Winter 2017 - Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs

A Report from Board Chair Dewayne Thompson:

As We Learn From 2016, We Look Forward to a Robust 2017 Happy New Year! What a great year we’ve had in ACBSP. The inaugural Dean’s Symposium was remarkably successful with attendees already anticipating the 2017 symposium. So many progressive initiatives are underway and you will read about some of those in this issue of ACBSP Update. The International Conference and Accreditation Forum moved from the Thanksgiving weekend, proving to be a nice complement to the event. Another accomplishment was the full staffing of our professional personnel as we welcome Emil Gjorgov as Director of European Operations for ACBSP. In June, I laid out a brief platform that included improvement in our operational efficiency, assessment of risk exposure, an outreach to attract new members with careful vetting of new members, rewriting and strengthening our Bylaws, increasing the benefits of attending conferences, identifying and increasing our number of volunteers, and introducing new opportunities such as the Deans Symposium.

continues in the spirit of Doña Ana Community College students who are eligible for the Andy C. Saucedo Memorial Scholarship. If you haven’t yet made a contribution, it is not too late, and we would be grateful for your generosity. These are exciting times for ACBSP, and with your help, better times are ahead. As we approach our 30-year anniversary in 2018, we reflect on the history of our organization and the legacy of the likes of Percy Vaughn, George Oliver, and Randy Nutter. There are many others who paved the way for us; let’s not forget them as we move forward with an improved structure, processes, and programs. In the true ACBSP spirit, we were better in 2016 than 2015, but not as good as we will be in 2017!

ACBSP Conference 2017 in Anaheim is taking shape. While I was unable to make the pre-conference visit with the rest of the ACBSP team, I’ve been told it will be a fabulous site. Register early and take advantage of the early-bird discount. I hope, too, that you will consider writing a piece for our Transnational Journal of Business. These opportunities allow us to stay current in our academic fields as well as assisting our colleagues as they hone their pedagogical skills. In other news, coming under the “Nuts and Bolts” category is the work of the Nominating Committee, which completed its first step in preparing a slate of officers for 2017-18. We have had some fine nominees and are on schedule to get that information out to you soon. Furthermore, we will welcome Mary Vaughan at ACBSP Conference 2017 as the new Chair of the Board of Directors. Mary has tremendous talent and vision for ACBSP’s future. I have enjoyed working with her on the Board for the past three years and trust she will take us to a higher level during her term as Chair. I look forward to working with her as she assumes this leadership role. I would be remiss in not remembering our previous leader, Andy Saucedo. You will remember that it was exactly one year ago that Andy had to relinquish his role due to what became a terminal illness. While we miss him, his presence

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NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2017

CHAIR’S AWARD

The ACBSP Board of Directors is pleased to announce the establishment of the Chair’s Award. This award will recognize exceptional service to ACBSP during the past year. The award comes with a $250 cash honorarium and will be presented at one of the luncheons during ACBSP Conference 2017 in Anaheim, California. Submit your nomination now.

ACBSP Appoints Emil Gjorgov as Director of European Operations ACBSP welcomes Emil Gjorgov as Director of European Operations. He joined ACBSP in October 2016 and is based in Brussels, Belgium. In addition to his current post in Europe, Emil brings extensive knowledge and practical application attained through national and regional accrediting bodies in the U.S., including governmental and nongovernmental bodies in Europe. Emil studied Electrical Engineering at the State University St. Ciril and Methodius in Skopje, Macedonia. He holds a post-graduate degree in Educational Methodology and a Master of Arts in Negotiation and Communications in International Relations from the University American College in Skopje. Emil is the CEO and founder of New England Educational Advisory, a professional educational consultant company involved in setting-up schools, colleges and universities in the U.S. and Europe. Emil oversees activities like: implementation of educational planning, curriculum development, criteria implementation, organizational planning, data mining, stakeholder surveys, annual reviews, and organizing media and portfolio visibility for the institution. He is a successful coach with extensive theoretical and practical knowledge needed to successfully prepare and reorganize data and portfolio management of commercial organizations and educational institutions.

ACBSP Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey Alderman, pictured left with Emil Gjorgov, ACBSP’s newly appointed Director of European Operations.

