Best in the Biz: School of Business Earns Top Accreditation

Published: April 12, 2011 | Read Time: 3 minutes

The School of Business at Southern Utah University has maintained its business accreditation by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business and accounting.

Only 620 schools of business, or less than five percent worldwide, have earned this distinguished hallmark of excellence in management education.

According to SUU Provost, head of the University’s academic affairs, Brad Cook, this accreditation places SUU among the nation’s best when it comes to business education.

Said cook, “Academic accreditation is the currency of quality in this country, and AACSB is the nation’s premier entity of evaluating business programs.”

To maintain accreditation a business program must undergo a rigorous internal review every five years, at which the program must demonstrate its continued commitment to the 21 quality standards relating to faculty qualification, strategic management of resources, interactions of faculty and students, as well as a commitment to continuous improvement and achievement of learning goals in degree programs.

“It takes a great deal of self-evaluation and determination to earn and maintain AACSB accreditation,” said Jerry Trapnell, vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. “Schools not only must meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculty, and staff must make a commitment to ongoing improvement to ensure continued delivery of high-quality education to students.”

The specialized accreditation applies to four undergraduate programs (Accounting, Finance, Management and Marketing) as well as to the Masters of Accountancy and Masters of Business Administration. The School of Business has 622 undergraduate students and 139 graduate students, including 78 international students (a little over half of the international students studying at SUU).

“We are certainly pleased with the results of our accreditation visit,“ said Carl Templin, dean of the School of Business. “We are especially pleased with the commendations of the peer review team: the collegiality, collaboration and scholarly output of our faculty; the successful placement of our graduates; our focus on student engagement which permeates our curriculum; the online Master of Accountancy program; and the excellent support we get from our School of Business National Advisory Board. This is a reflection of the dedication and quality of our faculty, staff and students.”

Southern Utah University’s achievement will be recognized April 28 at the 2011 AACSB International Conference and Annual Meeting in New York City.

To learn more about the SUU School of Business visit www.suu.edu/business. For more information about AACSB International accreditation, visit the accreditation section of the AACSB International website at www.aacsb.edu/accreditation.

About AACSB International
AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), founded in 1916, is an association of almost 1,200 educational institutions, businesses and other organizations in 78 countries. AACSB’s mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation, thought leadership, and value-added services. AACSB accreditation is the mark of quality distinction most widely sought after by business schools—less than 5% worldwide have earned the achievement. As the premier accreditation body for institutions offering undergraduate, master’s, and doctorate degrees in business and accounting, the association also conducts a wide array of conferences and seminar programs at locations throughout the world. AACSB's global headquarters is located in Tampa, Florida, USA and its Asia headquarters is located in Singapore.

Related Links
suu.edu/business
aacsb.edu/accreditation

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