Beyond Grey Pinstripes

     

University of St. Thomas-Minnesota

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University of St. Thomas-Minnesota
UST Opus College of Business
Minneapolis, MN, 55403
United States
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Demographic Information

Number of full-time MBA students (2011): 

65

Number of part-time MBA students (2011): 

145

Total duration of full-time MBA program: 

21 months

MBA faculty (Fall 2010): 

241

Females as percent of student body: 

35%
Who Are the Students? See what percentage of the 2010-2011 graduating class came to this MBA program from the private sector, the non-profit sector and government jobs
 
Private Sector (81%)
 
Non-profit (14%)
 
Government (5%)


Description of MBA Program: 

At the University of St. Thomas, we believe that a business leader should have the skills to make difficult decisions and the values to make the right decisions. We’re not shy about challenging our students’ thinking or testing their core beliefs.



Our focus on ethics and exceptional decision-making skills is woven throughout the curriculum in all programs.



In addition, as the home of the Center for Ethical Business Cultures, the Opus College of Business promotes ethical business environments and responsible corporate citizenship. This groundbreaking center was founded by Twin Cities’ business executives to connect St. Thomas expertise in ethical leadership with the reality of the business world.



The SAIP Institute fosters ethically responsible business conduct by promoting and developing the Self-Assessment and Improvement Process (SAIP), a tool that enables organizations to appraise and enhance their performance on questions of corporate ethics, governance and social responsibility.



Stakeholder Dialogue events are hosted by the college to increase understanding of current ethical issues, such as executive compensation, environmental concerns and stakeholder expectations. These events engage both students and the wider business community in the Twin Cities area.  



•    Our David and Barbara Koch Endowed Chair in Business Ethics advances state-of-the-art ethical business thinking and ensures that ethics education remains a priority.



Opus College of Business alumni not only have the skills to lead, but have developed the sound judgment to lead with conviction.
 



How does the MBA program 'walk the talk' of social and environmental impact?: 

The University of St. Thomas has established, as a strategic priority, the cultivation of an ethic of environmental stewardship, and will integrate principles of environmental sustainability across the curriculum and in co-curricular activities in order to educate students to appreciate their roles and obtain tools for leadership and innovation in care for our resources.



Formal leadership, through a sustainability advisory committee, evaluates current conditions, suggests priorities for improvement, and coordinates efforts and facilitates communication between administration, faculty, staff, and students regarding implementation of environmental stewardship principles.



Campus construction projects utilize accepted sustainable building practices for new buildings and building renovations.



Campus-wide sustainability evaluations, based on the university's energy audits and carbon footprint, demonstrate incremental reductions in energy use and decreased reliance on non-renewable energy for facilities, fleet vehicles, transportation, and commuting practices.



Programs, offices, divisions, services and departments, student organizations, as part of their mission and goals, assess how they utilize resources with the goal of eliminating energy inefficiencies, toxic substances, and the over-consumption of natural resources. Appropriate faculty bodies design ways that students are exposed to environmental stewardship across various academic disciplines, including practical projects that directly benefit the St. Thomas community.

Academic Department

Course Name: Business Ethics
Instructor: Christopher Michaelson, Ph.D.

This course will enhance the student's ability to recognize, understand, and express the ethical dimensions of the situations and decisions they may expect to face as professionals. It will provide the knowledge essential to making sound decisions in business and seek to develop the skills and commitments required to navigate complex ethical issues successfully. In pursuit of these ends the course will make use of a spectrum of materials and pedagogies, which may include lectures, discussions of readings from classic and contemporary authors, examination of cases, and experimental exercises.

Course Name: Business, Law & Ethics in the European Union
Instructor: Heino Beckmnann, Ph.D.

This course focuses on globalization and its impact on business with a particular emphasis on EU and U.S. business and legal perspectives, ethics and culture. The classroom component of the course begins in Minneapolis, Minnesota and ends in Trier, Germany. In Minneapolis, you will meet German business students via e-mail and begin the process of negotiating a contract.

You will then travel to the heart of the EU - Brussels, Belgium - where you will meet with the German students and learn through on-site interactive visits, cultural immersion, discussion and reflection. This adventure includes meetings with executives from multi-national companies, government officials and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and will address business, legal, business ethics and corporate social responsibility issues as well as economic, socioeconomic, political and cultural issues within the European Union and their impact on conducting business in a global economy. The course ends in Trier, Germany, where you will attend classes and finalize your contracts.

Course Name: Communication Ethics
Instructor: Ronald James

Examines ethical issues of particular concern to professional communicators. Sharpens skills in ethical analysis and decision making. Examines the roles played by professional organizations and their ethical codes. Gives particular emphasis to ethical issues in public relations, internal communication and advertising.

Course Name: Ethical Leadership and Corporate Accountability
Instructor: Kenneth Goodpaster, Ph.D., Michael Garrison, Ph.D

This course provides an overview of a wide array of business situations at the individual, organizational and societal levels with a focus on the ethical aspects of those situations and a review of the legal aspects of those situations. The course reviews and applies moral philosophy, important legal principles and human decision-making psychology for analyzing the ethical issues in business organizations. It also examines the challenge of ethical leadership and how an organization can be structured and developed to encourage employees at all levels to think, talk and act ethically in a global environment. The lab involves introducing students to local organizations engaged in efforts to revitalize the business community. This is designed to help them enhance and appreciate the relationship between business and the larger society.

Course Name: Financial Accounting
Instructor: Diane Matson, Ph.D.

Financial accounting is an integral part of the planning, reporting and control functions of every business. It is a means to achieving insights about the firm's financial condition, operating results, cash flows and ownership and capital structure. This course covers the fundamental terminology and calculations of financial accounting and reporting, as well as the comprehension and interpretation of financial statements. Ethical aspects of accounting are included.

Course Name: Financial Management in the Contemporary Workplace
Instructor: Heino Beckmnann, Ph.D.

This course provides the students with the necessary tools to manage cash flow, domestic and international, long term and short term. It emphasizes the perspective that all productive entities, profit or nonprofit, manufacturing or service, are an integral part of the global market place. The course will help students gain an understanding of the three principal elements of contemporary financial management: first, the use of financial statements to ascertain the cash flow situation, forecast the additional funds needed and undertake ratio analysis; second, within the context of the domestic market and a given organization, how to source funds, evaluate financial securities and the time value of money, manage working capital requirements and undertake capital budgeting; finally, within the context of the international market, how a given organization manages international transactions exposure. Ethical aspects of financial management are discussed.

Course Name: Great Books Seminar
Instructor: Kenneth Goodpaster, Ph.D.

Unique in the nation, this three-credit course uses selected writings of great classic and contemporary thinkers as the starting point for an intensive, focused discussion with peers. You'll discuss the enduring ideas and ideals of world civilization, the problems and opportunities of today and the issues to be faced in the years ahead. In a sense, the readings function as case studies in leadership and leadership values. Readings are arranged around such universal human concerns as justice, freedom, economic equity, community, leadership and democracy.

Course Name: Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector
Instructor: Charles Grey, Ph.D.

This course serves as an introduction to the nonprofit sector by providing an overview that includes size, scope, and types of organizations. Also addresses related topics such as charitable behavior and philanthropy, interrelationships among earned and unearned revenue sources, social entrepreneurship, governance and accountability, and interactions with the for-profit and government sectors.

Course Name: Leader Development Lab I-III
Instructor: Christopher Puto, Ph.D

Leadership involves more than just obtaining technical knowledge and skills. It also involves managing yourself and your career, as well as knowing your strengths and values and knowing how to apply them to managing and leading in organizations. The first lab in this series reviews the emerging literature on emotional intelligence and self-management; students will do activities in which they discover and articulate their own uniqueness as a business person as well as their styles of working with others in groups and teams. In the second lab, students will further develop knowledge and skills in self-management and will gain an understanding of how to operationalize their uniqueness in the world of business. Implications for the global marketplace will be discussed. In the third lab, students will learn more about their role in groups and teams and how to operationalize their ethical values on an interpersonal level.

