March 29, 2024

AACSB Accreditation Achieved for College of Business

AACSB International (AACSB) has announced that the University of Mary Washington has earned accreditation for its College of Business. UMW is one of only five U.S. schools to receive accreditation recognition this year. AACSB is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools and the benchmark of quality for business education worldwide.

We applaud the leadership, faculty, and staff of the College of Business. This is quite an accomplishment for Mary Washington and one that will have positive impact on our student and faculty recruitment as well as our international reputation. Earned by only 5 percent of the world’s schools offering business degrees, AACSB accreditation signifies that UMW’s business programs feature innovative programs that will enable us to continue to recruit outstanding faculty, high achieving students, and international scholars. Also, this distinction will attract more employers eager to recruit our College of Business students and produce graduates that earn highly competitive salaries.

Congratulations to former and returning College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson and Acting Dean Ken Machande, who oversaw the rigorous and lengthy AACSB accreditation process. As Dr. Richardson relayed recently to a reporter: “To earn this accreditation, schools of business must meet 15 very high standards as well as expectations in the areas of strategic management and innovation, participants (students, faculty and professional staff), learning and teaching, and academic and professional engagement. This is a multi-faceted, multi-year process and there are steps all along the way that must be met.”

This was a campus-wide effort, and we express our appreciation for the diligent efforts over many years by all involved. Please join us in extending heartfelt praise to the faculty and staff of UMW’s AACSB-accredited College of Business.