School of Business accredited
Business programs obtain official recognition from accreditation council
This year, the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) held its annual conference in Chicago June 29 and officially recognized the Liberty University School of Business. Liberty’s business programs were given accreditation from the ACBSP Nov. 2013.
Recognition — School of Business is now officially credited. Photo credit: Ruth Bibby
According to the website for Liberty’s School of Business, ACBSP is the only association offering specialized business accreditation for all degree levels, from associate degrees to doctoral degree programs.
Accreditation makes certain that Liberty University has met all the standards in its degree programs, faculty, administration, student support and services. This promises that other accredited institutions will accept any courses and degrees received through Liberty University.
Dr. Melanie Hicks, School of Business professor and director of assessment, was the head of the accreditation team.
“The entire process took a little over three years from the time we first started,” Hicks said. “It was certainly a team effort, with countless hours poured into the final documents, the two site visits and a lot of prayer. We are very thankful for the experience, because we have improved our programs and processes, and hopefully the students and other stakeholders can see the value in our programs and services.”
According to Hicks, the team was comprised of 19 individuals, plus additional support, and spent approximately 4,000 hours working toward accreditation.
The School of Business website states that the ACBSP is a dedicated accreditation association for business education that recognizes teaching excellence. It encourages constant improvement and appreciates superiority in the accreditation of business education programs around the world.
The department’s newly accredited status adds to the value ofits degree.
“We are finding that more and more, employers who pay a portion of, or all of, the tuition for an employee are wanting to know they are getting a positive return on their investment,” Hicks said. “Regional accreditation is no longer enough for some of these employers. So, the additional specific business school accreditation provides an added assurance that our programs are high quality and they are receiving a positive return on their investment.”
To find out more information on Liberty’s School of Business accreditation, visit liberty.edu/business.