Business department receives accreditation

“We are very pleased to receive this recognition,” says Vonda Post, chairperson of the business department. “Accreditation helps verify the credibility of our department for prospective students and prospective employers.”

Reviewers praised Northwestern’s business department for the high quality of education and care it provides students. “The faculty show considerable interest in having students achieve excellence in their business education,” wrote evaluators Dr. Allen Belcher of Northwest Christian College in Eugene, Ore., and Dr. Stan Obermueller of Concordia University, Seward, Neb. “On several occasions, students commented on the faculty’s concern for their well-being and noted the considerable time spent in mentoring them.”

The accreditation application process included a comprehensive self-study, on-site evaluation last March, a report by the site-visit team, and finally approval by the IACBE board of commissioners. The next on-site accreditation visit is scheduled for 2016.

The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education seeks to promote and recognize excellence in business education in colleges and universities at both the undergraduate and graduate levels through specialized accreditation. The IACBE’s approach to accreditation is based on the results of the assessment of educational outcomes.

The agency’s definition of excellence in business education includes characteristics such as a clearly defined and relevant mission; a strategic plan that is in touch with the realities of business education and the marketplace while also being consistent with the institution’s strategic plan; meaningful linkages between the classroom and practitioners in the business community; an environment that encourages innovation; curricula that ensure students are prepared to deal effectively with critical issues in a changing global business environment; and faculty who are effective teachers, abreast of developments in their fields and actively contributing to their institution and discipline.