Emil is an experienced international program coordinator, trainer and evaluator in numerous fields of education, with an exceptional ability to implement international standards such as the Bologna Declaration for Higher Education in EHEA, Baldrige Criteria for Quality Standards, and European Association for Quality Assurance Standards in Higher Ed. He is an evaluator who has extensive knowledge of how to successfully assess data from the field through surveys, organizational scanning and measuring learning objectives in educational institutions, application in workable charts, graphs and numerical analysis. He has successfully applied accreditation standards and designation from ACBSP, AACSB, ECBE, CIE, ACICS, ENQA/EQAR, and similar accrediting organizations. Emil Gjorgov (far right) picture with Jeffrey Alderman, ACBSP Chief Executive Officer, and members in attendance of the Region 8 annual meeting.

Take time to introduce yourself to Emil this June during ACBSP Conference 2017 in Anaheim, or email him.

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A.

C o m m e n t a r y

Change for the Good of ACBSP The beginning of a new year often brings many people a sense of excitement and anticipation as they can either continue building on their personal and professional successes or perhaps wipe the slate clean and ponder what opportunities and possibilities may present themselves in the year ahead. The French novelist and philosopher Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr once opined that “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” And, it was those very words that permeated my thoughts throughout the holidays and then into the new year as I gave pause and spent some time reflecting on where we should be going and where ACBSP has been. As the title of this column implies, I fully support the notion that change is good. At the heart of ACBSP accreditation lies the fact that our standards and criteria were developed for the continuous improvement of teaching methods, the delivery of business education programs, and creative value for students. This vision has helped us grow from our formation in 1988 to now having a presence on six continents, save for Antarctica. At the heart of “continuous improvement” is change. In that respect, ACBSP is all about change. However, what is really changing? Everything may appear to be different than it was before, but it’s all part of the same, bigger, ambitious plan. It is our vision of change for the good of ACBSP that attracts and unites an extraordinary group of people dedicated to and ultimately impacting the practice of business in every industry and country around the world. ACBSP offers programs, services, and an accreditation process uniquely focused on teaching excellence and student outcomes.


And, because we believe our success is driven by the success of our members, we align these same programs, services, and accreditation process to meet the individual needs of each member. So, as we begin 2017, let’s look back at the constantly “changing” evolution of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. This past year, ACBSP once again hosted another wonderfully successful annual conference in June in Atlanta where nearly 900 members were in attendance. This remains the pinnacle of our annual events and has been the one constant in our schedule since our founding. A “change” occurred when we created and hosted our inaugural Deans Symposium in September in Chicago where 115 deans, aspiring deans and department chairs gathered together to learn how to take their leadership from good the great. Fall marked the traditional start of the schedule of our annual regional conferences. With 10 geographic regions located throughout the world, our members joined with colleagues to explore trends, assess quality, and learn innovative teaching techniques. Then, another “change” occurred when we moved the location of the International Conference from Region 8, which includes all of Europe, to Region 9 in Cancun, Mexico, where our friends in Latin America hosted a wonderfully informative and culturally enhanced event. Although not technically a 2016 event, another “change” is taking place this March with the introduction of our new Access Accreditation Workshop to be held March 2-4 in Kansas City. For more information, please visit acbsp.org.

A. Commentary...(continued from pg. 3) Other “changes” taking place within the organization included ACBSP being invited to join the UN Global Compact’s Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) Steering Committee, which includes AACSB, EFMD and other prestigious accreditors. ACBSP is honored to be part of this group and is fully committed to supporting the mission of PRME to transform management education, research and thought leadership globally. In addition, ACBSP joined with the (Baldrige) Alliance to sign a memorandum of understanding that would help develop a membership and participation model to permit ACBSP to assist the Alliance in promoting performance excellence approaches as well as Baldrige and Baldrige-related Awards to member organizations of ACBSP worldwide.” The MOU states “ACBSP is unique among business school accreditation associations in its long-standing and explicit use of the Baldrige Framework for Performance Excellence as the foundation of its accreditation standards and criteria and review process.” ACBSP members benefit by instituting a standard framework of quality management oriented for business school programs extending beyond current ACBSP accreditation. I would be remiss if I did not note the creation of the Andy C. Saucedo Memorial Scholarship Award to honor our dearly departed friend and former Board Chair. And, we welcomed the publication of the first edition of the Transnational Journal of Business in Atlanta. None of this would be possible without one thing that we hope never changes, and that is the commitment and dedication of our volunteer leadership. These are just a few ongoing changes that are helping to develop our organization into the elite accreditor and prestigious organization we strive to be each and every day.

