With the creation of the Center for Business Ethics(CBE) in 1976, Bentley College has continually promoted a sense of ethics and social responsibility through teaching, research, and corporate and community relations for the past three decades. Founded by W. Michael Hoffman, CBE is dedicated to promoting ethical business conduct in contemporary society. With an international network of practitioners and scholars, the Center serves as a forum for benchmarking and research in business ethics. These efforts were given stronger emphasis based on the recommendations of a 2002 Task Force on Ethics, Service and Social Responsibility, convened by the Robert Galliers, the College’s Provost and Academic Vice President. The Task Force was asked to comprehensively scrutinize the college’s status with regard to issues, programs and accomplishments in the areas of ethics, social responsibility and civic engagement. Its overall finding was that many initiatives in these areas were underway, all of them vigorous and successful, but that they would benefit collectively from further collaboration, coordination and a clear, organizing direction.

As a result of this collective effort, the Bentley Alliance for Ethics and Social Responsibility (BAESR – see accompanying exhibit) was created. BAESR’s mission is to amplify and extend the work of the autonomous centers and initiatives on campus, supporting and encouraging greater awareness of, respect for, and commitment to ethics, service and social responsibility in faculty research, curricula and campus culture.

Coordinated by Professor Tony Buono, a unique feature of the Alliance is its integrative focus on ethics, social responsibility and civic engagement. In pursuit of its mission, BAESR’s efforts focus on:

• Supporting and encouraging collaborative and applied transdisciplinary research that has the potential to significantly affect current practice.
• Influencing curriculum development and pedagogical innovations intended to make our students more ethically sensitive and socially aware.
• Ensuring a broader application of these principles and ideals in campus life.
• Attempting to foster life-long civic engagement among our students.
• Seeking to work closely with external organizations – partnering with academic and professional associations, corporations and not-for-profit organizations in pursuit of these goals.

This collaborative effort is dependent on the commitment of a broad range of stakeholders, including Bentley faculty, staff, students and alumni, as well as business executives, corporate partners, relevant associations and other colleges and universities in an effort to enhance and disseminate these ideals. This initiative is built on "five core pillars" in the Bentley community that continue to operate as autonomous entities, but collaborate under the aegis of the Alliance:

• Center for Business Ethics: Founded in 1976, the Center for Business Ethics (CBE) is an internationally recognized Center that promotes ethical leadership, conduct and cultures as critical to an effective and legitimate role for business in society. http://ecampus.bentley.edu/dept/cbe  
   
• Service-Learning Center: Established in 1990, the Bentley Service-Learning Center (BSLC), which has built a national reputation (recognized by US News & World Report), seeks to promote academic learning, to develop socially responsible working professionals, and to assist community partners in serving the human needs and interests of their constituencies. http://ecampus.bentley.edu/dept/bslc 
   
• Cronin International Center: Created in 1987, the Cronin Center prepares students to be ethical and responsible participants in the global business environment, promotes faculty teaching and research in global issues, and fosters partnerships with universities, companies and governments around the world. http://ecampus.bentley.edu/dept/ic 
   
• CyberLaw Center: Established in 2002, the Center focuses on exploring the vast legal, social and ethical issues relevant to cyberstudies and e-commerce.  http://ecampus.bentley.edu/dept/cyberlaw  

• Institute for Women in Leadership: Ethics, Social Justice, and Cultural Diversity: Newly created in 2003, the Institute focuses on strengthening the presence of women in society and fostering partnerships with the business community that highlight and address issues on women in leadership. http://ecampus.bentley.edu/dept/wil 

Combined with a series of programs and activities across the institution, this initiative has led to a four-part approach that attempts to shape and influence a sense of ethics, service and responsibility throughout (1) the curriculum, (2) campus life, (3) the university’s research agenda, and (4) in outreach to the academic, corporate and not-for-profit worlds.