Course Name: Management of Organizational Behavior
Instructor: Chad Brinsfield, Ph.D., Kevin Henderson, Ph.D., Sally Power, Ph.D.

All organizations are impacted by how people behave in those organizations. A key role of a manager is to guide that behavior to successfully accomplish organizational goals. Organization Theory and Behavior is about this aspect of business. The class objectives are for you to (a) gain an understanding of the various theoretical views of behavior in organizations and (b) be able to use these theories to systematically analyze organizational situations and generate appropriate action plans. The course is designed to facilitate the incorporation of your experience and personal values about behavior in organizations in the development of these plans

Pages

Type of Offering

The Multicultural Forum on Workplace Diversity
Date: March, 2011

The Multicultural Forum on Workplace Diversity is the largest diversity and inclusion conference in the country. The purpose of the Forum is to provide a compelling learning experience fostering business and thought leadership in workplace diversity and inclusion. Because education is our primary focus, we keep our costs low to allow our diversity and inclusion message to reach small and mid-sized companies, government organizations, nonprofit organizations and major national and global corporations.

The Epidemic of Lying in America from Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff
Date: February, 2011

Please join us on Tuesday, February 8th for a Fredrikson & Byron Lecture, in honor of John Byron, and a Medtronic Business and Law Roundtable event series.

The Epidemic of Lying in America from Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff

Featuring Pulitzer Prize winning author

James Stewart

Bloomberg Professor of Business and Economic Journalism

Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

Tuesday, February 8, 4:45-6:00 p.m.

Schulze Grand Atrium at the University of St. Thomas School of Law

Mr. James Stewart is the author of eight books including the recent national best-seller, Disney War, and has won the Pulitzer prize for his best selling book, Den of Thieves, about Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken and the 1987 upheavals in insider trading. He has a new book coming out called Tangled Webs: How False Statements Are Undermining America: From Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff that explores the breakdown in ethics in the judicial system, academia, and business. Stewart also writes “Common Sense,” a column in SmartMoney that also appears in the Wall Street Journal and is a regular contributor to the New Yorker. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School.

Corporate Responsibility and Sustainable Investing: A New Reality in the Marketplace
Date: November, 2010

Featuring Timothy Smith, an individual characterized as a pioneer and “difference maker” in corporate responsibility, social investment and shareholder advocacy and has been identified as one of the top 100 most influential people in business ethics by Ethisphere. Tim currently serves at Senior Vice President of Environmental, Social and Governance Group at Walden Asset Management.

Tim will share his frontline insights into the history of corporate responsibility and social investment. We’ve asked him to highlight pivotal past developments and turning points, give us a state-of-the-field snapshot of where we are today, and look ahead to suggest the most challenging issues likely to confront business.

Following Tim’s remarks, commenting panelists will share their insights:

Katherina Glac, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business

Trevor Gunderson - Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary at General Mills Inc.

Aditi Vora Mohapatra - Sustainability Analyst at Calvert Investments

Minnesota Business Ethics Awards
Type: Annual Award Event
Date: May, 2010

Maintaining a commitment to your employees, customers, shareholders and community in today’s fast- paced environment can be a challenge for any business leader. Minnesota has achieved a reputation throughout the nation – and internationally – as a leader in corporate responsibility and public–private partnership.

CEBC Members Roundtable on Building a Culture at Great River Energy
Type: Rountable
Date: October, 2010

Great River Energy is the result of a merger and a thoughtful and sustained effort to merge two organizational cultures into one unified, values-based group. We will also explore how Great River Energy’s Platinum LEED Certified headquarters building has influenced their culture. After the Roundtable, participants will have an opportunity for a short tour of the facility and learn about the innovations incorporated in the design and its remarkable workspace.

The Higher Calling of the Entrepreneur
Date: November, 2010

The SAIP Institute at the Opus College of Business and The John A. Ryan Institute for Catholic Social Thought of the Center for Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas invite you a lecture and reception at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 17, in honor of José Ignacio Mariscal Torroella, president of UNIAPAC International.

