Business school accreditation renewed

By: Staff Dec 22, 2008

Rigorous review puts College of Business and Public Policy in elite tier

ANCHORAGE, AK – The UAA College of Business and Public Policy (CBPP)n has again won international recognition for its business programs and degrees.

The (AACSB) has extended CBPP’s accreditation, which the AACSB calls a “distinguished hallmark of excellence in management education.” Extension, or maintenance, of accreditation, which the CBPP had previously earned, follows the same rigorous protocols as establishment of accreditation.

To maintain AACSB accreditation, a college business program must undergo the process of an internal review every five years. When under review, the program must demonstrate that it meets 21 standards of faculty qualification, strategic management of resources, and interaction of faculty and students. The degree programs also must show a commitment to continuous improvement and achievement of learning goals.

Less than 5 percent of business schools worldwide – 559 out of 11,500 – have earned AACSB accreditation (460 are U.S. schools).

“It takes a great deal of self evaluation and determination to earn and maintain AACSB accreditation,” said Jerry Trapnell, 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.”

“This is a premier accreditation,” said Amy Ponzillo, the AACSB’s coordinator of publicity. “It essentially puts UAA there at a top level. You can compete against your Harvard, your Yale. You have the tools, the knowledge, the faculty and the curriculum that can compete against the top-tier schools.”

The internal review for an initial or maintenance accreditation involves several peer-review teams who conduct interviews at the college and perform an evaluation, Ponzillo said. In the current round, announced this month, UAA was one of 55 schools that received maintenance accreditation, while five received initial accreditation, for a total of 59 schools, she said.

The AACSB’s accreditation manager, Jane Lawler, wrote recently to CBPP Interim Dean Elisha “Bear” Baker that “the Peer Review Team's recommendation to extend accreditation of the business degree programs offered by the University of Alaska Anchorage has been concurred with by the Maintenance of Accreditation Committee and ratified by the Board of Directors.”

Official confirmation will be sent to Dean Baker in a few weeks, Lawler wrote. The achievement will be recognized at the AACSB International Conference and Annual Meeting, April 26-28, 2009, in Orlando, FL.

AACSB International is an association of more than 1,100 educational institutions, business and other organizations in 70 countries dedicated to the advancement of management education worldwide.