AACSB accreditation achieved

1998-11-12 - Queen's School of Business, Canada's leading business school, today announced it has received 'unconditional' accreditation for all programs by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the world's largest business school accreditation body. AACSB accreditation assures quality and promotes excellence and continuous improvement in undergraduate and graduate education for business administration and accounting. In being accredited, Queen's joins other top business schools including Stanford, Yale, Northwestern, Harvard, University of Chicago and Dartmouth, among others.

"We're delighted to receive this endorsement," said Dr. Margot Northey, Dean of Queen's School of Business. "This accreditation is a shinning example of what the faculty, staff and students can achieve when we work together. We aim to be at the forefront of business thinking by challenging the status quo and offering bold, innovative programs for business education".

The AACSB assessment process involves the submission of a self-study report by the applying school, as well as a peer review conducted by a team of three deans of other business schools. In reviewing the applications from Queen's School of Business, the AACSB peer review highlighted the school's commitment to fulfilling its institutional mission, as well as a culture that fosters continuous improvement to the quality of business education.

"Many business school mission statements are just a piece of paper," said Gregory Bruce, dean of the School of Business at La Salle University, and team Chair of the peer review panel. "Queen's mission statement, on the other had, lives and breathers in the school every day. There is a remarkable consistency among faculty, staff and students in their commitment to fulfilling their mission."

The mission of Queen's School of Business is to be recognized nationally and internationally as one of the most innovative business schools in North America, with the most forward-thinking and outward-looking programs in Canada. The mission also emphasizes a commitment to attracting and securing strong faculty and top students from across the country and abroad, forging ties with the business community, the creation of a culture where continuous improvement is the norm, and the pursuit of leadership in everything it does.

While Queen's entire roster of business programs were reviewed and unconditionally accredited by the peer review panel, the report includes special commendation attributed to several degree programs in the business school that were identified as strengths, innovations, and unique features including:
> Queen's Executive MBA - a two-year graduate degree program that gives managers an opportunity to gain the educational and professional advantages of a Queen's University MBA without having to move to Kingston or interrupt a successful career. Students can enroll in a live classroom in Ottawa, or take the program via national videoconference at one of 24 Boardroom Learning Centers across Canada.

> MBA in Science and Technology - designed exclusively for students who aspire to management careers in the fast-growing, highly competitive science and technology industries.

> BCom 'plus' - revamped this year to include greater international focus and a package of Arts & Science options to foster depth in subject areas outside of business.

American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business is a not-for-profit corporation of educational institutions, corporations and other organizations devoted to the promotion and improvement of higher education in business adminstration and management.

Queen's School of Business is Canada's most innovative business school. The School's programs include: the revamped undergraduate Bachelor of Commerce (BCom plus), with the highest entry standards in Canada and a 100% success rate in placing students in the job market; Queen's MBA for Science and Technology, rated #1 for two consecutive years by Canadian Business magazine; the market-leading Executive MBA program, Canada's first MBA program delivered by videoconference to sites from coast to coast; and the Executive Development Centre, Canada's most popular university-level executive training facility.