One other positive change that I would like to mention is that after spending the past year evaluating our interests in Europe and throughout Region 8, we engaged in a search for a new Director of European Operations. I am pleased to announce that we have hired Professor Emil Gjorgov to fill this position. Emil is the CEO of the New England Educational Advisory Group and he previously served roles in academia with Tallahassee International College and the University of American College Skopje, where he served as the ACBSP Champion and directed their various accreditations including ACBSP. A more in-depth profile of Emil is featured on pgs. 2 and 27. Most importantly, Emil brings a wealth of knowledge to our organization and he will be working out of our offices in Brussels. He joins Dr. Wilfredo Giraldo, who serves as our Director of Latin American Operations and Dr. Abraham Lincoln Owusu Kwame, who oversees our African operations. We are grateful to these individuals as we continue our global outreach. As you can see, we do have quite a bit of positive change within our organization. As Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, would attest, however; the more things change, the more they stay the same! I invite you to engage or re-engage in 2017 for what promises to be another exceptional year of transforming business education! As always, we are grateful for the trust you place in us. To connect with Jeffrey Alderman for business matters or just to say hello, please email him at [email protected] or call the ACBSP headquarters at (913) 339-9356.


Registration Opens for ACBSP Conference 2017

Exploring Trends. Assessing Quality. Improving Educa-

tion. Those are the hallmarks of any ACBSP event and will certainly be evident at ACBSP Conference 2017, June 24-27 in Anaheim, Calif. This year’s conference theme is “Preparing Students for Career Success,” allowing ACBSP members to showcase their creativity and innovation in the classroom. Please note: We are on a different schedule this year. The conference runs Saturday-Tuesday. Please plan accordingly.

Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop or netbook with electronic copies of their business program documents as well as survey and assessment data summaries. ACBSP accreditation staff and commissioners will provide a tour of the standard and criterion requirements for each standard. Following the review of the standard, participants will use their own information to respond to a specific criterion and can enter their information on the online reporting portal with opportunities for feedback for the accreditation staff and commissioners.

Now, more than ever, business schools must demonstrate ways in which they are evolving to meet the needs of students and preparing them for a competitive global economy. How will this be accomplished? How can we, as business educators, transform our classrooms to meet the ever-changing marketplace and provide the greatest educational value for our students? We invite you to explore and share successful strategies that will prepare our students for career success.

This is a two-day, two-part workshop, that begins on Friday, June 23 and then resumes on Saturday, June 24. Part 1 (June 23) will cover Standards One to Four. Part 2 (June 24) will cover Standards Five and Six. Participants are required to attend both days.

Here’s what you can expect at ACBSP Conference 2017:

Session 2 (Spanish) Friday, June 23 (7 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) and Saturday, June 24 (8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.)

Pre-conference Workshops

Standards and Criteria Interactive Workshop

Two sessions will be offered concurrently, select one: Session 1 (English) Friday, June 23 (7 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) and Saturday, June 24 (8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.)

Due to space limitations and to ensure the best training experience, each session is limited to 40 registrants. The fee is $150 per registrant. Certificates of completion will be provided for individuals who pre-register and attend the entire training. You must register for the full Conference in order to register for either workshop. Evaluator Training Friday, June 23 (7 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) and Saturday, June 24 (8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.)

Sessions provided in English and Spanish. Presenters: Diana Hallerud, Associate Director of Accreditation Wilfredo Giraldo, Director of Latin Amer. Operation Board of Commissioners

Presenters: Members of the Accreditation Governance Board

This workshop is designed for ACBSP member schools in candidacy, preparing for reaffirmation of accreditation, or those who are new to ACBSP and would like to increase their understanding of the ACBSP Standards and Criteria.

This is a full day-and-a-half of training for individuals desiring to be part of accreditation site teams. This would also be of value for someone from a school entering the accreditation process, seeking to learn what a site team is looking for during a visit. Due to space limitations and to ensure the best training experience, this session is limited to 40 registrants. A fee of $150 will cover training materials and lunch. You must register for ACBSP Conference 2017 in order to register for Evaluator Training. Assessment of Student Learning Workshop Saturday, June 24 — 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

REGISTER NOW:


Presenter: Janice Stoudemire – Founder and President of Palmetto Academic Consulting Services, Inc., ACBSP Past President and Emeritus Member To ensure continuous improvement, part of your formal assessment plan of student learning should include a periodic review of the assessment process. This workshop will provide some of the best practices in the designing and deploying student learning outcomes that you may want to consider implementing as part of your review process. Special emphasis will be placed on the alignment and correlation of institutional, department, program and course-level SLOs, the use of “assessment” curriculum maps, as well as the triangulation of indirect and direct assessment results. The workshop will include a brief introduction to assessing student learning, so it is perfect for the novice or experienced assessment person. Attendees will receive an email two weeks before the workshop requesting materials to bring regarding their current assessment process that will be used during the training. Registration is available to anyone registered for the ACBSP Conference for an additional fee of $75. Leadership Workshop

