July 2005

Halle Group speaks at Life University

Former FBI agent, white‑collar criminals giving 'corporate scared straight' seminar

Oliver G. Halle & Associates, Inc., a team that includes retired FBI agent, Oliver Halle, and two convicted white‑collar felons, presented a seminar on corporate ethics to Life University faculty, staff and students on Thursday, May 26.

The seminar's title, "Take the harder right," was pulled from the Cadet Prayer, which reads, "Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole can be won."

Founded in 2004, the group's purpose is to reach and deter people from moral or ethical misconduct in the workplace. Halle calls the seminars "corporate scared straight" because of their upfront teachings on the temptations and real life consequences of white‑collar crimes.

"Employees or students hearing the stories from our presenters will likely remember them for the rest of their lives," said Halle. "Very few people understand how a 'good person' can get in trouble and very few middle and upper class people know someone personally who has been convicted of a felony and spent time in federal prison. We want the Life community as well as the general public to see themselves in our presenters. The seminars can succeed in coming full circle and persuade them to take the path of the harder right instead of the easier wrong."

Dr. Ron Kath, associate dean of the college of arts and sciences and Dr. Deb Roche, assistant dean college of chiropractic, both organizers of the seminar, believe that all students and business people need to have a real understanding of the consequences for wrong actions.

"With the present state of ethics in business and the world today, here at Life University we believe that it has become even more important for our students to be exposed to and taught the importance of ethics," said Dr. Kath. "We are trying to prevent our students and employees from making small, unethical decisions that will lead to harsh consequences later."

"Halle's teachings are realistic and literal," Dr. Kath concluded. "(They) have a very strong impact because he uses real‑life situations with real‑life consequences that can be applied in the business world and in everyday life. No one teaches a lesson better than someone who has been there, done that and can tell you the results."