The School of Business and Economics at Lynchburg College has been admitted into candidacy for national accreditation by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). "This accreditation recognizes and celebrates teaching excellence, which is at the very heart of our mission," said Dr. Joe Turek, Dean of the School. The standards and criteria set forth within the ACBSP accreditation guidelines are modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence in Education. The accreditation guidelines emphasize continuous improvement, a fully integrated planning/assessment/budgeting process, and support for innovative approaches to enhance student learning. Stressing the importance of key stakeholder groups, ACBSP explicitly requires that students, faculty, alumni, potential employers, and members of the larger community have input into the School's strategic planning process. Turek traveled to New Orleans this summer to learn more about the accreditation process and credentialing guidelines and to go through evaluator training. The School of Business and Economics is currently preparing itself for a mid-September visit from its ACBSP-assigned accreditation mentor. This fall, SOBE faculty and staff will be writing the School's Self-Study Report, the centerpiece of its accreditation application. According to the current timetable, the School of Business and Economics will host a visiting team of evaluators in early March of 2009. ACBSP is itself recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).