Charles W. Hickman, AACSB director of member relations, has left the organization for a new position as vice president for academic affairs at University Access in Los Angeles, Calif. UA is an Internet-based firm that partners with business schools to deliver training models, courses and entire degree programs to customers ranging from community colleges to corporate universities. Hickman, who began his new job November 1, will contribute to corporate strategy and project development at UA and will be responsible for maintaining relations with university-based business schools, curriculum design, scouting for new content providers and building a staff within the academic affairs unit.

Hickman spent 21 years with AACSB and oversaw a wide range of activities, including professional and curriculum development conferences for business school administrators and faculty; international affairs, which included services to the more than 140 AACSB member universities located outside the United States; public policy initiatives aimed at representing the interests of U.S. business schools to the federal government; public and media relations on behalf of AACSB and management education; and projects focused on monitoring the future supply of business faculty and attracting qualified prospective students to business doctoral programs and faculty careers. He played a leadership role in AACSB’s co-sponsoring of the Global Forum on Management Education in 1998.

Hickman was honored in 1992 by the Executive MBA Council for his contributions to the growth and development of EMBA programs in the United States.

"AACSB owes Chuck a deep sense of gratitude for his years of innovation and insight," said Richard J. Lewis, interim executive vice president. "Management education and AACSB both are better for his numerous contributions."

Hickman’s departure comes on the heels of the resignation in May of William K. Laidlaw, Jr., former AACSB executive vice president. Laidlaw left after more than 20 years of service to AACSB. Recently it was announced that Laidlaw had been named associate dean for executive education and professor for the practice of management at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, effective January 1, 2000.

A new AACSB chief executive officer is expected to be named by January 2000.