5.25.2005 ET

(CSRwire) SAN FRANCISCO, CA - A new breed of business professional will enter the workforce after Presidio World College graduates its first class from the MBA program in Sustainable Management. Following two years of intensive, collaborative studies at the San Francisco-based school, the Class of 2005 will be awarded diplomas on Saturday, June 4, at the Presidio Golf Course & Clubhouse. George Lakoff, Ph.D., renowned speaker, best-selling author on progressive politics and linguistics professor at UC Berkeley, will deliver the commencement address.

"This is a bittersweet day for all of us. We are thrilled to be sending our first group of graduates into the world to begin fostering change and leading the way to new ways of business through improved social and environmental practices," said Dr. Ron Nahser, provost of Presidio World College, an affiliate of Alliant International University. "These students are the leaders of tomorrow and with our MBA program's comprehensive curriculum we have helped them uncover and develop their vision of their work - or calling. They represent the future of change toward creating a sustainable world."

Lakoff, a Senior Fellow at the Rockridge Institute, a non-profit research group of scholars working to help achieve a just, democratic, environmentally sustainable and humane society, will discuss how to effectively make the case for creating sustainability in business. He will refer to topics from his most recent book "Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate - The Essential Guide for Progressives."

At Presidio, a core objective of the collaborative learning community is to help students define their calling. The program helps prepare students with the knowledge and tools necessary to apply ethical, social and environmental values to all business practices, while still delivering bottom-line growth.

At graduation, Presidio students are encouraged to participate in a nationwide promise called the Graduation Pledge. Hosted by Manchester College, the Graduation Pledge Alliance seeks commitment from higher education graduates everywhere to take into account the social and environmental consequences of any jobs they consider as well as work to improve these aspects within organizations for which they work. As a symbolic gesture of personal character and conviction, graduates will be asked to pin a green ribbon to their gowns at commencement.

The Class of 2006, now halfway through their MBA in Sustainable Management, will follow in these footsteps next year. Presidio is currently accepting applications to the MBA program for fall. A full-time and part-time curriculum is offered. Monthly residency retreats, where students are immersed for four days to take classes, discuss concepts and collaborate, are the cornerstone to the program.

"Presidio World College provided exactly what I was looking for - a rigorous and challenging business-school curriculum that incorporates the principles of sustainable management into each class. I've particularly enjoyed the tight-knit learning community," said MBA graduate Steve Attinger, business and sustainability marketing manager for the Foundation for Global Community. "By having the same group of students in each class, I've been able to develop lifelong friendships and potential business partnerships with people I really know and trust."

The invitation-only commencement will be held from 4:30 to 8:30 PM on Saturday, June 4, at the Presidio Golf Course & Clubhouse.

For more information about Presidio World College and the MBA in Sustainable Management program, call 415.561.6590 or visit www.presidioworldcollege.org.

Presidio World College
An affiliate of Alliant International University, Presidio World College in San Francisco, California, offers the first accredited two-year MBA program in Sustainable Management integrating social, ethical and environmental values into every course. Since 2003, the program has succeeded as a collaborative learning community committed to sustainability. With a Presidio MBA, students realize their calling and get the training and skills they need to implement it through sustainable initiatives in a business or organizational setting. For information about Presidio World College, call 415.561.6590, or visit www.presidioworldcollege.org.

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