for accreditation and its major constituents and examine what space accreditation might occupy going forward and what constituent needs can realistically be met. Dr. Judith S. Eaton is president of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the largest institutional higher education membership organization in the United States. A national advocate and institutional voice for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation, CHEA is an association of 3,000 degree-granting colleges and universities. CHEA works with the presidents and chief academic officers of colleges and universities, accreditors, policy makers and higher education leaders around the world, providing authoritative information and leadership on issues related to accreditation and quality assurance, the federal government-accreditation relationship and enhancing public confidence in accreditation. CHEA is the only private sector body in the United States that “recognizes” U.S. institutional and programmatic accreditors for quality, scrutinizing these organizations and affirming that they meet CHEA’s quality standards. At present, 60 accreditors are CHEA-recognized, including ACBSP.

More than 70 Concurrent Sessions

Learn best practices from the more than 70 presenters who are experts in accreditation, teaching excellence, and preparing students for career success. The official conference website is live and online registration will open during the first week of February. A preliminary schedule is available online. Visit the website in the coming weeks as full conference details will be released.

Travel and Lodging

Saturday, June 24 — 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Presenters: Dr. Dewayne Thompson, Chair, ACBSP Board of Directors; Chair, Business Department, Lee University Dr. Anthony Negbenebor, Member, ACBSP Accreditation Governance Board; Dean Emeritus, Godbold School of Business, Gardner-Webb University; ACBSP Past President

Opening Session on Saturday, June 24

Examining the Accreditation Space: Accreditation and Its Constituents Dr. Judith Eaton, President, Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

The Anaheim Marriott is the headquarters for ACBSP Conference 2017. It is conveniently located just blocks away from Disneyland® Park and Disney California Adventure® Park. The Anaheim Marriott offers a rate of $199 single/double per night, plus tax. Reservations must be made by May 30, 2017 to receive the ACBSP group rate. Call 714.750.8000, or reserve your room online. Learn more about this exciting destination at visitanaheim. org.

Registration

The early bird registration deadline is May 15. Early bird rates start at $625 for ACBSP members and $775 for non-members. Visit the conference website for more details on registration rates, refund and cancellation policies, and more.

There are unprecedented challenges facing accreditation. This presentation will share some of the key questions


A Report from Latin America:

Region 9 Welcomes Members From Around the World

It was a pleasure and a great experience for the members of Region 9 to host the ACBSP International Conference and Accreditation Forum in Cancun in November. With the hospitality that characterizes the countries of Latin America, Region 9 members shared with friends from universities all over the world an exchange of experiences and knowledge that will help Business Schools improve their educational model that better prepares students for professional success. At the same event, a Region 9 meeting was held, dealing with various issues related to the projects that have been working to enhance quality education. These activities began with the panel on “Challenges Facing Latin America Regarding Accreditation,” in which Carlos Güereca from Mexico, Alejandro Cheyne from Colombia and Julio Martín from Paraguay participated, emphasizing that, regardless of the situation that each country may experience, accreditation is a strategy that helps institutions achieve not only better learning outcomes but also differentiate themselves as quality organizations whose main challenges are centered on encouraging involvement they must achieve from everyone in the organization to know and use the model as a best practices compendium that drives continuous improvement. The following new members were incorporated in Region 9: Pedro Henríquez Ureña National University from Dominican Republic; Graduate School of the Technological University of Perú; the Faculty of Administration of the Autonomous University of Baja California – Mexico; and Universidad CES – Colombia Wilfredo Giraldo Director of Latin American Operations [email protected]


— all institutions with a great prestige in Latin America that will contribute to the growth of the Region. During the Region 9 meeting, it was decided that from November 2016-June 2017, the composition of the Board of Directors will be as follows: Caroline Mendoza Leclere, UNID-Mexico, President; Julio Martín, UAA of Paraguay, Vice President; and Francisco D’oleo Ramirez, UNAPEC - Dominican Republic, Secretary-Treasurer. Progress on the Benchmarking Learning Project was presented, which is coordinated by Goe Rojas from Uniempresarial – Colombia, together with nine universities from the Region. This project will allow us to have a comparative learning outcomes tool for universities in Latin America. The progress of ACBSP’s central committees was reviewed and as a result, Liliana Alvarado from UTP Perú was appointed as Region 9 representative for the Digital Media Communications Committee. Likewise, we agreed to conduct simulation evaluations during the 10-year-period of accreditation maintenance. This will further enhance the use of accreditation to improve the organization and prepare evaluators with more experiences. As a result of the Best of Regions competition: Julián David Cortés Sánchez, Universidad del Rosario, placed third; Francisco Barroso, Universidad Anáhuac Mérida, placed second; and Liliana González and Ernesto Garza Guerra, Universidad Regiomontana, placed first. Region 9 is going to have very good representatives at ACBSP Conference 2017 in Anaheim. The issues addressed at the Region 9 meeting show important progress in the region both in member institutions and in cooperation projects to help improve the quality of education.

