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Academic Partner

The Center for Ethical Business Cultures and the University of St. Thomas have been affiliated since 1988. This strong and enduring partnership with St. Thomas connects the Center directly with the University’s premier business faculty, widely recognized for its scholarship and its close connections with the business community.

Message from the Dean of the Opus College of Business

“Since its founding over 100 years ago, the University of St. Thomas has been recognized for its excellence in preparing students for responsible roles in society. Within the Opus College of Business, our goal is to educate and develop highly principled global business leaders. Our longstanding partnership with the Center for Ethical business Cultures builds on the scholarship and practical experience of our faculty to further connect our students with corporate executives who confront real ethical issues throughout their professional lives.

The result of this partnership is a strong bond between the St. Thomas Opus College of Business and the corporate community that blends the study of ethical business with sound ethical business practices. I am honored to serve on the Board of Directors of the CEBC, and I look forward to continuing the extraordinary relationship we have forged over the years.”

Christopher P. Puto, Ph.D.
Dean and Opus Distinguished Chair
Opus College of Business
University of St. Thomas

The mission of the Center is closely aligned with the missions of the University of St. Thomas and its Opus College of Business. All share the belief, in the words of noted Minnesota business leader David Koch, that “the purpose of business is to serve people”.

  • For the Center – Assisting business leaders in creating ethical and profitable business cultures at the enterprise, community and global levels.
  • For the Opus College of Business – Excellence in educating highly principled global business leaders.
  • For the University of St. Thomas – Educating students to be morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely and work skillfully to advance the common good.

Working Relationships with University of St. Thomas Centers and Institutes

On issues of governance, business ethics and corporate social responsibility, the Center serves as a bridge between the business and academic community creating a two-way flow of inquiry and practical application.

  • CEBC engages St. Thomas’ faculty to conduct research in the area of ethics and corporate social responsibility.
  • The Koch Endowed Chair in Business Ethics at the University of St. Thomas Opus College Of Business advises CEBC on ethical leadership development and ethical culture. In addition, CEBC partners with the Koch Chair to sponsor The Stakeholder Dialogues that address the leadership challenge of balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders, building a sustainable culture for the long-term and meeting performance goals.
  • Given CEBC’s emphasis on the need for management to measure and assess ethical culture, the Center collaborates with The SAIP Institute to promote the Self-Assessment and Improvement Process (SAIP), a methodology that enables organizations to appraise and enhance their performance on questions of corporate ethics, governance and social responsibility.
  • The Center collaborates with the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business to offer study abroad programs that introduce MBA and JD students to European points of view on business, ethics, law and corporate social responsibility. CEBC also works with the University’s John A. Ryan Institute for Catholic Social Thought to sponsor a study abroad in reverse for masters students in corporate social responsibility from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Pontificia Università San Tommaso d’Aquino).