In Good Company – GSB Maintains Prestigious AACSB Accreditation

Fewer than 5 percent of business programs across the globe accredited by AACSB

Brian E. Clark
The exterior of a building.

BRISTOL, R.I. -- In the pre-holiday rush, as students across Roger Williams were wrapping up exams and checking grades for fall semester courses, the University’s Mario J. Gabelli School of Business earned some high marks of its own: AACSB International, the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools, announced that its board of directors accepted the peer review team’s recommendation for maintenance of the Gabelli School’s accreditation in business.

The news followed an intensive maintenance of accreditation process and keeps the Gabelli School in select company among business programs worldwide; just 643 schools across 43 countries and territories hold AACSB accreditation.

“We should all be very proud of this affirmation of our status as an AACSB-accredited school,” says Jerry Dauterive, dean of the Gabelli School of Business. “Of the 13,000 colleges and universities across the world that offer business programs, fewer than 5 percent are accredited by AACSB.”

According to Jerry Trapnell, vice president and chief accreditation officer at AACSB International, it takes a great deal of self evaluation and determination to earn and maintain accreditation by the organization. “Schools not only must meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculty and staff must make a commitment to ongoing improvement to ensure continued delivery of high-quality education to students.”

Achieving accreditation is a process of rigorous internal review, evaluation and adjustment and can take several years to complete. The school develops and implements a plan to meet the AACSB Accreditation Standards, which require a high-quality teaching environment, a commitment to continuous improvement, and curricula responsive to the needs of businesses. In addition, as required by the AACSB Standards, all accredited schools must go through a peer review process every five years in order to maintain their accreditation.

AACSB International announced that in total, 39 schools have maintained their accreditation in business. The complete list is available here.