Business school earns international distinction

The marks are out and Memorial's business school has received a glowing report card. In April, 2002, the Faculty of Business Administration became the first in Atlantic Canada and one of only eight business schools in Canada to be accredited by AACSB International-the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

AACSB International is one of higher education's most prestigious and rigorous accrediting bodies, stressing academic excellence and dedication to continuous improvement. This accreditation is the highest distinction offered to business schools both nationally and internationally. There are only 424 AACSB accredited members worldwide, of which only 30 are outside the United States.

"Achieving AACSB accreditation demonstrates the faculty's commitment to provide the highest-quality education, training, research and support to our students and the community," said Dr. Bill Blake, dean of the faculty. "To achieve this distinction we went through a comprehensive self-assessment process and were evaluated by a team of business school deans who are internationally recognized as leaders in management education."

To achieve AACSB International accreditation, business programs must satisfy a wide range of quality standards relating to curriculum, faculty resources, admissions, degree requirements, library and computer facilities, financial resources, and research contributions.

"Our faculty, staff, students, university colleagues and partners in the business community all played an important role in helping us reach this point," said Dr. Blake. "The accreditation process helped us to focus and clarify our mission and achieving accreditation recognizes the strength of our team."

The accreditation process took nearly three years to complete but it was well worth it, according to Dr. Alex Faseruk, who helped coordinate the project.

"This is the single most important event ever experienced by the faculty," he said. "An independent team determined that our faculty and students have met, and in many cases exceeded, a very rigorous set of standards showing that Memorial is a top-notch internationally acclaimed business school. While we've known that for some time, the external validation is richly deserved. It will go a long way in ensuring that our current students and graduates can go to the most prestigious graduate schools, law schools and careers with the confidence that a Memorial degree has prepared them well."

While the formal celebration is over, the excitement around last April's accreditation announcement continues to build at the faculty. "We will need to continue to grow and develop to maintain our accreditation," said Dr. Blake. "Accreditation is also an excellent foundation on which to build. It offers a tremendous marketing opportunity and will help us to attract and recruit faculty members and students, particularly international students. Earning this seal of approval lets people know that Memorial offers business students a world-class learning environment."