A Message From The Dean

Principled Leadership, Sustainability, Social Responsibility

At the Simmons School of Management (SOM), our focus on principled leadership is at the center of our mission and our academic enterprise. Simmons MBA students gain the skills and knowledge to build strong and enduring organizations that are successful by all traditional measures and that vigorously align sustainability, social responsibility and profitability in their business strategy. MBA graduates leave Simmons with a deep understanding of how principled leaders think and act, fostering equitable workplaces, aligning profitability and social responsibility, and adhering assiduously to ethical decision making wherever they choose to lead.

A Fully Integrated Curriculum
The concept and practice of principled leadership is deeply integrated into our MBA curriculum. First introduced during Foundations, our 5-day orientation for new MBA students, ethical decision-making and social impact principles are woven into the full spectrum of core and elective courses.

In a recent survey addressing the percentage of relevant ethical, environmental and social impact content in our courses, faculty reported that 100% of core and 94% of elective courses address CSR-related topics. Moreover, one in three core and one in four elective courses contain 75-100% relevant content.

From accounting and finance to marketing and strategy, our general management curriculum offers numerous opportunities to explore issues such as the impact of investor incentives, the social impact of key economic concepts, differential accounting standards, negotiating responsibility for environmental "externalities," differential access to capital, social marketing, managing diversity, and the changing nature and role of shareholders. "Leadership, Governance, and Accountability," a required capstone course, pulls all facets of principled leadership together - ethics, accountability to multiple stakeholders, and responsibility for managing environmental and social impact. Advanced electives that focus specifically on principled leadership include triple bottom-line accounting, corporate social responsibility, and gender and leadership.

Thought Leaders Shaping the Field
Thirty-five percent of Simmons SOM full-time faculty is engaged in research with a CSR focus, directly informing our MBA curriculum.

The research of faculty affiliated with our internationally recognized Center for Gender in Organizations (CGO) ensures that our MBA teaching and curriculum are at the cutting-edge of addressing gender and broader diversity dynamics in organizations. Publications from the CGO and its faculty affiliates continue to shape the field and are widely cited and used by academics and practitioners worldwide.

Faculty in the fields of marketing, entrepreneurship, accounting, strategy, and economics also actively pursue research on aspects of social responsibility and social impact management. Topics include: the limits and possibilities of strategic CSR using insights from economic theory; models for incorporating the CSR function in Fortune 100 firms; intangible assets and CSR investment; comparison and reconciliation of triple bottom-line practice and traditional accounting theory; the impact of a brand's social initiatives on consumer relationships and purchasing behaviors; and social value creation and entrepreneurial motivation for women.

Nationally-Recognized Program in Entrepreneurship
The nationally-recognized Simmons entrepreneurship certificate program is notable for its integration of social ventures and social entrepreneurship, including discussions, guest speakers, and practicum opportunities. Ethical, social and environmental issues are addressed directly in each of the academic courses. In 2006, more than half of the certificate students did a practicum with a company where corporate social responsibility is central to the business model.

Extra Curricular Opportunities
Extra curricular activities complement our teaching and scholarship, and the School prioritizes corporate social responsibility leaders as partners and presenters. In 2005-06, we hosted representatives from BP, Eileen Fisher, HP, Whole Foods Market, Bright Horizons and Green Fuel Technologies. Among its many year-round activities, Simmons Net Impact (a chapter of a national organization for MBA students committed to integrating social responsibility into business strategy and practice) organizes an annual panel of CSR officers at the School. The SOM also provides financial support to students and faculty attending conferences touching on these issues. The Simmons School of Management was ranked # 2 nationally for its attention to social responsibility by Net Impact in 2006.

Building Principled Leadership Careers
As a business school located in Boston, home to some of the nation's leading not-for-profit institutions, Simmons is uniquely poised to meet the needs of its many students whose post-MBA plans are to advance in or switch to careers in the non-profit sector. The Career Services Office (CSO) builds recruiting relationships with private companies and non-profit organizations who partner with the school on CSR initiatives. CSO also provides a powerful career connection to the extensive network of successful SOM alumnae - many serving in independent sector organizations or companies recognized for their commitment to social and environmental concerns.

Our New Green Home
Our commitment to social responsibility and principled leadership is embodied in the green design of our new School of Management building scheduled to open in early 2009. We have committed to attaining LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification at the Silver level, involving vigilant attention to energy and water conservation, use of recycled materials, and aggressive waste recycling.