The University of Minnesota Crookston’s business department recently was granted official accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). It joins the ranks of 1,200 member campuses globally to be accredited.
In addition to attaining regular accreditation for the eight business degree programs, the university also received separate accreditation for the Accounting degree program, which makes UMC one of only two universities in the state of Minnesota with this separate accreditation.
Kevin Thompson, Unit Head for the Business and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education Departments, underscored the significance of receiving the ACBSP accreditation. “Our department and campus have always had a strong focus on quality and continuous improvement to benefit our students in preparing them for their future careers. Being a part of ACBSP will bolster our efforts and bring us to a new level of teaching and learning excellence,” he said.
“The University of Minnesota Crookston has shown its commitment to teaching excellence and to the process of quality improvement by participating in the accreditation process,” said ACBSP Chief Accreditation Officer Steve Parscale. By going the extra step to add accounting accreditation, Parscale said that UMC is proving a “deep commitment to providing the highest quality business education” for its students.
Thompson said that ACBSP accreditation offers resources, best practices, and connections with member colleagues that will benefit students and the university.
The ACBSP Model of Excellence
ACBSP (www.acbsp.org) is a leading specialized accreditation body for business education. It provides a set of standards and criteria to assist ACBSP undergraduate degree member institutions in achieving excellence in business program education. Through a process of self-study, on-site visits, and assessment, business units can demonstrate their commitment to serving students, other institutions, and industry.
ACBSP is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and was the first to offer business accreditation at all degree levels. ACBSP currently accredits business programs in 63 countries. ASBSP sets standards of excellence that are based on student participation and achievement, innovative curriculum development, research-based teaching methods, and the Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence.
