News

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business accounting and business programs have received continued accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

AACSB accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business education and has been earned by less than five percent of the world’s business schools. SIUE is among 185 institutions worldwide holding both the business and additional specialized AACSB accreditation for its accounting program.

“We are extremely pleased that the AACSB has extended our accreditation in both business and accounting for the maximum five-year period,” said Tim Schoenecker, interim dean of the School of Business. “This decision affirms our commitment to provide the highest quality business education possible. We are also grateful for the excellent advice that our peer review team provided during their visit. Enacting their recommendations will aid us in continuously improving our academic programs.”

“In discussing the School of Business with the AACSB visiting team members, it was clear they shared our opinion that SIUE Business graduates are prepared for the real world after graduating,” said Dr. Randy Pembrook, SIUE chancellor. “This is the result of the excellent faculty, curriculum and capstone experiences afforded to our students. The success of our alumni and the positive comments from employers, who consistently seek our graduates for positions, indicate the high esteem in which our School is held.”

Achieving accreditation is a process of rigorous internal review, engagement with an AACSB-assigned mentor and peer review. During this multi-year continuous improvement review process, schools focus on developing and implementing a plan to align with AACSB’s accreditation standards. These standards require excellence in areas relating to strategic management and innovation; student, faculty, and staff as active participants; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement.

To achieve accounting accreditation, an institution must first earn AACSB Business accreditation. Then, in addition to developing and implementing a mission-driven plan to satisfy the business accreditation quality standards, accounting accreditation requires the satisfaction of an additional set of standards specific to the discipline and profession of accounting.

“AACSB commends each institution for their exemplary work in holding the highest honor in business school accreditation,” said Robert D. Reid, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. “During this peer-review process schools must demonstrate alignment with AACSB’s global accreditation standards, as well as how they encourage engagement, innovation, and impact across the communities they serve.”

About AACSB International
As the world’s largest business education network connecting academe with business, AACSB provides business education intelligence, quality assurance, and professional development services to more than 1,500 member organizations across 97 countries and territories. Founded in 1916, AACSB accreditation is the highest standard of quality in business education, with 780 business schools accredited worldwide. AACSB’s global headquarters is located in Tampa, Florida. Its Asia Pacific headquarters is located in Singapore, and its Europe, Middle East, and Africa headquarters is located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.aacsb.edu.

Photo: SIUE School of Business Interim Dean Tim Schoenecker.