The Value of Accreditation

The text below is excerpted from an article in the November 2002 issue of the eNEWSLINE, a publication of AACSB International. It presents this very important subject from the viewpoint of two top AACSB officials.

Value of Accreditation

"Some of our key stakeholders - students, their parents, and employers of our graduates - do not understand what it means to be accredited by AACSB International and how AACSB accreditation differs from institutional accreditation," says Rich Sorensen, dean of the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and chair of the Business Accreditation Committee (BAC).

B-school deans and faculty are well aware of the value of AACSB accreditation. It is a goal of many institutions and a major accomplishment requiring a huge investment of financial and human resources. Outside of the business school, however, it's often a different story.

According to AACSB Chair Jerry Trapnell, "The promotion of accreditation is a shared responsibility of all accredited members." He says the combined effort of more than 400 business schools will have a major impact on educating the public. Trapnell is business dean at Clemson University.

Sorensen agrees. "One of AACSB International's key initiatives involves assisting our accredited members in promoting the meaning of AACSB accreditation to different stakeholders," he says.

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