ACBSP Mentors & Evaluators Receive an Honorarium Increase

T

he ACBSP Governing Boards have unanimously approved an increase of $100 per person for peer review evaluators and mentors, effective in 2017. This is the first increase in honorarium in ACBSP history, and is the Council’s way of saying thank you to this group of dedicated volunteers who are vital to the ACBSP accreditation process. Approximately 127 mentors and 400 evaluators, all members who have gone through the ACBSP accreditation process at their own campus and have received specific mentor and evaluator training, assist the more than 90 campuses with business programs in candidacy for ACBSP accreditation. Peer review evaluators spend approximately 30 hours evaluating self-studies to determine what a campus is doing well, identify opportunities for improvements, and document issues that should be addressed during a site visit to a campus in candidacy. The evaluators then spend another three hours on a conference call so the team can come to a consensus on strengths, opportunities for improvements, and site visit issues before they travel to the campus. Once an accreditation site visit is scheduled, a team of three evaluators travels to the campus on Sunday. The team meets Sunday evening to prepare for the campus visit on Monday morning. The team is on campus all day Monday collecting and evaluating evidence of the ways in which the business programs are meeting the ACBSP standards for accreditation. Typically, when the team returns to the hotel they continue working together, sometimes well into the night, reporting conclusions and preparing for Tuesday. The team is on campus all day Tuesday and repeats the work from Monday, assessing more standards and criteria. Wednesday morning the team puts the finishing touches on a final draft of the feedback report, which they present to the administration, faculty and staff, listing the top ten strengths and top ten opportunities for improvement. The team members fly home and finalize their report for the site team chair. The chair reviews the report and submits it to ACBSP. The decision to grant accreditation ultimately rests with the ACBSP Associate Degree and Baccalaureate/ Graduate Degree Boards of Commissioners, who meet twice a year to review accreditation decisions. We calculate approximately 56 working hours volunteers commit to this evaluation process, not to mention the time away from home. This honorarium represents approximately $9.20 to $15.17 per hour, which is clearly not a large sum of money. These volunteers serve our

members because they are passionate about ACBSP and the accreditation it offers. They are committed to quality and align with the ACBSP mission that states: “ACBSP promotes continuous improvement and recognizes excellence in the accreditation of business education programs around the world.” The benefit of being a peer review evaluator or mentor for ACBSP is not monetary. The benefits come from the joy of helping others, the joy of learning from experience, the joy of networking, and the joy of doing something good for society. “Becoming an evaluator is very important to an educator or administrator who is seeking the knowledge for ACBSP accreditation,” said Steve Hallman, DBA, ACBSP Evaluator and Mentor. “As a member of the business program understanding the continuous improvement process is a paramount activity for any service-minded educator. The long-term benefit for an evaluator is participating in the ongoing enhancements in the field, resulting in keeping their own institution current. Site mentors have acquired additional skills and knowledge, affording them the opportunity to share experiences and help reinforce the value of accreditation to business and educational environments,” he said. This increase in honorarium is a way to say thank you to our volunteers for what they are doing to improve educational processes for hundreds of students, faculty, and administrators. If you are interesting in becoming a mentor or evaluator for ACBSP, a training session is planned for ACBSP Conference 2017, this coming June in Anaheim. Visit the ACBSP Events page for more information.

Steven Parscale Chief Accreditation Officer [email protected]


A Report from the Accreditation Governance Board:

Our Commitment to Continuous Improvement

YOU HOLD A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE. GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK. Greetings from the Accreditation Governance Board, I hope your new year is off to a good start! As previously announced, in the spirit of continuous improvement the primary focus of the AGB this year is to partner with the Associate Degree Board of Commissioners and the Baccalaureate/Graduate Degree Board of Commissioners to review the Standards and Criteria in an effort to refine the language, reduce duplication and better clarify what evidence the Commissioners need to make their decisions. Betsy Davis Chair Accreditation Governance Board Betsy.Davis11@ gmail.com


The AGB has been meeting monthly to look at each individual standard and related criteria. In April, we will have a joint meeting with both Boards to continue our review process. Then at the Annual Conference in June, an update will be provided and we will continue to solicit your feedback. This is not a quick process. Our rigorous discussions have been rich, long and very deliberate as we work toward increasing clarity and better defining the evidence needed to demonstrate compliance. If you have any comments/feedback that you would like to share with us, please do not hesitate to contact me at betsy. [email protected] or 904.704.9156. The Accreditation Governance Board looks forward to seeing you in Anaheim, June 24-27, for ACBSP Conference 2017. I hope you will join us!

