AACSB Extends Global Accreditation for FAU College of Business

MEDIA CONTACT: Jim Hellegaard
561-319-2233, jhellegaard@fau.edu 

BOCA RATON, Fla. (April 20, 2018) – Following an extensive peer-review process, Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business has earned an extension of its accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

The College was one of 52 business schools to have its accreditation extended by AACSB International. Founded in 1916, AACSB is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools and the largest business education network connecting students, educators, and businesses worldwide.

In their recommendations to extend accreditation, the AACSB’s Peer Review Team cited as particular strengths the College of Business’ innovative market-based program offerings for graduate students; its growing research productivity and increased standing as evidenced by multiple national rankings; the master teacher program that shares best practices in teaching; and its support for undergraduate research, particularly through the FAU’s Business and Economics Polling Initiative. 

“We work very hard through our research to create greater understanding and insights, and through our teaching and business engagement activities to improve outcomes for our students and our community,” said Daniel Gropper, Ph.D., dean of FAU’s College of Business. “We have excellent faculty here, and we are bringing in new faculty with great expertise so we can continue to grow and create even more opportunities. The AACSB recognizes that excellence, and I am proud of what our faculty, staff and students are accomplishing.”

For over a century, AACSB accreditation has been synonymous with the highest standards in business education, and has been earned by less than 5 percent of the world’s business schools. Today, 810 institutions across 53 countries and territories have earned AACSB Accreditation.

“AACSB congratulates each institution on their achievement,” said Stephanie M. Bryant, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB. “Every AACSB-accredited school has demonstrated a focus on excellence in all areas, including teaching, research, curricula development, and student learning. The intense peer-review process exemplifies their commitment to quality business education.”

Achieving accreditation is a process of rigorous internal focus, engagement with an AACSB-assigned mentor, and peer-reviewed evaluation. During this multi-year path, 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.

- FAU -

About Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.