TAMPA, FL (April 6, 2009) - AACSB International announced today that
Gonzaga University has earned initial accreditation for its accounting program. Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that
offer undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees in business and accounting.
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. Today, there are 567 business schools
in 33 countries with AACSB business accreditation.
"We congratulate Gonzaga University and Dean Clarence Barnes for earning AACSB accreditation for its accounting program
while maintaining AACSB accreditation for the school's business program," said John J. Fernandes, president and chief executive officer
of AACSB International. "Dean Barnes and the faculty, directors and administrative staff are to be commended for achieving both
accounting and business accreditations - an achievement only accomplished by 171 business schools in the world."
Achieving accreditation is a process of rigorous internal review, evaluation, and adjustment and can take several years to complete.
During these years, the school develops and implements a plan to meet the 21 AACSB standards
requiring a high quality teaching environment, a commitment to continuous improvement, and curricula responsive to the needs of business.
To realize accounting accreditation, an institution must first earn or maintain AACSB business accreditation. Then, in addition to
developing and implementing a mission-driven plan to satisfy the 21 business accreditation quality standards, accounting accreditation
requires the satisfaction of an additional set of 15 standards
that are specific to the discipline and profession of accounting.
"It takes a great deal determination to earn AACSB accreditation, and I commend Gonzaga University for its dedication to
management education," said Jerry Trapnell, chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. "Schools not only must meet specific
standards of excellence, but their deans, faculties and staffs make a commitment to ongoing improvement to ensure that
the institution will continue to deliver high quality education to students."
AACSB International also announced that BEM Bordeaux Management School (France),
Durham University (United Kingdom),
Georgia Southwestern State University (USA),
Le Moyne College (USA),
Robert Morris University (USA),
Simmons College (USA), and
SungKyunKwan University (South Korea) earned initial accreditation in business, and
Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi (USA), and
Western Kentucky University (USA), earned AACSB accreditation in accounting.
Additionally, 57 institutions
have maintained their accreditation in business and 14 have maintained their accreditation in accounting. As required by AACSB standards, all
accredited schools must go through a peer review every five years in order to maintain their accreditation.
About AACSB International
AACSB International is an association of more than 1,100 educational
institutions, business and other organizations in 70 countries that are
dedicated to the advancement of management education worldwide. In addition to
service as the premier accreditation body for institutions offering
undergraduate, master's and doctoral degrees in business and accounting,
the association also conducts a wide array of conferences and seminar programs at various location around the world.
Through BestBizSchools.com, AACSB provides a global resource center for prospective business students.
www.aacsb.edu
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