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The gold standard for business school accreditation has been reaccredited for the next six years at The University of Scranton.<\/p>\n
Scranton\u2019s undergraduate and master\u2019s programs in business offered by the Kania School of Management (KSOM)<\/a> have been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International)<\/a>since 1995. The accreditation process requires schools to submit a comprehensive, 360-degree review every six years to prove that the college continues to offer students an exceptional and relevant business education.<\/p>\n Approximately 6% of business colleges worldwide \u2014 1,072 schools of business in 70 countries \u2014 hold the prestigious AACSB accreditation.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we meet with parents and students, they not only recognize the value of a Jesuit education but recognize that one with AACSB accreditation assures that their son or daughter will receive a high-quality business education grounded in the liberal arts,\u201d said Mark Higgins, Ph.D., dean of the Kania School of Management.<\/p>\n The accreditation review is conducted by deans from other AACSB-accredited schools and includes a comprehensive written report along with an on-site visit. During the visit, the deans meet with faculty, staff, students, the provost, the president and members of the KSOM advisory board. The review examines a school\u2019s course development or innovation, the delivery or engagement of faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders and the outcomes or assessment of learning, all the while gathering evidence that the college\u2019s education remains relevant to current business needs.<\/p>\n \u201cIn various aspects of the report, the peer review team noted how the faculty and staff take a very student-centric approach,\u201d Dr. Higgins said.<\/p>\n The peer review team also noted teaching effectiveness and research as clear strengths of the business school. The team also highlighted that the Accounting program ranked second nationally in education research over both six- and 12-year windows, according to Brigham Young University\u2019s Accounting Research Rankings, with Douglas M. Boyle, DBA \u201988,<\/strong> professor and chair of Scranton\u2019s Accounting Department and director of the Ph.D. program, ranking among the top accounting education researchers in the country.<\/p>\n The report also highlighted that KSOM fulfills its Jesuit mission by incorporating a societal impact course into every major, noting that it is recommending this as a best practice for all schools to follow.<\/p>\n The peer review team said it was impressed with how the school incorporates career orientation, beginning with a student\u2019s first year, and the outstanding placements the school has in the New York and Philadelphia region. The team also mentioned the Henry George Lecture Series, which, overseen by the Economics, Finance and International Business Department, has brought 13 Nobel Prize winners to campus. Finally, the team spoke highly of Scranton\u2019s Small Business Development Center\u2019s (SBDC) dynamic director, Lisa Hall Zielinski, and the integration of the SBDC Women\u2019s Entrepreneurship Center with KSOM.<\/p>\n The SBDC program resides in the KSOM, leveraging University financial support to secure additional funding that facilitates student learning activity and community economic improvements.<\/p>\n