The Leeds School has been ranked one of the Top 10 Undergrad Business Schools for Sustainability by Bloomberg Businessweek. Leeds ranked 6th out of 124 undergraduate business schools in the area of sustainability by undergraduate business students in the most recent ranking. The Best Undergraduate B-Schools ranking survey asked students to give feedback about the full range of their business school experience, from getting in to getting a job. One section of the survey singled out specific aspects of the business programs, specifically, sustainability offerings.
"The Leeds School of Business has a long-standing commitment to sustainable business practices that stretches back over a quarter century," says David Payne, a faculty member at Leeds' Center for Education on Social Responsibility (CESR). "The Leeds School believes that environmental stewardship and social responsibility are consistent with running a profitable business. Indeed, a central theme of the undergraduate core is that enormous opportunities exist to 'do well by doing good' in environmental, social, and ethical terms, all while maintaining and enhancing economic sustainability."
David goes on to point out that the Leeds School itself is housed in a LEED-certified green building, and the community around the school is second to none for providing a rich and stimulating environment for students interested in sustainability. At the university level, CU Boulder’s funded environmental research ranks third among the nation’s universities.
“The term sustainability is not limited to environmental issues,” says Kevin McMahon, CESR Instructor. “Business sustainability is about companies managing their financial, social and environmental obligations and opportunities in order to have minimal negative impact on the local or global environment, community, society or economy.”
“Businesses should strive to meet the triple bottom line, sometimes referred to as profits, people and planet,” says Kevin.
Sustainability has been a longstanding commitment and a collaborative effort at the Leeds School, combining the efforts of six key programs and centers of excellence. CESR offers the Sustainable Operations and Topics in Sustainable Business undergraduate courses, as well as three of the five courses required for MBAs to acquire the Sustainability Portfolio.
“Leeds offers a complete 'sustainable business package' for our students,” says David, “and we are pleased to be recognized as a top performer in the Bloomberg Businessweek rankings.”
Top Undergrad Business Schools for Sustainability:
1. American (Kogod)
2. William and Mary (Mason)
3. Seattle (Albers)
4. Santa Clara (Leavey)
5. Notre Dame (Mendoza)
6. Colorado (Leeds)
7. Babson
8. Texas-Dallas (Jindal)
9. Illinois
10. Loyola Marymount