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Corporate Knights releases its 2010 Business Knight Schools Survey - Environmental Communication Options/Huff Strategy

Corporate Knights releases its 2010 Business Knight Schools Survey

Jun 28th, 2010 4:58 AM

High scores among sustainability leaders leave the majority of business schools in the dust Corporate Knights releases its 2010 Business Knight Schools Survey (Toronto, Canada, June 28, 2010) The bulk of Canadian business schools are blinded by the status quo, despite the fact that leading schools are mapping out a path to sustainability. Today, Corporate Knights Magazine unveils the seventh-annual Knight Schools ranking. The ranking analyzes how Canadian universities fare in integrating sustainability into the school experience. In reviewing MBA and undergraduate business programs, Corporate Knights adopted a broad definition of sustainability that encompassed environmental and social concerns. Issues of social justice, human rights, professional conduct, cultural diversity, climate change, and conservation were considered. The survey, modeled after the US-based Beyond Grey Pinstripes Survey, scored the programs in the areas of institutional support, student initiatives, and course work. After evaluating 35 MBA and 47 undergraduate Business programs, one thing was clear: there are strong leaders when it comes to sustainability in business education, but the majority still has a lot to learn. This year, the average undergraduate score was 43.34 per cent, and the average score for MBA programs was 41.38 per cent. Despite the low average scores, the leaders continue to set the bar high, making the top ten a competitive ranking. Because of this, an improved score did not necessarily guarantee an improved rank, as a few schools emerged into the front running, bumping others out of the top spots. In undergrad, the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business rose from 66.95 per cent to 73.6 per cent in 2010 - achieving the 2nd place spot, and bumping the University of Calgary's Haskayne School of Business into a close 3rd with 73.4 per cent. HEC Montreal made notable improvements, moving from 18th to 5th place, achieving a score of 70.6 per cent. The Desautels School of Management at McGill University also leapt up in the ranking, rising impressively from 29th place in 2009 to 6th place in 2010. The front-runners in both MBA and undergraduate business are repeat winners. York University's Schulich School of Business came in 1st place in the MBA ranking for the seventh year in a row, improving on last year's score of 92.8 per cent with an impressive 94.6 per cent finish. Also holding its position at the top is the University of Waterloo's Centre for Environment and Business undergraduate program, who jumped up significantly from 2009, moving from 74.25 per cent to 92.7 per cent in 2010. Both universities demonstrate the kind of core sustainability integration that Corporate Knights wants to encourage. "For the most part, the major gaps in school's performances were in their basic program design," says Jon-Erik Lappano, chief researcher of the Knight Schools survey. "Too often, universities are looking at sustainability as a niche course or case study. It needs to become part of the mainstream curriculum, woven into the core of business education. This year's leaders represent a needed shift towards a more holistic education system." Top 10 Undergraduate Business Programs School % Score 1. University of Waterloo - School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED) 92.7 2. University of British Columbia - Sauder School of Business 73.6 3. University of Calgary - Haskayne School of Business 73.4 4. Concordia - John Molson School of Business 70.7 5. École des Hautes Études Commerciales, Université de Montréal (HEC Montréal) 70.6 6. McGill University - Desautels Faculty of Management 69.1 7. York University - Schulich School of Business 68.5 8. Dalhousie University 67.2 9. Simon Fraser University 64.0 10. Trent University 63.8 Top 10 MBA Programs School % Score 1. York University - Schulich School of Business 94.6 2. University of Calgary - Haskayne School of Business 83.7 3. Concordia University - John Molson School of Business 81.2 4. University of Alberta 79.9 5. University of British Columbia 71.9 6. University of Toronto 68.2 7. McGill University - Desautels Faculty of Management 67.9 8. Simon Fraser University 58.0 9. École des Hautes Études Commerciales, Université de Montréal (HEC Montréal) 58.0 10. Université Laval 46.9 The full results and methodology of the Ranking are available at www.corporateknights.ca/knightschools and are summarized in the Best 50/Eduction issue (Vol. 9.1) of Corporate Knights, distributed in the Globe and Mail on June 22. -30- To schedule interviews with Melissa Shin, the Managing Editor of Corporate Knights, or Jon-Erik Lappano, Assistant Editor contact: Don Huff, 416-972-7404, huffd@ecostrategy.ca About Corporate Knights: Founded in 2002, Corporate Knights Inc. is an independent Canadian-based media company focused on promoting and reinforcing sustainable development.