The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) announced this week that the Arkansas Tech University College of Business has maintained its AACSB International accreditation for an additional five-year period.
AACSB first accredited the baccalaureate degree programs in business at Arkansas Tech in 2000. Officials from AACSB returned to campus this spring, and their review has yielded continuation of that accreditation for the Arkansas Tech College of Business until the next scheduled review in 2015.
AACSB accreditation is the mark of quality distinction most widely sought after by business schools — less than 5 percent worldwide have earned the achievement.
“This is a milestone moment for Arkansas Tech University,” said Tech President Dr. Robert C. Brown. “AACSB accreditation is a mark of excellence. I extend congratulations and appreciation to my faculty colleagues in the College of Business. Their continued focus on providing unsurpassed classroom instruction is the foundation of our business program.”
According to its Web site, the AACSB seeks to ensure stakeholders that the schools of business it accredits accomplish these five goals:
*Manage resources to achieve a vibrant and relevant mission
*Advance business and management knowledge through faculty scholarship
*Provide high-caliber teaching of quality and current curricula
*Cultivate meaningful interaction between students and a qualified faculty
*Produce graduates who have achieved specified learning goals
“Accreditation gives a program and a university national recognition,” said Dr. John W. Watson, vice president for academic affairs at Arkansas Tech. “We know that we have good programs, but when we prove it to a national accrediting agency, it gives credence to what we are saying.”
The Arkansas Tech College of Business offers Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degrees in accounting, economics and finance and management and marketing. The Tech College of Business also offers a Bachelor of Science degree in business education.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment for our dedicated faculty, students, and staff, and I want to commend and thank my colleagues for their hard work to ensure we achieved this prestigious honor,” said Dr. Tom Tyler, dean of the Arkansas Tech College of Business. “Our re-accreditation emphasizes Arkansas Tech University’s commitment to providing a high quality education for our students.”
Founded in 1916, AACSB is a membership association of almost 1,200 educational institutions, businesses and other organizations in 74 countries and territories. AACSB’s mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation and thought leadership.
“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.”
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