The School of Business and Economics at Lynchburg College has been accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, a national accrediting agency that places primary emphasis on teaching excellence.
"This is public recognition of the hard work we've done to ensure quality education for our students," said Dr. Joe Turek, dean of LC's School of Business and Economics.
The School of Business and Economics was already accredited through Lynchburg College's Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accreditation, but this specialized recognition takes SOBE to the next level.
"The students are excited because they can say they will graduate from a program that is ACBSP certified," Turek said.
The accreditation, which takes effect immediately, applies to both undergraduate and graduate business programs. LC currently has about 300 undergraduates pursuing business majors and minors, and about 60 graduate students pursuing MBAs.
According to the ACBSP report, LC's most important strengths or outstanding practices are:
- The physical plant of the College, including a new business school building (Elliot & Rosel Schewel Hall) with state-of-the-art technology, is impressive. The business school building provides an outstanding learning environment, with access to technology and Internet resources for students and faculty. Classrooms, auditoriums, student workspaces and other areas where students, faculty and staff may interact, and a (stock) ‘trading lab,' have provided exceptional learning opportunities. The latest technology is available to support student-learning activities in the classrooms, laboratories, and libraries.
- Outreach to the Lynchburg community and surrounding areas is substantial and impressive. Numerous examples serve to support this point, including an engaged advisory board and several outreach centers.
- Class sizes are low, which helps in facilitating effective student learning and faculty/student interaction. Students and faculty report a significant mentoring relationship exists.
- The undergraduate curriculum reflects an exemplary coverage of business ethics.
The process to seek ACBSP certification began nearly a year ago and required the school to complete a self-study last fall, an exercise that Turek said was extremely valuable in helping the school understand its strengths, identify challenges, and make improvements.
As of August 2008, ACBSP had accredited 413 institutions. There are about 2,400 U.S. colleges and universities offering degrees in business administration, finance, management, accounting, and marketing.
For more information, contact Dr. Joe Turek at 434/544-8542.