Best wishes,

Report from the Baccalaureate/Graduate Degree Board of Commissioners Your Baccalaureate/Graduate Degree Board of Commissioners continues their selfless commitment to assist you in achieving or maintaining your ACBSP accreditation. I want to thank them and all who play a role, including examiners, mentors, program champions, and the ACBSP staff. I have always believed accreditation is a journey not a destination. I know sometimes that journey seems like a Death March. To help deal with this never-ending effort, I refer to Dan Rockwell’s Jan. 6, 2017 post to leadershipfreak.blog: “The Longer You Work at Improving the Same Thing, the Fewer Improvements You Make.” Dan states: “The danger of making improvements is the illusion you can continue making the same improvements by doing more of the same. Grinding away at the same thing wears everyone down and provides diminishing returns. Since large improvements happen at the beginning of a process, create beginnings.“ To prevent being overwhelmed, I challenge you to improve at least one aspect of your business program this semester. Make a few obvious improvements in a Standard and then move on to the next. Dan provides 10 steps I have tweaked for your ACBSP journey: 1. Identify and maximize high-impact activities. Make a list of everything you’re doing. Rank each item on the list by the impact it has on desired results. Use a scale of one to ten. 2. Choose one high-impact activity to improve this month or this semester. You might improve your Student Focus or Measurement and Analysis of Student Learning. You might decide to address a weakness, seize an opportunity, or maximize a strength. 3. Determine an outcome. 4. Identify behaviors and tasks that might achieve desired results. What might hinder desired results? (What do you need to stop?) 5. Choose a time-frame that provides a sense of urgency, a month or semester. 6. Evaluate at the end of the time-frame. What did you try? How did it work? 7. Celebrate progress. Reject the need for perfection. 8. Stabilize and systematize. 9. Focus on improving something else. Return to improve the same area in six months. 10. Identify and minimize low-impact activities on your list. Yes, you still have to fill out Quality Assurance Reports.

So, what is my message to you? The ACBSP Standards are very relevant. Use them to your advantage to be a quality business program. Come learn more June 24-27 by attending ACBSP Conference 2017 in Anaheim, Calif. Let’s encourage each other. I look forward to seeing you there!

Ray Eldridge Chair Baccalaureate/ Graduate Degree Board of Commissioners

[email protected]


KANSAS CITY AWAITS. ACBSP invites you to attend a new workshop that gives you full access to the ACBSP accreditation process.

This intensive three-day seminar, held in Kansas City, Missouri, will cover the standards and criteria in detail with presentations by ACBSP accreditation staff and ACBSP members with business programs accredited by ACBSP who have developed best practices for each standard. Schools interested in pursuing candidacy, in candidacy, or seeking reaffirmation of accreditation will also be provided with in-class time to a specific criterion within each standard using the online reporting portal. Topics To Be Covered • Review of Accreditation Standards & Criteria 1-6 • Review of the Accreditation Process • Evolution of the Standards & Criteria • Demo and Tour of the Online Reporting Portal • Best Practices for each Standard • Hands-on Examples and Exercises for each Standard 11 | ACBSP.ORG | WINTER 2017

Who Should Attend? • Faculty Members from schools interested in pursuing candidacy for ACBSP Accreditation • ACBSP Members in candidacy • ACBSP Members seeking reaffirmation of accreditation

Known as the City of Fountains and home to great jazz music and barbeque, Kansas City is an urban town with Midwestern charm. The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center is in the heart of it all. The Crown Center’s various shops, restaurants and theatres encircle the hotel. The Science City at Union Station is directly connected to the hotel via The Link. The Country Club Plaza is 10 minutes south by car/bus, while the new KC Streetcar provides free, direct access to the Power and Light District and River Market District to the north. ACBSP has secured a special hotel group rate of $155 single/double, per night, plus tax. Complimentary WiFi Internet access in the guestrooms is provided. The room block is limited and all reservations must be made by February 1. Update: Response has been so great that the March 2-4 event has sold out. A second workshop has been added tentatively for April 6-8. Visit the Access Accreditation page for full details on this event. Questions? Contact Danielle Henderson, [email protected], or Diana Hallerud, [email protected]. Or, call the ACBSP Headquarters at 913.339.9356. WINTER 2017 | ACBSP.ORG | 12

