Concordia’s School of Business and Economics received the maximum re-accreditation from the International Accreditation Council of Business Education (IACBE) for the maximum possible period of seven years—a high-water mark for the 25-year program which has been built on a culture of continuous improvement.
“It felt really good” to receive the highest marks, says George W. Wright, dean of the School. “We worked very hard and were very thorough on this. Continuous accreditation is significant and rewarding, and it validates the quality of our efforts to continuously improve and implement best practices in both the undergraduate and graduate ecosystems of business and economics."
The national-level accreditation is specifically for the School’s masters degree in business administration (MBA), and the economics and business administration undergraduate programs (which include business data analytics, business economics, finance, health care management, international business, marketing, management, and sports business), as well as a specialized accreditation for the accounting program.
A self-study report, which required “a lengthy effort” by Wright himself, Karl Hoenecke, administrative assistant Avery Casteel ’22 and Deborah Lee, plus a number of faculty members, involved extensive self-assessment and preparing detailed responses to many questions meant to gauge the quality of the programs. It was followed by a two-day site visit from top academicians from around the county who spent time digging into the culture and practices of Concordia’s programs and interviewing faculty, staff, students, alumni, and board members.
The School achieved the highest possible IACBE recognition by demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement and excellence in business education, and advancing academic quality in its business programs and operations, Wright says. The School emphasizes career-relevant courses taught by academically- and professionally-qualified Christian faculty, and aims to develop extensive relationships with external constituencies. Seven years ago, Concordia became the first institution ever to receive this specialized accounting accreditation from the IACBE. The recent re-accreditation once again affirms the programs’ quality.
“Continued accreditation speaks to our commitment to continuous improvement, and the fact that we are going to deliver what we tell you we will,” says Wright. “We have ways to measure things and improve them, and we are held by an outside body to be able to perform, deliver and prove it. This is really important and underscores Concordia’s commitment to students, alumni, and employers to provide quality, career- relevant programs, curriculum, and degrees.”
The next reaccreditation is scheduled for 2029-2030.