The CU-Boulder Leeds School of Business is launching a Center for Business and Society to provide a broad approach to business education and examine the roles and contributions of business to society, Dean Steven Manaster announced.
"The Center for Business and Society aligns with the Leeds School's mission to expand the scope of business education by creating leaders who take a broad perspective on the role of businesses in society," Manaster said.
Robert W. Kolb, who currently serves as the school's assistant dean of business and society, will direct the center. Its mission is to develop curriculum and present events and programs to support and extend its business ethics curriculum.
In July, the center will host an international Teaching Business Ethics conference in collaboration with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the accrediting body of business schools, and co-hosts Colorado State University and the University of Wyoming.
In September, the center will oversee the annual Japha Symposium for Business and Professional Ethics. The topic for 2004 will be "The Ethics of Executive Compensation." Other center events include the Summit Awards Program, which recognizes companies for either their positive social impact or for demonstrating exemplary environmental responsibility.
The center also supports a speaker series and the Leeds/Net Impact Case Competition, in which students analyze business cases specifically designed to raise business and society issues.
In addition, the center will coordinate the publication of a new monograph series, "The Leeds School Series in Business and Society." Blackwell Publishers has agreed to publish annual volumes.
The Leeds School is a national leader in business and society programs. In October 2003, it was ranked among the top 36 programs in the world for the integration of social and environmental impact management into its MBA program.
The ranking was part of a report by the Aspen Institute and World Resources Institute that evaluated 526 schools in 20 countries. The report evaluated the school's curriculum, extracurricular activities, faculty publications and innovative programs.