Our host Lily, director of the ICMA China Center, and some of my students took me to a hot pot restaurant known for its foods in the style of Yunnan Providence. Slices of lamb and several kinds of mushrooms and vegetables were cooked in this broth in the center of the table, and eaten with spicy sauces.

 

 

In class my students reviewed the ICMA Code of Ethics and reviewed brief case studies related to ethics (thanks to ICMA Senior Adviser and ASU instructor Lloyd Harrell for providing those on short notice 6,500 miles away).

Speaking of distance, thanks are due as well to my husband Tom back home in Flagstaff who has done research and sent me documents overnight, while I slept. Having such excellent support back home, and a way to share information, has made lesson prep much easier.

During discussions today the students understood all aspects of the case studies. These included the regular kind of issues we face in our professions: Should a manager reveal a personal involvement with one of the candidates for assistant city manager? Should a manager and spouse travel with a vendor to visit another city? They identified which tenet of the ICMA Code of Ethics would guide a manager in each case. But there was considerable discussion about the case when after the advertising for filling a summer job closes, a niece of the Mayor calls to ask to meet with you about the position. The niece missed the deadline. Should the manager meet with her?

Students quoted the Code of Ethics and spoke about fairness to applicants. But the students said that in the Chinese system, the Mayor probably has the power and authority to hire or fire people. If the Mayor wants a niece to get a job, the niece is probably going to get the job—and the manager is going to give it to the niece. Another view was that if this was just a summer job, why not hire all applicants? Especially if they are unpaid interns?

Next my students will role play a meeting of the County Board of Supervisors. Three of them will serve as the elected Board, and two will be department heads making presentations. The others will be citizens with various points of view on the two issues being discussed for possible action. Thanks to Wendy Escoffier, the Clerk of the Board back in Coconino County, for collecting all the information and staff reports, and for script writing to provide the students with ideas for comments.