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WPI Business School Receives Re-Accreditation and Is Lauded for Its Focus on Business Impact

Peer-reviewed report notes benefits of “driving positive societal impact locally, regionally, and globally at the intersection of business, technology, and people.”
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July 12, 2023

The Business School at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) today announced that its business accreditation has been extended by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools, and the largest business education network connecting students, educators, and businesses worldwide. Citing that “The School takes its mission of using technology to impact society very seriously,” the AACSB commended the WPI Business School for relevant and current curricular content, impactful and interdisciplinary research, and faculty commitment to experiential learning.

“We are delighted to have been re-accredited by AACSB, especially as guidelines emphasize continuous improvement and using business education as a force for good in the world,” said Debora Jackson, Harry G. Stoddard Professor of Management and Dean of The Business School. “We’re using AACSB standards to realize our mission, driving positive societal impact locally, regionally, and globally at the intersection of business, technology, and people. Our standing within the AACSB community signifies the excellence employers, students, and faculty deserve and expect from WPI.”

We’re using AACSB standards to realize our mission, driving positive societal impact locally, regionally, and globally at the intersection of business, technology, and people.
  • Debora Jackson, Harry G. Stoddard Professor of Management and Dean of The Business School

The hallmark of excellence in business education, AACSB accreditation has been earned by fewer than five percent of the world’s business programs: just 989 business schools across 60 countries and territories are currently accredited.

To achieve accreditation, business programs must successfully complete a process of rigorous internal focus, engagement with an AACSB-assigned mentor, and peer-reviewed evaluation. During this multi-year process, schools focus on developing and implementing a plan to align with AACSB’s accreditation standards, which require excellence in areas relating to strategic management and innovation; student, faculty, and staff as active participants; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement.

WPI’s Peer Review Team included business school deans from Lehigh University, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Lawrence Technical University. During their exit session with WPI President Grace Wang, Provost Wole Soboyejo, and former Interim Provost Arthur Heinricher, the team lauded The Business School’s commitment to students and research and the exceptional quality of the school’s outreach efforts. In their subsequent report they noted “technology is a focus of the WPI programs. This is clearly one of the strengths and differentiators of the WPI curricula, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels.” They also praised a “demonstrated record of commitment to creating sustainable solutions and conducting transformative research in ways that deliver responsible impact, locally, nationally, and globally. Aspirations for societal impact are at the heart of the school’s differentiation strategy.”

The visit was led by Assistant Business School Dean Brent French, who commented, “Our successful review was the result of a team effort among stakeholders, including our Dean’s Advisory Council, our Student Advisory Council, the Morgan Teaching and Learning Center, Office of Institutional Research, our outstanding faculty program directors and the faculty at large, and our world-class staff.”

Topics
Business
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The Business School
DEPARTMENT(S)
The Business School
PROFILE(S)
Brent French
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Debora Jackson

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