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Union’s McAfee School of Business has earned a highly esteemed accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
Union’s business education is now distinguished as one of the world’s best business degrees.
The AACSB is the largest and most renowned accrediting body for business schools in the world, and only 5 percent of the world’s top business schools have obtained AACSB accreditation.
“We are so thankful for this positive word of affirmation from the AACSB regarding the full accreditation of the business programs at Union University,” Union President David Dockery said. “It is a joy for me to congratulate Dean Keith Absher and all who had a role in navigating this lengthy and challenging process.
“Truly, this is a significant accomplishment for faculty, staff and students alike, which will serve the university well in the years ahead.”
Union is one of three private schools in the state and the only private school in West Tennessee to boast the honor.
“It is definitely the ‘gold standard’ of business school accreditations,” said Keith Absher, dean of the McAfee School of Business.
Absher said the accreditation is evidence that Union has achieved excellence in several areas, including quality learning outcomes for students and students’ ability to compete with other business graduates in the country.
Seven years of rigorous internal review, evaluation and adjustment, culminating with the process of bringing the McAfee School of Business to the association’s standards, went into applying for and earning the accreditation.
Schools must meet 20 standards to qualify for the AACSB accreditation, including a certain caliber of quality, published research by faculty, an assurance of learning for students and the ability to measure annual goal completion, Absher said.
Established in 1916, AACSB International provides hundreds of colleges and universities with a variety of products and services to assist them with the continuous improvement of their business programs and schools that offer undergraduate, master’s and doctorate degrees in business and accounting, according to its website.
During the past few years, the school has developed and implemented a plan to meet the AACSB accreditation standards, which require a high-quality teaching environment, a commitment to continuous improvement and a curriculum that trains students for what businesses need.
A school also must undergo annual peer reviews and measure year-to-year improvements in the quality of education students receive.
Not only is the accreditation attractive for current and prospective students, alumni of the McAfee School of Business also can mention the status on their resumes and professional portfolios.
“AACSB accreditation is a tremendous boon to our graduates as well as our current students,” said C. Steven Arendall, professor of management and MBA program director. “Employers know that a Union MBA graduate has been well prepared through a rigorous program of proven quality.
An investment in a Union MBA is money well spent.”
Melissa Fields is part of the class of 2013.
“This accreditation is just another confirmation to how great of an education Union students receive,” Fields said. “I am proud of my marketing degree from the (McAfee) School of Business.”
