AACSB recognition, degrees past and future

http://www.uecrescent.org/articles/stories/public/200601/27/3UUJ_news.html

Is this correct?

 

No. A student reporter probably misinterpreted what they were told.

 

Definitely not correct.

Who knows whether it was the school or reporter that got it wrong.

 

I've wondered about the rash of new AACSB schools and the importance given to it.

If I graduated from the University of Evansville in 1995 and they just only received AACSB in 2005 shouldn't I feel cheated?

If AACSB is so important did they do enough in 1995 to warn me their degree was not AACSB?

Finally, if it is so important why did it take so long?

Note: Not picking on the University of Evansville just using them as an example.

 

AACSB is a professional accreditation (similar to APA for schools of psychology). AACSB is not an equivalent to regional accreditation or national acreditation. Not all regionally accredited biz schools have it.

When I did my MBA, I wanted an AACSB school, so found such a program. However, it isn't that big a criterion for others.

When I entered my MBA program, I contacted the education consultant that helped me get started with my undergraduate. I told her I was in SJSU's MBA program. She was happy to learn that someone with a non-AACSB undergraduate degree was able to get into an AACSB graduate program.

So, I would not feel 'cheated' that a school you went to decided to obtain AACSB accreditation. I would be more concerned if a regionally accredited school I attended either lost or decided not to continue with regional accreditation.

 

AACSB accreditation is VERY expensive.

Average business faculty salaries at AACSB-accredited schools are about double that of non-AACSB schools.

AACSB Business faculty also make far more than their liberal arts counterparts. Think of the campus politics where the university is considering diverting resources to increase salaries in a single unit of the university.

There are other campus-level political issues. AACSB-accreditation may require the business school to have a level of autonomy that runs counter to the governance culture of a campus.

Unlike many other professions (e.g., nursing, engineering), business practitioners (except CPAs) are not required to be licensed. Accordingly, there is no specific degree accreditation requirement to become licensed. Students from a non-AACSB institution do not face any serious problem in finding employment.

THe number of schools seeking AACSB accredititation nowdays are pursuing it primarily for competitive reasons. If competing business schools are accredited, it puts them at a disadvantage in attracting students.

 

But all US AACSB schools are at least regionally accredited, it is the next step up from RA.

 

Although I admittenly know very little about University of Evansville in 1995, I did find that they were not professionally accrediated in the past by any other accrediting(i.e. ACBSP or IACBE). First of all the rash of new AACBS schools can easily be explained by the change in AACSB rules in the last couple of years which makes it easier to become AACSB accredited esspeically if you are already ACSBP.

You also must realize that no Dean or university president just wakes up one morning and decides they want toast and to become AACSB accredited. It is a process and it takes time for example we have long known that Cal State-DH is a candiate for AACSB, yet they are still not accredited by AACSB as of this writing.

Should a 1995 graduate feel cheated? no not at all. First one thing that AACSB and ACBSP do well is they provide standards. Why are these standards important? because with out them you have MBA programs that look like this.
Also as an alumni of the Univeristy of Evansville the likeliness an employer is going to look to see if your degree is AACSB is low enough, nevermind to find out when the school got it's AACSB accreditation. If someone looks they will see it's accredited and move on in most cases.

I will also point out that both AACSB and ACBSP are recognized accreditors through the Council of Higher Education Accreditation http://www.chea.org/Directories/special.asp

Also in many states sitting for the CPA exam is alot easier if you graduate from a AACSB school, although not a requirement.

 

Programs like the above are precisely the reason for AACSB accreditation. This program wouldn't come close to an undergraduate business major.