The courses include the following:

Apparel Consumers
and Social Responsibility Examines the role of consumers in improving working
conditions, labor standards, and environmental stewardship in apparel factories
worldwide. Factors and groups motivating consumer action are explored, including
the influence of personal characteristics, market opportunities, and activist
and other pressure groups.

Apparel
Supply Chains & Social Responsibility Challenges for social
responsibility in the context of structure, relationships and long-standing
practices and methods in apparel business. Analyzes structural and competitive
issues of supply chains such as ownership, globalization, and
outsourcing.

Bringing Social
Responsibility to Apparel Corporate Culture Importance of leadership,
the role of inspirational leadership, and the opportunities for making a
difference will be explored, analyzed and applied. Social change is the emphasis
of this course—how individuals can help build a socially responsible
workplace.

Culture & Work in the
Apparel Industry Examines the interrelationships between cultural
characteristics, employment/work practices and social responsibility. Examples
of industry practices that reflect the effects of culture on business practices
are addressed.

Current Initiatives for
Apparel Industry Labor Compliance Evaluates the effectiveness of
current initiatives for improving working conditions and labor standards in
factories around the world. Explores codes of conduct and new trends (e.g.,
purchasing practices, root cause analysis) for achieving long-term improvements
in compliance to internationally recognized labor standards.

Producing Environmentally Responsible
Apparel Examines environmentally responsible apparel production and
practices as philosophy, process, and competitive business strategy. Analyzes
sustainable production in the context of physical plant, materials, and resource
use in businesses.

Redesigning Green
Apparel: Design, Sourcing & Packaging Examines challenges to
environmental stewardship in the design, sourcing, and packaging of apparel,
textiles, and footwear products. Explores innovative practices, visionary
leadership, and social change strategies for redesigning 'green' in the context
of the design and sourcing roles of apparel business.

Socially Responsible Apparel: Global Policy
Political and profit interests that influence socially responsible decisions and
policy for the global textile and apparel industry are considered. Factors
analyzed include ethics, economics, government policies, international labor
standards, environmental regulations, and company priorities.

Sustaining Global Apparel Supply Chains
This course examines the responsibility of businesses for sustaining
economic/social development in the global apparel industry. A historical
perspective of the role of the industry in economic development provides a
context for evaluating current issues concerning sustainable
development.

Worker-Centric Social
Responsibility for Apparel Industry Examines the rights of workers.
Explores obstacles to and methods for assuring worker rights, including freedom
of association. Consideration is given to how to effectively engage with
workers.

Each course lasts four weeks and is
offered entirely through the Internet. The course format and delivery through
the Internet was selected so that students can take the courses from any
location in the world, and mix and match them depending on their interests. For
example, students who are preparing to work in sourcing in the apparel industry
might want to consider taking all the courses while those interested in retail
management might take a narrower range of courses on the supply chain,
consumers, and initiatives in labor compliance.  A factory manager in an
apparel-producing country might find it useful to take all of the courses.  A
new activist woud benefit from taking courses related to the supply chain,
consumers, initiatives in labor compliance, and worker-centric labor
compliance.

The University of Delaware offers these courses to
interested individuals holding a baccalaureate degree.  We have packaged them
into a graduate certificate that enrolling students can earn after taking 9 of
the one-credit courses.  We currently have several students pursuing the
certificate, many of whom are working in the apparel industry for major brands
and retailers. It is also possible to take one or a few
courses.

While there are a lot of different
avenues to pursue when attempting to support workers’ rights, as University
educators this is an important contribution that we can make.  We anticipate
that over the years there will be many more apparel industry professionals who
are attuned to the needs of workers making their products and who know how they
can contribute to protecting the rights of these
workers

For more information, please may
review our website (www.udel.edu/fash/graduate) or
contact me directly.

Marsha
Dickson

Professor and
Chair

Fashion & Apparel
Studies

University of Delaware
Dickson [at] udel.edu">

Dickson [at] udel.edu