High scores among sustainability leaders leave the majority of schools in the dust

Toronto, September 22, 2011 - The bulk of Canadian schools are blinded by the status quo, the fact that leading schools are mapping out a path to sustainability according to Corporate Knights Magazine.

Corporate Knights Magazine last week unveilled the eighth-annual Knight Schools ranking. The ranking analyzes how Canadian universities fare in integrating sustainability into the school experience.

In reviewing MBA and undergraduate business programs, Corporate Knights adopted a broad definition of sustainability that encompassed environmental and social concerns. Issues of social justice, human rights, professional conduct, cultural diversity, climate change, and conservation were considered.

The survey, modeled after the US-based Beyond Grey Pinstripes Survey, scored the programs in the areas of institutional support, student initiatives, and course work. The survey also encompassed Canadian law school and teacher education programs.

There is a clear leader in this year's MBA program ranking, according to the survey - York University's Schulich School of Business. With a score of 94.6, the school consistently excels across all three evaluated categories: institutional support, student-led initiatives and coursework.

Other notable performers in the MBA ranking are the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University (74.3 per cent), and the Alberta School of Business at the University of Alberta (70.9 per cent).

Among undergraduate business program, the Environment and Business program at the University of Waterloo led the pack, with a score of 75.6 per cent. A strong focus on the environment and sustainability in required coursework helped set Waterloo apart from the rest.

The Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University also performed well in the undergraduate program ranking, following closely behind with a score of 71.4 per cent.

Despite a strong performance by the top-ranked schools, the vast majority of MBA and undergraduate programs obtained a score of 50 per cent or less. For MBA and undergraduate programs, consistently low scores were observed in institutional support and coursework.

Particularly, greater support and incentives for students to participate in sustainability-themed internships is needed; over 50 per cent of undergraduate business and MBA programs offered no relevant internships or consulting programs.

Among Canadian law schools on the sustainability score, the Juris Doctor program at the University of Toronto led the pack this year with a total score of 88.9 per cent. Following on their heels was the Osgoode Hall Law School at York University (79.8 per cent), along with the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University.

While it is evident that sustainability and its related themes in law have not been a priority in legal education, nearly all law schools analyzed scored perfect marks on research initiatives and student-led initiatives. So, it appears that there is a strong faculty and student interest in sustainability legal issues, but that has not yet transferred to the required curriculum.

The fourth and final ranking focused on teacher education programs, with the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto excelling in every part of the survey, scoring a promising 91.3 per cent and placing it more than 20 per cent above all other institutions.

The program is based on seven principles, including "equity, diversity, and social justice," which are strongly reflected institutionally. It was the only institution to offer an environmental and sustainability education course, as well as a myriad of other specialized classes.

With respect to other teaching education programs, the  Survey notes most of them have at least some inclusion of ethics training, and courses on diversity and inclusive education for children with special needs are encouragingly common.

But this is where most institutions draw the line, as all other sustainability-oriented courses (if offered) are electives. Notes the Corporate Knights hope that teacher education programs will evolve to incorporate concepts of social justice, environment and sustainability as OISE has done."

"Canadian business, teaching, and law schools are moving, albeit at a less than rocket-like pace, to meet the demand for a world that is hungry for a more holistic approach to problem solving that take into account the environmental and social dimensions that increasingly determine economic success," said Toby Heaps, Editor-in-Chief of Corporate Knights.

Top 20 Undergraduate Business Programs (School / % Score)

1. University of Waterloo - School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED) 75.6
2. McGill University: Desautels Faculty of Management 71.4
3. York University: Schulich School of Business 68.1
4. University of Calgary 64.9
5. University of Ottawa: Telfer School of Management 62.9
6. Concordia University: John Molson School of Business 59.2
7. Dalhousie University: School of Business Administration 58.7
8. Ryerson University: Ted Rogers School of Management 58.7
9. Simon Fraser University 58.2
10. Université du Québec à Montréal: École des Sciences de la Gestion 56.4     
11. University of British Columbia: Sauder School of Business 55.4
12. Queen's University 53.5
13. Wilfred Laurier University 52.7
14. HEC Montréal 51.7
15. University of Guelph: College of Management and Economics 51.1
16. Trent University 49.3
17. University of Western Ontario: Richard Ivey School of Business 49.2
18. University of Victoria 48.6
19. University of Alberta 47.8
20. University of Lethbridge 47.7

Top 20 MBA Programs (School / % Score)

1. York University - Schulich School of Business 94.6
2. Concordia University - John Molson School of Business 74.3
3. University of Alberta - 70.9
4. University of British Columbia: Sauder School of Business 67.1
5. McGill University: Desautels Faculty of Management 65.8
6. University of Calgary: Haskayne School of Business 63.8
7. University of Toronto: Rotman School of Management 58.4
8. University of Ottawa: Telfer School of Management 55.6
9. HEC Montréal 51.5
10. Dalhousie University: School of Business Administration 48.8                                                                                                                                                11. Wilfred Laurier University 45.6
12. Simon Fraser University 42.7
13. Université du Québec à Montréal: École des Sciences de la Gestion 41.8
14. Ryerson University: Ted Rogers School of Management 41.1
15. University of Waterloo 41
16. Université Laval 34.6
17. University of Manitoba: Asper School of Business 33.2
18. Carleton University: Sprott School of Business 32.3
19. University of Western Ontario: Richard Ivey School of Business 30.6
20. Saint Mary's University: Sobey School of Business 30.2

Top 10 Law Programs  (School / % Score)

1. University of Toronto 88.9
2. York University-Osgoode Hall 79.8
3. Dalhousie University 78
4. University of Ottawa 76.3
5. University of British Columbia 72.5
6. University of Windsor 68.6
7. McGill University 68
8. University of Calgary 63.4
9. University of Victoria 58.3
10. University of Alberta 53.8

Top 10 Teacher Education  (School / % Score)


1. OISE/U of T 91.3
2. University of British Columbia 67.9
3. University of Saskatchewan 57.7
4. University of New Brunswick 57
5. York University 56.5
6. Simon Fraser University 55
7. University of Alberta 50.3
8. University of Prince Edward Island 41.3
9. University of Manitoba 31.9
10. Memorial University 26.1

The results and methodology of the Ranking are available here: