ video below. Learn more about the EXL Program’s recent accomplishments at mtsunews.com/exl-scholars-program-recognized.

— Jimmy Hart (Jimmy.Hart@mtsu.edu)