Member Roster

Membership Criteria 
AACSB International member institutions located in or near the urban center of a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) with a population of at least 250,000. Institutions may be public or private; whose mission includes teaching, research, and professional service and the institutions offer graduate and undergraduate programs. The programs are strongly practice-oriented and make extensive use of business sites in the metropolitan area. The majority of students come from the immediate metropolitan region and a significant percentage of students are place-based employees and commuters. The institution’s programs respond to regional needs while striving for national excellence.

PURPOSE
(May 1, 2000)

The Metropolitan Business Schools Affinity Group brings together business schools that share the mission of striving for national excellence while contributing to the economic development of the metropolitan centers that we serve.

Group members work together to enhance our effectiveness as deans by:

1. Facilitating the efficient and relevant exchange of information and ideas concerning management education among deans of business schools with a metropolitan mission;
2. Identifying key industry trends and practices as they emerge, and expediting the sharing of related information with AACSB International leadership, and the broader membership, as appropriate;
3. Assisting in the creation of a professional and personal support network for deans of metro mission business schools; and
4. Establishing more effective channels of communication between AACSB International and deans of metropolitan mission business schools.

The affinity group initially served as a forum for the discussion of common interests and concerns, and the sharing of relevant innovations and best practices. Our initial list of issues with potential interest included:

• The role which urban schools play in promoting and supporting local and regional economic development, and its implications for institutional academic programs, support and evaluation of intellectual contributions, community outreach and internal structure.
• What distinguishes business schools with urban-focused missions from other business schools who are coincidentally located in an urban area, and the associated implications for strategy and allocation of resources.
• Management of external advisory councils, particularly when many/most participating members are located nearby.
• The particular job description and skill set relevant to deans at schools with urban missions.
• Potential roles of urban schools in providing continuing education and training to local employers.
• The distinct needs and expectations of students who enroll in urban business schools, and the related implications for institutional strategy and policy.
• Criteria for identifying excellence among business schools with distinctly urban missions, and any related implications for AACSB International accreditation policies.

How We Enhance the Effectiveness of Our Business Schools  in Metropolitan Areas

We enhance the effectiveness of our business schools in our metropolitan area by:

• Responding to the economic development needs of our metropolitan areas
• Providing leadership through teaching, research and professional outreach.
• Adapting to the diverse needs of metropolitan students and educating them to be informed and effective citizens and capable practitioners of professions.
• Linking basic scholarship with practical application through interdisciplinary partnerships that attack complex metropolitan problems.
• Developing creative partnerships with public and private enterprises to ensure that the intellectual resources of our institutions are fully engaged in mutually beneficial ways.