Campus Connection

Second national seal of approval this year

The UW-La Crosse College of Business Administration has received another national seal of approval. The college 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. The reaccreditation follows the College of Business Administration’s Council for Higher Education Accreditation Award for Outstanding Institutional Practice in Student Learning Outcomes in January. That award recognized the college for its use of outcomes assessment to improve student learning in its undergraduate program. Employers want quality business graduates from quality business schools, says CBA Dean Bruce May. “Achieving AACSB Accreditation is a rigorous process,” he explains. “AACSB-accredited schools have the highest quality faculty, relevant and challenging curriculum, and provide educational and career opportunities that are not found at other business schools. They have been proven to provide the best in business education worldwide.” May says both achievements recognize a very high level of quality. “The accreditation standards assess a college’s ability to perform in critical areas, such as teaching, research, curricula development, and student learning,” he says. “The CHEA award recognizes institutions that have been exceptional in developing and applying processes to improve higher education quality and accountability. The achievement of both validates each other, and signals to the public that we have a top-notch program.” May says the reaccreditation team praised the college in three areas: • Commended the faculty as being “highly engaged with their students and with the work of the college. Students recognized the quality of the education that they receive at UW-L,” noted evaluators. • Lauded the college’s outstanding assessment program that has “become a model for the university and other organizations.” Evaluators also praised the college for its emphasis on quality through its “culture of assessment.” • Pointed to the college’s unique strength of “globalization of business curricula” and “significantly enhanced opportunities for students to study abroad.” AACSB Accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business education, and has been earned by less than five percent of the world's business programs. Currently, 672 business schools in 44 countries and territories maintain AACSB Accreditation. “It takes a great deal of commitment and determination to earn and maintain AACSB Accreditation,” says Robert D. Reid, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. “Business schools must not only meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculty, and professional staff must make a commitment to ongoing continuous improvement to ensure that the institution will continue to deliver the highest quality of education to students.” The CBA has approximately 1,650 undergraduate students and nearly 50 graduate students. It has a highly qualified instructional staff of 61. The college maintains active collaborations within the region and community and with numerous educational institutions in Europe, Asia and elsewhere. About AACSB International • AACSB International — The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, founded in 1916, is an association of more than 1,300 educational institutions, businesses, and other organizations in 81 countries and territories. • AACSB's mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation, thought leadership, and value-added services. • 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 in Tampa, Fla.; its Asia Pacific headquarters is in Singapore. • www.aacsb.edu