Bucks County Community College Launches First-Ever Start Me Up Challenge This article is excerpted from an article on the Bucks Local News website at www.buckslocalnews.com. Bucks County Community College is holding their firstever Start Me Up Challenge, which provides a chance for entrepreneurs to receive funding and professional mentoring for their business concept. “Similar to the TV show Shark Tank, venture capitalists from Bucks County will invest their own time, money and resources in their favorite concepts,” said Tracy Timby, Dean of Business Studies at the public, two-year college. “Local investors will be on hand to hear pitches and negotiate investment funds and mentoring, with up to $100,000 available to the selected concepts.” Local investors include Bill Borchert Jr., Gene Epstein, Brett Kane, and Ron Walker and Russ Coulon. “The college is very excited about the Start Me Up Challenge,” said Stephanie Shanblatt, Bucks County Community College president. “It builds upon our efforts to infuse an entrepreneurial mindset throughout the college that provides a strong foundation for student success.” Applications for the Start Me Up Challenge, open to Bucks County residents and Bucks County Community College students over 16 years old, began January 23. First-round submissions are due February 23. The final in-person event will be held at the college’s Lower Bucks Campus in Bristol on April 27. There is no fee to enter. To learn more, visit StartMeUpBucks.com. The Start Me Up Challenge is one of several steps the Business Studies Department is taking to increase its educational outreach to those who’d like to start their own business, Timby noted. Other opportunities include an Introduction to Entrepreneurship three-credit course;


a dedicated “entrepreneur space” lab at the Lower Bucks Campus; a Virtual Incubator Network, an online collaboration space connecting experienced entrepreneurs, faculty, alumni, and community mentors; and networking opportunities for students and local business leaders. Bucks County Community College’s Business Studies Department offers 18 majors including Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management, which is one of several accredited by ACBSP. Other programs with ACBSP accreditation are Business Administration, Accounting, Management/Marketing, Retail Management, and Paralegal. The business programs at Bucks County Community College have been ACBSP accredited since 1992.

Embry-Riddle Tops U.S. News Online College Rankings This article is excerpted from an article published in the Washington Post. For the second straight year, a private university specializing in aviation and aerospace has claimed the top spot in the U.S. News and World Report list of online bachelor’s degree programs. Just behind Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide in the rankings released Tuesday are several large public universities seeking to use technology to expand their market profile. Temple University, the University of Oklahoma, Arizona State University and Western Kentucky University, in that order, round out the top five in the latest U.S. News analysis. Temple and Arizona State also fared well on another U.S. News ranking: Temple, which is in Philadelphia, ranked first for the third straight year in the magazine’s analysis of online programs for master’s degrees in business administration. Arizona State ranked fifth, tied with the University of Florida. “Online learning is relatively new but growing in popularity because of the flexibility it offers,” Anita Narayan, managing editor of education at U.S. News, said in a statement. “We developed the Best Online Programs rankings to provide students with the tools to identify programs that offer top faculty, positive student engagement and generous support services — all of which are key to productive online learning.” The online market for higher education is large and fluid. It encompasses degree programs at public, private and forprofit schools as well as what are known as massive open online courses, or MOOCs, that students can take for free without earning credit. Consumers often turn to lists to navigate such complicated markets. But exactly how to rank online programs is a matter of debate. Online students run the gamut from those who are young and taking college courses for the

first time, to working adults who might have some credits or relevant professional experience and are seeking to complete a degree. Some online programs mix in a few inperson sessions, and some don’t. Federal data on graduation rates tends to focus on first-time students, not those who are returning to school. One of the largest online schools, the public University of Maryland University College, said in 2016 that it does not participate in the U.S. News online rankings because it disagrees with the magazine’s methodology. U.S. News said it ranked 311 online bachelor’s programs, using factors such as graduation and retention rates, class size, faculty credentials, participation in best practices, student debt and scores on reputational surveys. Here are this year’s top 20. 1. Embry-Riddle 2. Temple 3. Oklahoma 4. Arizona State 5. Western Kentucky 6. California University of Pennsylvania 6. West Texas A&M University 8. California Baptist University 8. New England Institute of Technology 8. Ohio State University at Columbus 8. Oregon State University 8. Pennsylvania State University — World Campus 8. University of Illinois at Chicago 14. Utah State University 15. Colorado State University — Global Campus 15. Daytona State College 15. Fort Hays State University 15. Savannah College of Art and Design 20. University of Florida


