AACSB INTERNATIONAL
Global Accreditation-Getting Started
James M. Daley
Rockhurst University
Karel Soudan
University of Antwerp
Joseph M. Phillips
Albers School of Business and Economics
Seattle University
July 17, 2011
1
The Mission of AACSB International
AACSB International advances quality
management education worldwide through
accreditation, thought leadership, and
value-added services.
2
The AACSB Network
1208 member business schools in 77 countries and
territories
620 accredited schools in 38 countries and
territories (less than 5% of the schools offering
business degrees worldwide)
177 accredited accounting programs in 5 countries
55 corporate/foundation/non-profit members
Estimated 14 billion USD combined operating
budget, averaging 20.6 million USD per school*
Over 55,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) faculty and
more than 1.5 million enrolled students*
*Based on the 698 respondents to the 2009-10 Business School
Questionnaire.
The World of Management Education
Members
Accredited
In Process
Estimated
Schools
Offering
Business
Programs
12
1
2
781
Eastern, South-Eastern,
and Southern Asia
163
33
41
5,545
Central and Western Asia
37
9
11
557
208
53
53
2,444
56
13
6
1,985
694
498
61
1,727
Oceania
38
13
10
101
Totals
1,208
620
184
13,140
Region
Africa
Europe
Latin America and the
Caribbean
Northern America
Global Accreditation
AACSB (607)
Total =
770
EQUIS / EPAS
(164)
30
(3.9%)
521 (67.7%)
48
(6.2%)
8
(1%)
49
(6.4%)
37
(4.8%)
77
(10.0%)
AMBA
(170)
Source: AACSB analysis of publicly available data as of 31 March, 2011
5
The Value of AACSB International
Accreditation
 Aspires to be the highest standard for
business schools worldwide
 A voluntary commitment to quality and
continuous improvement
 Rigorous self-assessment and
comprehensive peer review
6
AACSB International Accreditation
Ensures a Business School:
 Manages resources to achieve a vibrant and
relevant mission
 Advances management knowledge through faculty
scholarship
 Provides quality teaching and current curricula
 Earns recognition for excellence joining AACSB
accredited business schools that are among the
best in the world (less than 5% of world’s business
schools are AACSB accredited)
7
AACSB International Accreditation
Ensures a School:
 Cultivates meaningful interaction between students
and a qualified faculty
 Produces graduates who have achieved specified
learning goals
 Makes a statement to external communities about
your commitment to quality and continuous
improvement
8
Other Benefits of Accreditation
 Benchmarking Data
 Information on
trends in business
education
 Access to good
ideas
 Networking with
other schools
Once you have it, then what??
 No one wants to lose
it
 Use to build in a
discipline around key
areas of:
 Strategic planning
 Assurance of
learning
 Faculty
qualifications
Strategic Planning
 Initiate a new planning process every three years or so
 Large, inclusive group
 Update annually
 Track progress annually
 Maintenance Reports were a good tool for that
 Institute something similar
Assurance of Learning
 Have a plan that lays out what will be done each year
 Track that on an annual basis
 Report back to the faculty on an annual basis
 In the US, regional accrediting bodies are also expecting
this
Faculty Qualifications
 Track AQ/PQ and Participating/Supporting
coverage for each academic session, including
simulations on planned schedules
Report results to faculty and Chief
Academic Officer
 Leverage to ensure sufficient faculty resources
No Chief Academic Officer wants
Continuing Review or accreditation
lost on his/her watch
Faculty Qualifications
 Manage the AQ to the 50% undergrad / 70%(?) grad
level
 AQ/PQ Definition
 Get faculty to work together on scholarship
 Part-time (adjunct) faculty can be “participating” with
appropriate activities supporting the school outside of
teaching
 Participating/Supporting Definition
Promote Your Accreditation
 Place seal on all publications and materials.
 Make it clear on your website.
 AACSB wants you to, and its good for you, particularly
outside of the US where it is less common.
 AACSB accreditation brings immediate credibility with
global partners, certainly those in the US.
Keep Your Finger on the AACSB
Pulse
 Need to stay current with what is happening at AACSB.
 Someone needs to attend a regional, annual, or deans’
meeting each year.
 Don’t go 3-4 years not worrying about AACSB.
 Send faculty and other administrators to occasional
meetings so they learn for themselves – “AACSB
Succession Planning”