Seated in the mezzanine of the historic Hotel Boulderado in downtown Boulder on May 20th, members of the Curriculum Think Tank (CTT) enjoyed an elegant dinner while listening to CB Bhattacharya, Pietro Ferrero Chair in Sustainability and Director, Center for Sustainable Business, ESMT European School of Management and Technology and Dean of International Relations, present "Insights into the Value of Educational Partnerships with Business Leaders.鈥�
The following day, the CTT, a consortium of faculty from national business schools, discussed the role of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities in strengthening business ethics curriculum and creating enduring learning; how discovery-based learning can be used effectively in online classrooms; and measuring the impact of what is taught using impact measurement tools.
Donna Sockell, former CESR executive director and owner of听SB Educational Consultants,听facilitated the day-long event, allowing current Executive Director Mark Meaney to participate alongside the other academic leader participants.
A highlight of the day included visits from past and present Center for Education on Social Responsibility (CESR) students, including CESR鈥檚 junior board members, who offered their perspectives on the value of discovery-based learning (i.e. cases) and what makes a good case.
In 2013, a听Wall Street Journal about the CTT听pointed out, 鈥淎 strong ethics education can help counteract a narrowing worldview that often accompanies a student's progression through business school.鈥�
The Leeds School of Business鈥� dean, David Ikenberry, was also quoted in the article pointing out that stand-alone ethics courses are a start, but they 鈥渃ompartmentalize鈥� the issue for students, as if ethical questions aren鈥檛 applicable to all business disciplines.
About Curriculum Think Tank
In 2012 CESR founded the Curriculum Think Tank 鈥� a group of academics who discuss best practices in curriculum design, pedagogy and approaches to teaching of business ethics and corporate social responsibility as part of a business school curriculum.
Participating schools include Babson College, the University of Pittsburgh, Michigan State University, Dartmouth College, Trinity University, and the University of Arizona, to name a few. In addition, an international contigent has joined the ranks: European School of Management and Technology, Spain鈥檚 IESE Center for Business in Society, and EGADE Business School in Mexico and Latin America.