The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business outranked all other U.S. schools in terms of how well it integrates environmental, social and ethical issues into its MBA program, according to the Aspen Institute’s 2009-10 Beyond Grey Pinstripes report.
The Ross School ranked No. 2 overall in the biennial survey, designed to provide an alternative ranking of business schools based on their environmental and social stewardship. To identify what it calls the “Global 100,” the Aspen Institute compared data from 149 MBA programs in 24 countries as part of the survey. York University’s Schulich School of Business in Toronto, Canada, ranked No. 1 this year, replacing Stanford Graduate School of Business, which claimed the number one spot in the 2007-8 survey. (Stanford fell to No. 4 this year.)
“Beyond Grey Pinstripes schools are thoughtfully pursuing new approaches,” Rich Leimsider, director of the Aspen Institute’s Center for Business Education, said in a statement. “They are preparing students who take a more holistic view of business success, one that measures financial results as well as social and environmental impacts.”
Ross’s high ranking didn’t come as a surprise to Dean Robert Dolan, who views social and environmental responsibility as a cornerstone of the school’s management education. “We don’t view social and environmental responsibility as a realm separate from that of everyday business,” Dolan said in a statement. “We make a point of integrating these concerns into our curriculum and our teaching in a manner that is both innovative and relevant,” he added.
The number of electives a school offers with content focusing on environmental and social responsibility is one of the data points the Aspen Institute collects as part of the survey. According to Leimsider, the average school in the survey offers 18 such electives, compared to Ross’s 72.
The Ross School also boasts the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, part of a partnership with the U-M’s School of Natural Resources and Environment. The Erb Institute supports interdisciplinary research and education initiatives – including an MBA/MS program – designed to encourage sustainable enterprise around the globe.
In addition to this and other partnerships with U-M schools and institutes focused on social responsibility, Ross also features a range of student clubs, lecture series, seminars and conferences that helped it rise to the top of the Aspen Institute’s ranking. Among them is the Ross Net Impact Club, which has been named National Chapter of the Year for three consecutive years.
To view the complete 2009-10 Beyond Grey Pinstripes report, click here.
