The Lander University School of Management has maintained its accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, International (AACSB), placing it in elite company among business schools in the U.S. and worldwide.
Less than five percent of the world's business programs have earned accreditation by AACSB, which is acknowledged as the premier accrediting body for institutions offering undergraduate, master's, and doctorate degrees in business and accounting.
"It takes a great deal of commitment and determination to earn and maintain AACSB accreditation," said Robert D. Reid, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of the organization. He added, "Business schools must not only meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculty and professional staff must make a commitment to ongoing continuous improvement to ensure that the institution will continue to deliver the highest quality of education to students."
In October, three deans from AACSB-accredited schools visited Lander and conducted a detailed evaluation of the School of Management that included interviews with faculty, students and local business leaders.
Robert T. Barrett, dean of Lander's College of Business and Public Affairs, said, "We are excited to continue our accreditation with AACSB because it gives our School of Management the strongest stamp of approval in business education." He added, "We truly have outstanding students, faculty, staff and programs, and we will continue to strive for excellence."
Lander president Daniel Ball said, "We are extremely proud of our business programs, students and faculty, and maintaining our AACSB accreditation validates that pride."
Barrett said over 450 students are business administration majors in the School of Management, which was initially accredited by AACSB in 2003. Students may select one of four emphasis programs within the major: accounting; finance/economics; health care management and management/marketing. He said the recent accreditation review complimented the school for its excellent internship program, experiential learning opportunities for students in the community and faculty qualifications.
While AACSB accreditation is specific to Lander's School of Management, the university itself is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.