Belk College and Turner School earn AACSB reaccreditation
UNC Charlotte’s Belk College of Business and its Turner School of Accountancy have both earned five-year accreditation renewals from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AASCB International), the premier business accreditation organization in the world.
AACSB grants accreditation to business programs that meet rigorous standards and demonstrate the highest quality in teaching, research and student achievement. The distinction places the Belk College in an elite tier – fewer than 2% of business schools worldwide have earned dual accreditation from AACSB.
“AACSB accreditation is a mark of excellence that tells students and employers that the Belk College offers a challenging, engaging and relevant business education,” said Jennifer Troyer, dean of the Belk College of Business. “It affirms that our suite of graduate and undergraduate programs is of the highest quality and taught by outstanding faculty.”
AACSB-accredited business schools are reassessed every five years. Last fall, leaders from Belk College business and accountancy programs submitted comprehensive reports to document continuous improvement outcomes over the past five years. The reports detailed how Charlotte’s programs are meeting AACSB’s standards for curricula management and assurance of learning; teaching effectiveness; student academic and professional engagement.
The Belk College is among the first business schools to undergo accreditation under AACSB’s new 2020 standards, which include a focus on societal impact and community engagement.
Al Ghosh, interim chair of the Turner School, said the school’s AACSB reaccreditation “is an attestation to our commitment to high quality, student-oriented accounting programs and a testament to the quality of our faculty and staff who ensure that our students are well prepared to meet the needs of our profession.”
An AACSB peer review team conducted meetings at UNC Charlotte Jan. 23-25 with college and university leaders, faculty, staff and students to evaluate the college and accountancy school’s efforts to meet AACSB standards. Their subsequent recommendation to extend accreditation for the college and school was ratified this week by the AACSB board of directors.
“During the visit, our evaluators raved about our engagement with the Charlotte business community, the large number of faculty who are engaged in impactful research, and our strong commitment to student success,” Troyer said. “I am so proud of the work our faculty and staff are doing to realize our vision as an emerging, top-tier research business school.”
The college’s reaccreditation report and visit was led by Antonis Stylianou, associate dean for faculty and research, and Blake Horridge, director of academic planning and accreditation. The Turner School report and visit were led by: Hughlene Burton, associate professor of accounting; Jack Cathey, program director of the master of accountancy program and an associate professor; and Ghosh.
“AACSB’s accreditation is important to students and employers,” Troyer said. “Our students are in high demand because employers know we provide a solid mix of curricular and co-curricular experiences.”
Stephanie M. Bryant, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB, congratulated the Belk College and other recently reaccredited institutions for their achievement in a AACSB news release. “Every AACSB-accredited school has demonstrated a focus on excellence in all areas, including teaching, research, curricula development, and student learning,” she said. “The intense peer-review process exemplifies their commitment to quality business education.”
Established in 1916, AACSB accreditation has been synonymous with the highest standards in business education. AACSB has accredited 935 institutions across 59 countries and territories and grants supplemental specialized AACSB accreditation to 192 accounting programs.
The Belk College has more than 5,100 students with programs at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels. Signature programs include the nationally ranked Charlotte Professional MBA program and the Carolinas’ only AACSB-accredited Doctorate in Business.
AACSB first accredited the Belk College of Business in 1984. The Turner School of Accountancy first received accreditation in 1986.
A five-member AACSB peer review team visited UNC Charlotte in January. From left: UNC Charlotte Chancellor Sharon Gaber; Professor Sharon Lassar (accounting chair), Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver; Balaji Rajagopalan (peer review team chair), dean of the College of Business at Northern Illinois University; Belk College Dean Jennifer Troyer; and Charlotte Provost Joan Lorden.