Many colleges and universities train leaders, but few set out deliberately to forge the next generation of ethical leaders. Now, at least one institution in Hawai‘i will.
Chaminade University of Honolulu is introducing a new major under the College of Arts & Sciences focused on ethical leadership and thoughtful, humane business practices. The new Bachelor of Arts in Ethics & Leadership degree will launch in Fall 2027; meanwhile, the university is accepting applications to the program now.
The new degree program aligns with the university’s strategic vision of enhancing academic excellence, prioritizing education that meets communities’ and societal needs.
College of Arts & Sciences co-Dean Cheryl Edelson, Ph.D., said this unique business-oriented degree program trains leaders to put people first. “Understanding the human-first approach to all things makes a difference,” she said.
Combining courses in business operations and administration with philosophy and religious studies, the Ethics & Leadership program is designed to train students not only on how to run a business, but how to operate a business in a way that benefits society in a broader sense, said Chaminade Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Philosophy Dustyn Ragasa, Ph.D.
The program is also well-suited for those interested in pursuing careers in nonprofit management and charity work. Ragasa said the new major fits perfectly with “the intellectual heritage, philosophy, and theology of a Catholic university.”
“We want our graduates to be agents for good,” he said, explaining how he and his colleagues in the College of Arts & Sciences designed the new undergraduate degree program. “We realize that no matter what the students are doing, we want them to be able to be beneficial for people who might fall through the cracks.”
The program, Ragasa stressed, is a practical, career-oriented degree designed to train business leaders for a rapidly changing workforce.
Courses on business management, marketing, accounting, and finance are complemented with coursework in philosophy, theology, ethics, and environmental and social responsibility. Legal and ethical matters are covered in the program’s curriculum, as are justice and human rights.
Edelson said the degree program is designed to pair well with a wide variety of other educational pursuits, should students choose to add a minor or second major field of study.
“We really wanted it to be something that’s going to partner really nicely with other majors,” she said. “For example, someone could do Ethics & Leadership and Marine & Oceanic Sustainability.”
The program also includes a required internship, reflecting the importance of students gaining practical, real-world experience before graduation. Students will complete Chaminade’s general education requirements, building a solid academic foundation that prepares them for the major’s curriculum and training.
Ragasa said the Ethics & Leadership degree is suitable for students interested in not only breaking into the business world, but also for those interested in sculpting it. In other words, “people who want to be thought leaders, who want to be in management, people who want to go into politics,” he said.
“One of the things that I love about this new program is it takes the traditionally very abstract 40,000-foot view of philosophy and religious studies, and it answers the question: What is somebody going to do with it? How is it going to be put into practice?”
The hope is that graduates of the Ethics & Leadership program will emerge fully ready to devise ethical solutions to business, environmental, and social problems. Graduates would be taught to place the needs of people, especially vulnerable populations, front and center in their business leadership and decision-making.
Students will be taught how to thoughtfully contemplate core issues vexing society and how to navigate the corporate world through strategic thinking rooted in values and morals.
Ragasa said training in Ethics & Leadership is capped off with two seminars led by practitioners of ethical leadership, whether based at Chaminade University or in Hawai‘i’s larger business community. Individuals invited to lead seminars will be free to structure their lessons however they see fit.
New course offerings will be added over time. Meanwhile, existing courses are being reoriented toward the needs of the new Ethics & Leadership major, in particular courses on philosophy and religious studies. Emphasis is on building knowledge and skills applicable to the business world, not just scholarly theories.
Students will also be trained in ethical entrepreneurship.
Ragasa said he’s excited to launch the new Ethics & Leadership undergraduate degree and looks forward to introducing its eventual graduates to the business community.
“My hope is that this program will develop into something larger that will be known for producing socially responsible, forward-thinking, entrepreneurial leaders,” he said. “We are ready to journey with them as they undertake their vocation to transform the world in all possible ways.”