Villanova, Pa., October 21, 2009 – The Villanova School of Business (VSB) has demonstrated significant leadership in integrating social, environmental, and ethical issues into its MBA program according to the Aspen Institute’s 2009–10 edition of Beyond Grey Pinstripes, a biennial survey and international ranking published today. VSB placed #55 worldwide on the list of the top 100 business schools.

The goal of Beyond Grey Pinstripes is to look beyond reputation and test scores to measure how well schools are preparing their students for the social, environmental, and ethical complexities of modern-day business. “The schools that are competitive in the Beyond Grey Pinstripes ranking are the real trailblazers—they assure that students have the right skills as well as the will to make things happen,” said Judith Samuelson, Executive Director the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program.

Villanova also placed among the top 20 schools worldwide in two of the ranking subcategories: “Faculty Research” and “Student Exposure.” The “Faculty Research” category, in which Villanova was ranked #13, counts the number of scholarly articles containing social, environmental, or ethical content being published in peer-reviewed business journals. The “Student Exposure” category, in which Villanova was ranked #19, measures teaching hours and student enrollment in courses related to social, environmental, or ethical issues.

Corporate responsibility is a fundamental part of the Villanova MBA, which begins with the Leadership Challenge—a program that immerses students in leadership and team-building activities. Through the program, students tackle their first business case analyses, which contain challenges related to social, environmental, and ethical issues. Beginning the MBA curriculum in this manner encourages students to consider their decisions within the context of the larger community. As the program continues, students participate in a two hands-on capstone business courses that connect theory and practice. In the first capstone, students apply their MBA skills to help local nonprofits. In the second, students serve as consultants to firms outside the US.

“We’re proud of all the rankings we receive, but this one holds a very special meaning for us at Villanova,” said VSB Dean James Danko. “As a Catholic Augustinian business school, we seek to ensure that the core values of integrity, community, caring, and leading through service are infused throughout our curricula. To be recognized for this by an organization as prestigious as the Aspen Institute, at the international level, is an incredible honor.”

Villanova University was founded by the Roman Catholic Order of St. Augustine in 1842. For more information about Beyond Grey Pinstripes and VSB, see www.beyondgreypinstripes.org.

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