Week of October 24, 2005
Officials at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) will celebrate the launch of the Ukleja Center for Ethical Leadership with a special reception on Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at The Pointe in the campus' Walter Pyramid.
The event is co-sponsored by CSULB President Robert C. Maxson and Luis Ma. R. Calingo, dean of the College of Business Administration, which is the academic home for the center.
Named for its major donors, Mick and Louise Ukleja, the new center is the first of its kind in any California State University (CSU) business school. Its aim is to serve as the preeminent center of thought about applied ethics in leadership in business and the professions among public universities throughout the world. It will assist companies, educational institutions and not-for-profit organizations in meeting the challenges and advancing the practice of ethical leadership.
Designed as an interdisciplinary organization, the center will draw upon the collective expertise of faculty and administrators from all of the university's colleges as well as its Division of Student Services.
"We believe that the preparation of tomorrow's ethical leaders is a critical component of the educational experience. We envision graduating students who are not only technically competent but also honest and ethical citizens," said Calingo.
Mick Ukleja is the founder and president of LeadershipTraQ in Cypress, a member of the university's Board of Governors and a CSULB graduate. Louise Ukleja is president of Opportunity Schools, which delivers programs for private school students with learning challenges.
"The center seeks to combine solid academics with solutions to real-time challenges that we face on a day-to-day basis -- on the job and in our families," Mick Ukleja explained. "Louise and I are proud to be a part of a center that sees the importance of learning about ethical leadership because we all face ethical issues on a daily basis in every arena of our lives. Living with integrity is not easy. Living without it is impossible."
The CSULB College of Business Administration is among the 30 largest nationally accredited business schools in the nation. Recently, the college and its MBA programs were recognized by The Princeton Review as among the best in the country.
For more information about the Ukleja Center for Ethical Leadership or the Nov. 2 launch event, contact Kathleen A. Lacey, associate director for the center, at (562) 985-5668.