OSU’s Spears School of Business earns accreditation approval from AACSB

Friday, March 28, 2014

Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business was notified Friday that its accreditation with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International has been extended for a full five-year period.

The AACSB International accreditation is for all of the Spears School’s academic programs, with the exception of the master’s and doctoral programs in economics, which are not subject to accreditation. In a separate process, the School of Accounting also had its accreditation renewed for the next five years.

There are only 182 institutions worldwide that have received AACSB accreditation for both the business school and the accounting program; and there are only two such institutions in Oklahoma.

“We are extremely pleased to have our accreditation renewed as it reinforces our commitment to high quality business education and the many wonderful programs offered by the Spears School of Business,” said Ken Eastman, interim dean of the Spears School. “All the credit goes to our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and donors who have worked diligently over the past five years to help the Spears School to this level of excellence.

“A special thanks goes to Associate Dean Carol Johnson, who is responsible for managing our assessment and accreditation process, including compiling our final report. I also thank President Burns Hargis and Provost Pam Fry for their support of the Spears School, as we could not have attained our goals without their assistance,” Eastman said.

The Spears School’s extension of accreditation period was approved in March by the AACSB’s Continuous Improvement Review Committee and the Board of Directors following a January campus visit by a peer review team from the accrediting body.

“AACSB accreditation requires high-quality programs and a great deal of teamwork,” said Associate Dean of Strategic Management and Measurement Carol Johnson, who oversaw the accreditation process. “This accreditation attests to the quality of our faculty and staff, our planning processes, and our systems for assuring student learning. It would not be possible, however, without significant assistance from our leadership team, our employees, and a generous and loyal group of alumni, recruiters, and other supporters.”

Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master's or doctoral degrees in business and accounting. AACSB accreditation is considered a standard for quality in business education, and it is earned by less than five percent of the world's business programs.

Oklahoma State’s business school has been fully accredited by AACSB International since 1958, and the Spears School is celebrating 100 years of business education in 2014 (spears100.okstate.edu).

To learn more about the Spears School of Business visit spears.okstate.edu. Or to learn more about AACSB International accreditation, visit the accreditation section of the AACSB International website at: http://www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/.