This year Net Impact continued its collaboration with the Positive Impact Rating (PIR) to rate how business schools around the globe are making an impact and providing their students with the support needed to take on today’s most critical sustainability issues. We’re so excited that four schools with Net Impact chapters were rated in the PIR’s top groups of programs.
Of the business schools rated in this year’s report, these were the schools with active Net Impact chapters that were positioned high on the list:
For the second year in a row, the Grossman School of Business received a high rating in the PIR report for its commitment to making sustainability a crucial component of its academics and educational vision. Further, the university’s Net Impact Chapter continued to play an important role in activating this mission. Through its highly engaged membership base, the University of Vermont’s Net Impact Chapter focused on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), sustainability, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) issues at the community level, both on- and off-campus, throughout the year.
ESADE Business School increased its position in this year’s rating through its efforts to implement new initiatives to make its campus greener. In order to drive long-term impact, ESADE created a sustainability plan for its campus and curriculum to ensure its students continue to be equipped with the tools and resources required to drive innovative solutions to benefit future generations. In conjunction with this work, ESADE’s Net Impact Chapter hosted an array of events focused on career building in climate, while also supporting its members in learning new social impact measurement and management skills.
In 2021, Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business also moved up its rating by launching the Responsible Business Coalition, a network of executives, educators, researchers, and nonprofit leaders who are collectively redesigning business to be a regenerative force for prosperity. The school also introduced new sustainability requirements into its programs and instituted a practicum where students applied new learnings to various nonprofit and business-based projects. In addition, the school’s Net Impact Chapter collaborated with nonprofits and other organizations to support vulnerable communities during COVID-19 and also supported career development in CSR.
The University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business was included on the PIR for its commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. Throughout the year, the Business School’s Net Impact Chapter continued to demonstrate how business schools can be a hub for change within their communities and beyond through their efforts working with local nonprofit organizations and inspiring students to collaborate with impact-focused companies.
If you are an aspiring MBA student or if you want to know how your current school rates for social and environmental impact, the PIR is a great resource to keep you informed. You can also reach out to your school’s Net Impact Chapter to learn more about what social and environmental initiatives they are leading and how you can get involved.
For more details on all the schools rated this year, you can read the full PIR report here.