The dictionary
has almost a dozen definitions for the word 'quality',
but when you get right down to it, quality represents
achievement and commitment. Achieving accreditation
by the International Association for Management
Education (AACSB) is a clear indicator not only
of quality, but of instructional commitment to
a philosophy of continuous improvement.
AACSB, the premier accrediting agency for bachelor's,
master's and doctoral degree programs in business
administration and accounting, is committed to
excellence in management education. The organization
was founded in 1916 and began its accreditation
function with the adoption of the first standards
in 1919. Additional standards for programs in
accountancy were adopted in 1980. AACSB's founding
members include Columbia University, Cornell University,
Dartmouth College, Harvard University, New York
University, Northwestern University, The Ohio
State University, Tulane University, the University
of California at Berkeley, the University of Chicago,
the University of Illinois, the University of
Nebraska, the University of Pennsylvania, the
University of Pittsburgh, the University of Texas,
the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Yale University.
These prestigious institutions and others carry
the logo of an AACSB-accredited institution.
What is Accreditation?
AACSB accreditation assures quality, promoting
excellence and continuous improvement in undergraduate
and graduate education for business administration
and accounting. Its accreditation is a process
of voluntary, non-governmental review of educational
institutions and programs, with demanding standards
that challenge schools to pursue continuous improvement.
The AACSB accreditation process focuses on the
quality of educational activities through self-evaluation
and peer review. In the self-evaluation process,
a school assesses its accomplishments in relation
to its mission and objectives, as well as on the
criteria in the accreditation standards. The peer
review is an external analysis of a school's processes
for achieving its mission, assessing educational
outcomes and planning for continuous improvement.
The AACSB accreditation process benefits all
constituents in a wide variety of ways:
Benefits to Students
· The school/program has an appropriate
mission achieved through relevant curricula, qualified
faculty, and effective policies and practices.
· The degree program offered has completed
a rigorous self-evaluation and peer review.
· The degree program offered satisfied
criteria established and accepted by the management
education community.
Benefits to Schools/Programs
· Participation in the AACSB accreditation
process affirms the school's responsibility for
the quality of education offered, and demonstrates
its commitment to continuous improvement.
· By undergoing the self-evaluation, a
school assesses planning and goal-setting processes,
and measures accomplishments against objectives.
· The peer review process includes a review
of the program's strengths, limitations and opportunities,
with the ultimate purpose of improving educational
effectiveness.
· Peer review provides advice and counsel,
and offers new perspectives on the program's operation.
· The accreditation process contributes
to the harmony of the business administration
disciplines by bringing together all constituents
in continuous improvement.
Benefits to Employers
· Accreditation assures prospective employers
that graduates come from a program where the content
and quality have been evaluated, satisfying established
standards.
· The employer can be confident that the
graduate's course of study includes an understanding
of today's complex business environment.
· The program offered is current, reflecting
changes in knowledge and practices generally accepted
in the management education community.
Benefits to the Public
· Accredited status represents a commitment
of the program and the institution to quality
and continuous improvement.
· The school/program has a clearly defined
mission and educationally appropriate objectives.
· The school/program has voluntarily undertaken
a self-evaluation and peer review.
Philosophy of Accreditation
AACSB accreditation promotes excellence and continuous
improvement in undergraduate and graduate education
for business administration and accounting. The
review process is linked to each school's stated
mission and objectives. Self-evaluation and peer
review assures performance consistent with the
school's mission and AACSB accreditation. The
process endorses and supports diverse paths to
achieving high-quality education, providing guidance
for continuous improvement in educational programs.
AACSB Educational Institutions
All AACSB educational institutions, including
accredited and non-accredited schools, are hot-linked
on the AACSB website: http://www.aacsb.edu.
The 'Accreditation' section of the website has
a separate listing of the accredited schools by
country.
AUTHOR: Carmen Bouverat,
Business School Recruitment Executive,
KPMG Consulting