During this public lecture, The Higher Calling of the Entrepreneur, Mr. Mariscal will offer his unique insight into the intersection of international business, corporate responsibility, and Christian social thought, especially in light of the current economic situation. Dr. Kenneth Goodpaster, holder of the Koch Endowed Chair of Business Ethics at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business, will serve as respondent.

CEBC Ethics Case Competition
Type: Case Competition
Date: March, 2010

2nd Annual CEBC Ethics Case Competition for UST MBA students to represent St. Thomas at the national Intercollegiate Business Ethics Case Competition (IBECC) being held in conjunction with the 18th Annual Ethics and Compliance Officer Association (ECOA) Conference in Nashville, TN.

Panel Discussion: Doing Virtuous Business: An Interreligious Dialogue on Faith and Work
Date: March, 2011

Our panel will discuss the Jewish, Christian and Muslim perspectives on the interrelation between faith and work. Drawing upon their respective religious traditions, the panelists will discuss what it means to be faithful leaders in business today. Panelists: Odeh Muhawesh is a Minneapolis based entrepreneur who is presently CEO of Scroant Inc. (Minneapolis). He also teaches courses in the history of the Middle East and in Islamic theology at the University of St. Thomas. Brian Shapiro is an associate professor at the University of St. Thomas in the accounting department at the Opus College of Business. He is also an active member of Bet Shalom Congregation in Minnetonka, MN. Ted Malloch is Chairman and CEO of the Roosevelt Group, a leading strategy thought leadership company. His most recent book is Doing Virtuous Business, which is also the subject of a PBS documentary to be aired in the Spring 2011.


Sponsors:


Muslim-Christian Dialogue Center


John A. Ryan Institute for Catholic Social Thought


The Center for Catholic Studies


Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning


SAIP Institute at the Opus College of Business

Diversity Insights Breakfast Series
Date: February, 2011

The Diversity Insights Series is presented by the Opus College of Business in partnership with the Multicultural Forum on Workplace Diversity. Offered quarterly, the series will feature individual speakers or panels focused on current and emerging issues on workplace diversity and inclusion topics.

Center for Ethical Business Cultures
Business School Housing? Yes
Number of Faculty: 6
Contact Name: Ron James
Contact Email: rjames@stthomas.edu

The Center for Ethical Business Cultures (CEBC) assists leaders in creating ethical and profitable business cultures at the enterprise, community and global levels.

Center for Nonprofit Management
Business School Housing? Yes
Number of Faculty: 2
Contact Name: Ann Johnson
Contact Email: majohnsontom@stthomas.edu

One of the first of its kind within a university and grounded in a school of business, the Center for Nonprofit Management (CNM) is uniquely positioned to help build the capacity of nonprofits by using a blend of effective and relevant business principles and proven nonprofit practices.

The center’s leadership believes that society’s challenges belong to all of us, and to solve problems and prevent others we need to continually explore new ways to affect social change.

The SAIP Institute
Business School Housing? Yes
Number of Faculty: 4
Contact Name: T. Dean Maines
Contact Email: saip@stthomas.edu

The institute fosters ethically and socially responsible organizational conduct by promoting, applying, adapting, and continually improving the Self-Assessment and Improvement Process (SAIP). Through its engagements with practitioners and collaborations with scholars, the institute also aids the formation of ethical, effective leaders.

Net Impact Club

The goal of Opus College of Business’ Net Impact chapter is to facilitate professional development, cross-industry knowledge-sharing, networking opportunities, volunteer opportunities and educational opportunities among members from diverse academic and professional backgrounds in all topics related to business and positive social and environmental impact.

The Opus College of Business’ Net Impact chapter will collaborate with existing organizations that have similar goals with Net Impact as well as leverage abilities, insights of capable members and external experts to provide practical insights on sustainable and responsible issues of business.

UST MBA First Book Chapter

First Book provides new books to children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books. An innovative leader in social enterprise, First Book has distributed more than 65 million free and low-cost books to disadvantaged children and the programs that serve them.