College of Business, School of Accountancy accreditations reaffirmed

CLEMSON, S.C. – The College of Business and the School of Accountancy at Clemson University have had their accreditations extended by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

The world’s largest business education alliance, AACSB recently announced Clemson’s business and accounting degree programs have met the rigorous standards of quality in teaching, research, curriculum development and student learning set forth by the Tampa, Fla.-based organization.

AACSB accreditation has been earned by only 5 percent of the more than 16,000 schools worldwide offering business degrees at the bachelor’s level or higher. Today, 874 institutions across 56 countries and territories have earned AACSB accreditation, while 190 institutions hold supplemental AACSB accreditation for their Accounting programs.

Clemson was one of 12 schools nationwide that recently had its business and Accounting programs’ accreditation extended.

“The extension of accreditation is a testament to our comprehensive approach to preparing students for 21^st century business,” said College of Business Dean Wendy York. “Only the best schools earn accreditation. They are forward thinking, innovative and consistently deliver on their promise to prepare the next generation of leaders.”

In order to earn and sustain business accreditation, the College of Business has to align with a set of 15 AACSB accreditation standards that focus on mission and strategic management, support for students, faculty and staff; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement of students and faculty. In order to sustain its separate accreditation, the School of Accountancy has to meet an additional set of six standards designed specifically for the accounting discipline.

“Being accredited by AACSB indicates the school is acutely aware of the challenges facing today’s business,” said Stephanie Bryant, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. “The intense peer-review process confirms a school’s continued focus on excellence and exemplifies their commitment to quality business education.”

Once accreditation is achieved, each institution participates in a five-year continuous improvement peer-review to extend its accreditation. Schools must continuously maintain data measurements and prepare reports for the next five-year review.

Clemson business school leaders Sally Widener, Carl Hollingsworth, Chris Mann and Frances Kennedy and Jerry Trapnell, emeritus associate professor and dean, led the College’s reaccreditation efforts.

“The accreditation extension is validation of having achieved excellence in business and Accounting education,” said Widener, School of Accountancy director. “It shows the College of Business and the School of Accountancy are engaging in continuous improvement, evolving with the changing business environment, and ensuring our programs are rigorous and high-quality.”

Established in 1916, the AACSB is a voluntary, non-governmental accrediting agency that oversees the standardization of collegiate schools of business and accounting nationwide. www.aacsb.edu.

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