NATCHITOCHES – Academic programs in Northwestern State University’s School of Business earned reaccreditation by the American Association of Colleges and Schools of Business.
“The AACSB reaccreditation process in an ongoing continuous improvement process that culminates in an official review and visit every five years,” said Dr. Curtis Penrod, senior coordinator of business programs and associate professor. “Our AACSB visit was originally scheduled for Spring 2020 but was moved to Fall 2020 due to COVID. The visit also changed from an in-person visit to a virtual visit.”
“The faculty and staff in the School of Business work tirelessly to ensure the quality of teaching and learning while remaining responsive to changing market demands and career opportunities for graduates,” said Dr. Greg Handel, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs. “The reaccreditation process helps us affirm that we are doing all that we can to prepare our students for success in the workplace after graduation.”
As part of the review, the NSU team put together an extensive report detailing the School of Business’ compliance with the various AACSB standards that related to faculty, students, external stakeholders and other individuals.
The review team, which consisted of deans from other AACSB accredited institutions, reviewed the report and other supporting documentation and conducted meetings and interviews with various stakeholders, Penrod explained. After the review, the peer review team made their recommendation of reaccreditation which was then affirmed by the Continuous Improvement Review Committee and then ratified by the Board of Directors.
“This endeavor was truly a process that involved all of the faculty of the AACSB-accredited programs which include accounting, business administration and computer information systems,” Penrod said. “The importance of accreditation is that it shows the excellence of our programs to current students, potential students, employers and other stakeholders. This reaccreditation shows that we are meeting the AACSB ideals of innovation, impact, and engagement.”
AACSB is considered the premiere business accreditation agency and keeping that accreditation shows the value of our programs.
“This AACSB business accreditation is a significant milestone which sends the message worldwide that Northwestern State University has met the most rigorous standards of excellence in business education and demonstrates that we have committed to upholding and advancing the quality of the program,” said NSU President Dr. Chris Maggio. “Our College of Business and Technology faculty and staff worked tirelessly in preparation for the accreditation visit and should be commended for their efforts in securing this prestigious AACSB reaccreditation.”
