Wisconsin

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point School of Business and Economics is pursuing accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). The following are some of the frequently asked questions from students during this process. What does AACSB accreditation mean exactly and why is it important to me? AACSB stands for the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB is the world’s oldest and best respected organization that guarantees the quality of business programs. AACSB accreditation is important to us because it shows the quality of the program you graduated from AACSB accreditation is an external recognition of our quality – similar to the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval Since we are going through the accreditation now, does that mean we aren't accredited? We are accredited, but we are now seeking the highest, business-oriented accreditation available. All of UWSP's programs are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission AACSB accreditation is the top U.S. business accreditation available 31.8% of U.S. business schools are accredited by AACSB Only the top 5% of all business programs internationally are accredited by AACSB So this is an additional, higher and business-focused accreditation How will it affect us as students? Accreditation requires the SBE to make sure our courses fit our mission, which has four components: Focus on your success Serve local businesses Help the local economy and Serve the people of the greater Central Wisconsin area It also requires us to stay connected with our stakeholders (students, alumni, businesses, etc.). Accreditation helps us recruit faculty and students Overall, accreditation makes you better prepared for a more competitive business environment Do employers look for students from accredited universities? Does going to an accredited university give me an upper hand on students that aren't from accredited universities? Many employers do not know accredited schools from non-accredited schools, but they do understand high quality The accreditation process has encouraged us to do a number of things over the last five years, such as: Increasing the quality and number of our internships Improving our advising services Enhancing our students' connection to the local business community by adding things like: Hundreds of SBE Events Senior Banquet Kickstart your Career! If students are graduating during or before the accreditation process, can we say we are/were a part of an accredited university? You can say you graduated from an accredited institution because UWSP is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Within 1-2 years you can say you graduated from an AACSB accredited program – no matter when you graduated. What are some examples of other UW schools that are accredited by AACSB? Although many other UW schools are accredited by the AACSB (UW-Madison, UW-Whitewater, UW-Eau Claire), some are not. The key thing to remember is that what you have learned by participating in more focused coursework, improved student programs, closer connections to your faculty and to the Central Wisconsin business community will enable you to differentiate yourself based on the quality of the School of Business and Economics.  As students, how can we help? April 10-13 three deans of business programs will come to review the School of Business and Economics They will want to talk to some of you Tell them about your experiences at UWSP Before you talk to them, you might take a look at our mission statement and our strategic plan. Finally, we encourage you to ask your faculty about this or stop by Gary Mullins's office in CPS 424 if you have any further questions.

• published: 28 Mar 2016
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