KU School of Business earns extension of prestigious AACSB accreditation

Lauren Cunningham, communications director

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas School of Business has maintained its global accreditation in business and accounting for another five years with AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

KU is one of just 194 institutions that hold both a school and an accounting program accreditation. AACSB accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business and accounting education, and less than 6% of business schools worldwide meet the organization’s accreditation standards.

“We are honored to retain our affiliation among this elite group of business schools,” Dean Paige Fields said. “This extension of dual AACSB accreditation validates our collective work to deliver excellent, comprehensive business and accounting education.”

AACSB-accredited schools must meet standards of excellence in areas relating to strategic management and innovation, faculty research productivity, learning and teaching, and academic and professional engagement. Accounting accreditation involves an additional set of standards specific to the discipline and profession of accounting.

Every five years each accredited institution undergoes a continuous improvement review process that includes a self-evaluation report and an evaluation conducted by a team of deans or directors from fellow AACSB-accredited business schools. These peer review teams make recommendations after assessing quality and continuous improvement in relation to the school’s mission and AACSB accreditation standards. Business and accounting accreditation reviews are separate processes completed synchronously.

The KU School of Business first earned AACSB accreditation in 1925, one year after the business school was founded. The school’s accounting program first attained its accreditation in 1998.

Stephanie Bryant, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB, congratulated each institution that recently achieved or extended accreditation.

“Every AACSB-accredited school has demonstrated a focus on excellence in all areas, including teaching, research, curricula development and student learning,” Bryant said. “The intense peer-review process exemplifies their commitment to quality business education.”