This document provides an overview of the AACSB accreditation process for business schools. It discusses that AACSB accreditation enhances a business school's reputation, attracts faculty/students, and connects the school to the business community. The rigorous process involves a pre-accreditation phase of self-evaluation based on standards, followed by initial accreditation and then continuous reviews every 5 years. It outlines the eligibility application, standards in areas like mission, curriculum, faculty and more, and steps schools can take like assessing strengths/weaknesses and ensuring quality of programs, faculty, services and resources.

1. AACSB Overview
Hema A. Krishnan, Ph.D.
April 1, 2014
Mount Kenya University

2. •Gold Standard for Quality
•Gold Standard for all Participants: Students,
Faculty, Staff, Alumni, Business community
•Gold Standard for Curriculum
•Gold Standard for Career and Educational
Opportunities.
What is AACSB
Accreditation?

3. •Enhance Reputation of the college and brand
the university
•Attract and retain faculty and students
•Attract business community
•Enhance synergies with other units of the
university.
Why Accreditation
Matters?

4. Less than 5% of the
13,000 business
schools in the world
have earned AACSB
accreditation

5. •Rigorous Self Evaluation and Peer Review
* Eligibility Application
* Pre-Accreditation Phase
* Initial Accreditation
* Continuous Improvement Review
every 5 years.
What is the Process
for AACSB Business
Accreditation?

6. •Become a member of AACSB International
•Business School should offer Bachelor’s degree or
higher
•Identify Faculty and Administrators champions
for AACSB who would attend workshops at AACSB
international meetings
•Familiarize faculty and administration with AACSB
accreditation standards and the accreditation
process
Eligibility Application

7. •To collaborate with all units of the university
•To interview all stakeholders: suggested
approach- snowball-type interviewing
•Interview constituencies and use the
conversations to understand their parts of the
university.
•Share information
•Request interviewees to write their part
•Craft an authentic narrative that tells the
story of the university.
Role of faculty champion(s)

8. •Complete the Eligibility Application
* Comprehensive Review of school
* Organization Chart
* Financial Condition of University and
resources allocated
* Strategic Plan of Business School
•Revise the Eligibility Application and send it to the
IAC (AACSB Accreditation Committee)
•IAC will review the application:
* If approved, a formal mentor will be
assigned.
Eligibility Application-Cont’d

9. •Strategic Management and Innovation standards
Standards 1, 2, 3: Mission, Finances, Strategy
•Participant Standards
Standards 4, 5, 6, 7: Students, faculty, staff
•Learning and Teaching Standards
Standards 8, 9, 10, 11, 12: Curriculum
•Academic and Professional Engagement
Standards 13, 14, 15: Faculty, Students
Business Accreditation-
2013 Standards

10. •SWOT Analysis of School/ University
University Leadership and culture
High Quality Faculty
High Quality Programs and curriculum
High Quality Support Services
Infrastructure
Support of Business Community
Financial resources to realize mission
Steps

11. •Educational Qualifications of faculty (Ph.D.)
•Research Portfolio of tenure track faculty
•Teaching Portfolio of faculty
•Industry experience of professional faculty
Quality of Faculty

12. •Attracting top-notch faculty
•Faculty mentoring policies
•Faculty development policies
•Faculty tenure and promotion policies
•Teaching policies: loads, evaluations
•Resources to support teaching
•Resources to support research
•Policies to reward research and teaching
excellence
•Policies for visiting/temporary faculty
•Experiential learning opportunities
Hiring / Mentoring faculty

13. •Degrees offered (Bachelor’s, Masters, Ph.D.)
•Curriculum
•Learning goals for each program
•Assessment tools for each program
•Process for feedback
•Closing the feedback loop
•Initiating changes to the curriculum
AACSB Themes: Innovation
Impact
Engagement
Quality of Programs

14. •Recruitment policies for students: Admission
standards, etc.
•Student mentoring and support programs
•Career placement and development programs
•Alumni programs
Support Services Quality

15. •College building and classroom facilities
•Project room facilities
•Technology
•Library resources
•University ambience
•General Community
Infrastructure

16. •Local Business Community
•MKU alumni base
•Integration with teaching (guest speakers, etc)
•Integration with research (case studies--)
•Integration with students (mentoring..)
•Integration with placement services
Business Community-to
advance Mission

17. •Tuition fees
•Endowment: Local, Regional, National
•Alumni Base
•General Business Community
•Partnerships with other universities
Financial Resources

18. AACSB Overview
Questions?
The material from AACSB is gratefully acknowledged in the preparation
of this presentation. Also, the use of Xavier University, MKU and AACSB
logos is gratefully acknowledged.
www.aacsb.edu