Center for Business Ethics
Promoting Ethics and Responsible Business
inspiring business people to build business cultures that respect persons, relationships, communities, and ecosystems.
Established in 2011, the Center for Business Ethics (CBE) partners with business leaders, scholars, faculty, students, and alumni to critically examine ethical issues in business and the role business can play in advancing the common good.
The Center for Business Ethics is also the administrative home of the Northwest Ethics Network (NWEN), an independent group of ethics and compliance professionals representing over 30 Pacific Northwest organizations.
Our Mission
The Center for Business Ethics was built on the notion that promoting ethics and social responsibility in business is an academic and practical endeavor, involving, at once, scholarly research, curriculum development, and active student engagement as well as collaboration with business leaders, visiting scholars, and alumni. The Center serves as a reminder that responsible business conduct is a concern that the Albers School of Business and Economics, Seattle University, and the greater Seattle area are uniquely positioned to support.
The Center's objectives are to:
- Strengthen relationships with the business community to help examine and address ethical problems in business
- Promote high-quality, values-driven business education for students
- Facilitate academic excellence through scholarship in ethics and corporate responsibility
- Deepen the public examination of the role of business in promoting the common good
The Ethics of Incorporating AI into Business Practices: A Fireside Chat with Father Paolo Benanti
In July 2024, Jeffery Smith, Professor and Frank Shrontz Chair in Professional Ethics, sat down with Father Paolo Benanti to discuss the ethical considerations of incorporating technology like AI into business practices. Fr. Benanti is an Italian Catholic priest who advises Pope Francis on ethics related to artificial intelligence and globally tries to ensure the ethical use of AI technology.
Inquiries and information
Jeffery Smith, PhD
Frank Shrontz Professor of Professional Ethics