AACSB renews accreditation for Lindner College of Business
Years of transformative efforts paved way for reaccreditation
The University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business is pleased to announced that the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) has extended the college’s accreditation.
AACSB accreditation is the highest standard in business education, with 890 institutions across 58 countries and territories holding this accreditation worldwide. Lindner was first accredited in 1919, and celebrated 100 years of accreditation in 2019. The college is one of 36 business schools to receive accreditation extensions in 2021.
“This reaccreditation comes at the heels of step changes that have taken shape over the past several years,” said Dean Marianne Lewis, PhD. “Our momentum hasn’t slowed — even through great challenges. I think our report told a compelling story of our college’s steadfast commitment to student success, the grit to persevere and innovate, the excitement of new leadership and a state-of-the-art building, and the courage to transform ourselves as we transform business education and our students.”
The leadership team for UC's Carl H. Lindner College of Business: Nick Castro, left, Suzanne Masterson, Robin Brinkman, Marianne Lewis, Steve Slezak, Debora Myree, Rachel Fausz and Chuck Sox.
The accreditation extension process is a multiyear, rigorous undertaking. A designated committee is tasked with collecting information extracting key performance indicators around everything from instruction and course design to administrative management, to research and publications, to student outcomes.
I think our report told a compelling story of our college’s steadfast commitment to student success, the grit to persevere and innovate, the excitement of new leadership and a state-of-the-art building, and the courage to transform ourselves as we transform business education and our students.
Marianne W. Lewis, PhD Dean, Lindner College of Business
An independent review committee — appointed by AACSB and often comprised of deans of AACSB accredited business schools — reviews the report and conducts a thorough review that includes a site visit, which was accomplished virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The AACSB review committee was comprised of Arjang Assad (University of Pittsburgh), Gerry Sanders (University of Texas at San Antonio) and Matt Waller (University of Arkansas), all pictured to the right with members of the Leadership Team and Lindner IT.
“The leadership team and I are so grateful to the many Lindner faculty and staff who participated in developing this report — pulling data, extracting insights, ensuring quality and accuracy in all information provided — and to those who warmly welcomed the AACSB review committee to Lindner, albeit through virtual means.” said Lewis.
The final step is ratification by the AACSB International board of directors, which is expected to occur in summer 2021. While the college can take a collective exhale with the AACSB process nearly complete, the momentum isn’t slowing down any time soon. In addition to AACSB accreditation extension, the college was recently bestowed with Gold LEED designation for the sustainable design of Lindner Hall, launched a new approach to honors programming, secured impressive placement in U.S. News & World Report graduate program rankings in March, held its first Graduation Open House for the thousands of spring 2021 business graduates and is now preparing to welcome one of its largest first-year classes in the fall.
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