College of Business and Public Policy earns AACSB accreditation extension

When the College of Business and Public Policy (CBPP) earned accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) more than 20 years ago, it underscored the CBPP’s commitment to excellence.

AACSB grants accreditation to fewer than 5% of all schools worldwide offering degree programs in business at the bachelor’s level or higher. It also requires those institutions to demonstrate continuous improvement. In early 2021 CBPP completed its most recent review, gaining an extension of AASCB’s prestigious accreditation. During the process, the college demonstrated it met or exceeded AACSB’s standards, which are regularly updated.

“The AACSB accreditation is designed to foster student success through innovation, engagement and positive societal impact,” said Associate Dean Terry Nelson. “This process gave faculty and staff the opportunity to demonstrate and highlight how CBPP promotes and supports these standards.”

The lengthy review process occurs every five years and includes a written analysis and virtual site visit from a review team made up of deans from business and management colleges outside Alaska. In this round of review, CBPP must meet standards in the categories of strategic management and innovation; students, faculty and professional staff; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement.

“Just as employers in the public, private and nonprofit sectors continually adapt to changing market conditions and technological advancements, conscientious business education programs keep track of these trends and adapt curriculum accordingly,” said Interim Dean John Nofsinger. “It’s critical students have skills relevant to today’s workplace. CBPP programs focus on developing students’ technical skills along with analytical, empirical and critical thinking, creative problem solving, teamwork, communication and research skills.”

So when does preparation begin for the next review?

That’s a trick question.

Although CBPP faculty and staff are celebrating this latest news, there’s no downtime in a continuous improvement process. As 2020 showed us all, the need for leaders who can make decisions in a rapidly changing world is more important than ever.

Nofsinger expressed his appreciation for Nelson and the college’s faculty and staff leaders for spearheading the accreditation process. He also noted thanks to UA and UAA leadership for providing resources to the college.

CBPP’s AASCB accreditation is among 26 the university currently holds from specialized accrediting organizations. As a university, UAA has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) since 1974. NWCCU reaffirmed UAA’s accreditation in January 2019 specifying four commendations. UAA will undergo its mid-cycle NWCCU evaluation in fall 2021. Read "The learning objectives at UAA's core" to learn more.