Stephen F. Austin State University’s Rusche College of Business has successfully achieved the extension of its business program accreditation by the prestigious AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. Globally, fewer than 5% of all business colleges have achieved accreditation by AACSB, placing the college in an elite category of business colleges worldwide.
Globally, fewer than 5% of business colleges have achieved accreditation by AACSB, which places SFA’s Rusche College of Business in an elite category of business colleges worldwide.
“Maintaining AACSB accreditation affirms what we already know, which is our college of business is among the very best, and our students can successfully compete anywhere, with anyone,” said Dr. Tim Bisping, dean of the college.
SFA’s Rusche College of Business offers 12 majors, housed in four departments, in areas such as accounting, business communication and corporate education, management, marketing, sports business, banking, economics and finance.
Faculty members strive to advance the college’s learn, launch, lead mission by providing students with real-world experiences. In the Department of Economics and Finance, for example, students manage an investment portfolio of $600,000. Management and marketing students compete and place in the American Advertising Federation-Houston Student Conference and Competition, where they create an advertising campaign for a real client. Industry professionals routinely serve as guest speakers in classes to provide insight for students.
“I am so proud of the excellent education our faculty and staff provide our students,” Bisping said. “This extension of our accreditation is evidence that their efforts have been a wonderful success and that we are poised to continue to do great things.”
The college also offers the Career Success Passport scholarship program, where students attend workshops to sharpen their skills designed to help them launch successful careers, all while earning points for scholarships. Annually, the college awards approximately $375,000 in scholarship funds.
According to the AACSB guidelines, impact, engagement and innovation are essential to achieving and maintaining accreditation. To receive accreditation, a college of business must have a positive impact on both students and industry, its faculty and students must be engaged with industry, and it must successfully innovate in a continuous improvement process.
“We are successfully meeting these requirements as we work to help our students learn exceptionally well, launch successful careers and ultimately become leaders in their chosen career fields,” Bisping said. “We have the honor and privilege to work to help students have great lives, and it is wonderful to know that we are having such success in advancing this mission.”
By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.
