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Chico State

CSU, Chico’s College of Business Receives Esteemed Re-Accreditation

Benjamin Panconi uses his laptop in Brittany Fortune's Special Topics-Competition class.
Jessica Bartlett/Student Photogr

Benjamin Panconi and students in Brittany Fortune’s Special Topics-Competition class on Friday, January 27, 2017 in Chico, Ca. The students enrolled in this class compete in various sales competitions over the course of the semester . (Jessica Bartlett/ Student Photographer)

California State University, Chico’s College of Business has received a prestigious, full five-year re-accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). While fewer than 15 percent of all business schools in the world are accredited, the college has been fully accredited by AACSB since 1972. This prestigious recognition ensures the business college has remained a competitive leader in the business world and makes its graduates highly sought after.

“Reaffirmation of our AACSB accreditation is an important seal of approval and considered the gold-standard quality assurance for all business colleges,” said associate dean Ken Chapman. “This allows us to attract top faculty and students, especially for our MBA program, and help students earn top jobs, as many firms only recruit from AACSB schools. It’s also necessary in order for us to keep some of our national student organizations.”

The AACSB’s peer review team visited in October 2017, during which time they met with campus administrators, faculty, staff, alumni and current students over a period of two days for auditing and in-person presentations to ensure the college met the rigorous standards of accreditation.

The team consisted of three business deans from across the country, including Norman Wright of Utah Valley University, Woodbury School of Business; Jennifer Bott of Ball State University, Miller College of Business; and Kathy Schwaig of Kennesaw State University, Coles College of Business. The AACSB peer review team’s findings were exemplary.

“The faculty and staff members in academic advising, the Business Student Success Center and University Career [Center] are deeply committed to student success and to assuring that students have the ‘Chico Experience,’” said the AACSB peer review team. “The College of Business wholeheartedly embraces co-curricular activities that are aligned with its program, strategic plan and mission…The number and breadth of these programs is impressive.”

College of Business Dean Judith Hennessey, who has been through five cycles of the re-accreditation process as an administrator, praises the enormous amount of hard work, commitment and teamwork from the entire college that was necessary for this success. She extends special thanks to the faculty involved.

“Faculty excellence in research, teaching and engagement with students and the campus community was evident to the review team,” said Hennessey. “Although 58 percent of our faculty were hired in the past five years, I am most impressed with the commitment of our senior faculty who have acculturated these new professors quickly to our student-focused legacy of excellence that distinguishes our business programs.”

The College of Business is one of seven colleges at CSU, Chico, with 2,709 students majoring in and 444 students minoring in business-related programs. The college has options in accounting, entrepreneurship and small business management, finance, human resource management, management, marketing, and project management, management information systems, or operations and supply chain management. In addition, the college offers a generalized MBA or MBA with an emphasis in either enterprise information systems or project management.

AACSB accredited for 36 years, the college’s mission is to embrace the residential nature of its campus to create a learning-centered community that instills in students the knowledge, skills, and value necessary for both immediate success upon graduation and long-term career achievement. It emphasizes applied research and is devoted to continuing the tradition of excellence in its academic programs while developing distinctive initiatives to meet the ever-changing needs of its stakeholders.

For more information, contact Kelsey Horne at 530-898-4255.