Foster Center for Responsible Leadership
The William C. Foster '62 Center for Responsible Leadership strives to motivate students to carry with them into the business world, and into society, the Catholic Franciscan values that have guided St. Bonaventure University since its founding in 1858.
The Foster Center is made possible through an endowment gift by Daria L. Foster, managing partner of Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC, honoring her late husband, William C. Foster, '62, who served on St. Bonaventure's Board of Trustees from 2008 until his passing in 2010.
The center offers a yearly speaker series, bringing to campus business and industry representatives to engage with students and area civic leaders about ways in which they incorporate ethics, integrity and other Franciscan values into their work places.
Programming to foster an ethical consciousness
βProfessionalism and ethical mindfulness are critical characteristics that have the potential to transform the corporate climate across all functional areas. The Foster Center for Responsible Leadership provides a means for individuals to engage and interact in ways that stimulate forward thinking and deliberate actions focused on fiscal and social responsibility,β said Dr. Matrecia James, dean of the School of Business.
The center promotes cross-discipline scholarship in the Franciscan intellectual tradition, with a particular focus on its application to issues of responsible leadership. It strives to integrate Franciscan values with business and civic leadership.
"The core of our program is to provide support, guidance and training designed to help individuals establish or strengthen their ethical consciousness," said James. βWe want to help develop leaders who recognize and accept responsibility for creating and fostering positive outcomes.β
The center offers educational materials, practices and programs designed to develop responsible leadership. Students may attend retreats, informal dinner gatherings, workshops and panel discussions, all designed to inspire them to become leaders with Catholic Franciscan values.
The center also offers professional development to the community at large through continuing education, offering certificate programs for continued professional development.
Students may also have the opportunity to travel, attend other programs that embrace ethics and leadership, and engage in academic competitions and conferences.
Foster Center events
The Foster Center for Responsible Leadership sponsors two presentations each year, typically a fall semester speaker and a spring semester panel discussion or conference. For information on upcoming and past Foster Center events, please visit our
Foster Center Events webpage.
Jul 06, 2023 | Nine members of the St. Bonaventure University community, including President Dr. Jeff Gingerich, attended the 2023 Symposium of the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities.
Feb 06, 2023 | MaryJane Shimsky, who represents the 92nd District in the New York State Assembly, will address the university community on leadership and integrity in a campus talk at 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20, in Dresser Auditorium of the Murphy Building. The event, presented by the Foster Center for Responsible Leadership at St. Bonaventure, is open to the campus community only. There is no charge.
Jan 26, 2023 | St. Bonaventure's Foster Center for Responsible Leadership has edited a special edition of the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities Journal.