Business school raises standards
By: Kelly Kendall
Issue date: 9/18/08 Section: News
The School of Business received an additional, specialized accreditation from the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs in June 2008.
The Higher Learning Commission accredited Webster University in 1925. The accreditation means that all undergraduate and graduate courses at all campus locations where WU offers programs are held to a higher standard.
"This accreditation is validation of quality, assurance of our business and management programs by an external party," said Benjamin Akande, dean of the School of Business and Technology. "In other words, we have known for a long time that our programs are of very high quality; now we have accreditation which shows that others outside Webster University agree with us."
According to the ACBSP Web site, accreditation through it will create more notoriety for WU, provide prestige and credibility when seeking funding from donors, foundations and governments and requires an ongoing effort to provide excelling equipment, software and learning resources for students.
The accreditation process took two years. First, the faculty addressed six criteria, in detail, outlined in a 200-page self-study, which was submitted to the ACBSP.
Akande said the six areas include; leadership, strategic planning, student and stakeholder focus, measurement and analysis of student learning and performance, faculty and staff focus and educational and business process management.
After the self-study was fully scrutinized, a six-person team of faculty and deans came to WU campuses in Webster Groves, Geneva, Switzerland, Irvine, Calif., San Antonio, Texas and Orlando, Fla., to check the self-study's accuracy. While on campus, the team met with students, alumni, faculty and administration, Akande said.
Because WU prides itself on being a worldwide campus, it was important for the team to go to multiple campuses in multiple areas, said Debbi Psihountas, associate professor in the business department.
The Higher Learning Commission accredited Webster University in 1925. The accreditation means that all undergraduate and graduate courses at all campus locations where WU offers programs are held to a higher standard.
"This accreditation is validation of quality, assurance of our business and management programs by an external party," said Benjamin Akande, dean of the School of Business and Technology. "In other words, we have known for a long time that our programs are of very high quality; now we have accreditation which shows that others outside Webster University agree with us."
According to the ACBSP Web site, accreditation through it will create more notoriety for WU, provide prestige and credibility when seeking funding from donors, foundations and governments and requires an ongoing effort to provide excelling equipment, software and learning resources for students.
The accreditation process took two years. First, the faculty addressed six criteria, in detail, outlined in a 200-page self-study, which was submitted to the ACBSP.
Akande said the six areas include; leadership, strategic planning, student and stakeholder focus, measurement and analysis of student learning and performance, faculty and staff focus and educational and business process management.
After the self-study was fully scrutinized, a six-person team of faculty and deans came to WU campuses in Webster Groves, Geneva, Switzerland, Irvine, Calif., San Antonio, Texas and Orlando, Fla., to check the self-study's accuracy. While on campus, the team met with students, alumni, faculty and administration, Akande said.
Because WU prides itself on being a worldwide campus, it was important for the team to go to multiple campuses in multiple areas, said Debbi Psihountas, associate professor in the business department.
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