SF State News {University Communications}

Image: Photos of SF State students and scenes from around campus

MBA program recognized for social responsibility focus

October 21, 2009 -- SF State's MBA program has again been recognized by the Aspen Institute as one of the world's leaders in socially responsible business education.

The logo from the 2009-10 Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey

The University's MBA program is ranked No. 23 in the U.S. and No. 29 in the world in the Institute's 2009-10 Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey, announced today.  

The biennial survey measures how well institutions prepare students for environmental, social and ethical complexities of modern-day business. This year, business schools from 24 countries participated in the 18-month effort to map the landscape of teaching and research on issues pertaining to business and society.

SF State was the only university in the California State University system to be listed in the top 100 list and improved upon its 2007 marks, when it ranked 27th in the U.S. and 37th in the world. 

"We are extremely proud of our faculty, who continue to place significant emphasis in the curriculum on ethics, corporate social responsibility and sustainability," said Nancy Hayes, dean of the College of Business. "These are increasingly critical success factors for current and future business leaders."

SF State's College of Business has long emphasized sustainable business in its teaching, faculty research and actions. The College has required all graduate and undergraduate students to take a course on business and society for the past 25 years and in fall 2007, launched the MBA emphasis in sustainable business, the first of its kind in the 23-campus CSU system.

The College's emphasis on socially responsible business mirrors SF State's university-wide commitment to social justice. In 2008, the College was among the first signatories to the Principles for Responsible Education, a global platform convened by the United Nations Global Compact to advance corporate responsibility in curricula and research.

"It is important for students to understand environmental, social and ethical issues due to the inherent risks associated with their businesses not addressing those issues, and because there are competitive opportunities associated with effectively addressing them," said Murray Silverman, professor of management who teaches classes in the sustainable business emphasis. "And pursuing a path to sustainability is the right thing to do if we are going to provide future generations the ability to meet their needs."

The College's dedication to sustainability and ethics will be on display Nov. 2-6 during the fourth annual Business Ethics Week, which features a full schedule of speakers. This year's Business Ethics Week will focus on the importance of business ethics, corporate social responsibility and sustainable business with classroom instruction, discussion and guest speakers in more than 90 business classes, and corporate speakers from Genentech and All About the Future. For a schedule of this year's events, visit http://cob.sfsu.edu/ethicsweek/
For more information on the Aspen Institute's Beyond Grey Pinstripes rankings, visit http://www.beyondgreypinstripes.org/index.cfm

-- Michael Bruntz

 

Share this story:

 

 

SF State Home