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HIGHLIGHTS



Amazing Cultural Explorations: Educational History Being Made in China By Dr. Ted Sun, Past-chair of ACBSP Region 8 and Vice Chancellor, SMC University

S

tepping onto the campus of Shanghai Business School (SBS), a unique excitement filled my mind. This was the first time in ACBSP history that a Chinese business school is starting the road towards accreditation. My excitement was one of wonderment at the dedication of the university environment in China. Before entering the campus of SBS, one must go through security at the main gates. I was shocked at the walls that contained the school. Even with its many buildings that house twelve departments along with dormitories, walls surround the campus presenting the seriousness of education in China. Unlike universities in other parts of the world like the U.S., E.U., and Africa, you cannot just park your car and walk onto a university campus. As I talked with the school officials, I learned that undergraduate students all stay within the enclosed community with strict times for bed and lights out. I quickly realized that the many suggestions from parents to their children heading off to college are formalized within the system. Suggestions like “go to bed early so you can wake up on time for class” are part of the norm of university life. Lights are turned off systematically at a certain time in the dorms. Over the next two days, I witnessed many fascinating characteristics in SBS that continue to linger in my mind. The higher educational system in China has such a huge focus on studies. Even when in Mongolia or Thailand, neighboring Asian nations don’t share the same level of systematic focus on education. My excitement led me to ask many more questions about the unique nature of the Chinese higher education system. China has been a sleeping giant since the end of WWII. Once the cultural revolution ended, the opening of China led the way for many new businesses. Within two decades, China advanced from a low-cost producer to an integrator. In its desire to become a global leader in innovation and technology, SBS has made a historical decision to lead Chinese universities towards ACBSP accreditation. This is a 60-year-old university boasting over tens of thousands of graduates with many successful leaders in politics and business. Currently, the school has more than 10,000 fulltime students among its campuses. Delivering the education calls for more than 400 full-time faculty members with 38% of them holding advanced degrees. Furthermore, SBS also retains more than 100 visiting professors from


top-level business executives. This leads SBS to be a powerful brand in China – a brand that enables 95% of its graduates to obtain employment after the successful completion of their studies (Shanghai Business School, 2016). With great honor, ACBSP received SBS’ application for candidacy status in early 2016. Over that summer break, I had the honor of learning a great deal from my visit to SBS. While the cultures between the U.S. and China have many differences, the focus on quality education is well aligned. The collectivist mentality working under a consistent government has created a unique educational environment. Starting in the morning, I was amazed to see the student innovations illustrating the length of lines and quality of food in the main cafeteria of the school. Some of the HD monitors displayed the busyness of food vendors in a graph. This made food choices very efficient in a threefloor building full of tasty foods. In addition to the HD monitors, a smartphone application also shares the information. This was a result of a class project from students that enables all students to make informed decision about meals during a busy day of class. As the day progressed, I introduced a preliminary questionnaire to the faculty as the first step towards ACBSP accreditation. I quickly learned about the rigor it takes to become a lecturer within SBS. After one graduates with an advanced degree, a mandatory program that teaches the faculty how to teach, one’s educational career. After the mandatory program, all new faculty engage in a one-on-one mentoring program as they begin to teach. These practices help develop the teaching skills of faculty systemically. Along with talented and innovative students, the faculty at SBS was impressive in the development of their faculty. It is no wonder they can achieve a 95% employment rate after graduation. China is a unique educational environment. SBS is leading the way for other schools to explore further international collaborations. During one of the meetings, a fascinating phrase was brought into the conversation. As ACBSP grows internationally, how do we deal with the question in regards to the “sovereignty of education” within a nation? We welcome your input into this fascinating new market for ACBSP.

ACBSP Welcomed 41 New Member Campuses in 2016 ACBSP welcomed 41 new member campuses in 2016, including the first-ever member campuses in Palestine, China and Australia. We extend a warm welcome to our new member campuses and look forward to achieving great things together.

W E L C O M E • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Al Yamamah University ................................................ Saudi Arabia Alhosn University ..................................................................... UAE Alliant International University ................................................ USA Alma Mater Europaea (ECM) ............................................. Slovenia American College of the Middle East ................................... Kuwait An-Najah National University ........................................... Palestine Australian Institute of Business ........................................ Australia Azusa Pacific University College .............................................. USA Central Baptist College ............................................................ USA Escuela Bancaria y Comercial .............................................. Mexico FPT University ................................................................... Vietnam Gwinnett Technical College ...................................................... USA Kendall College ........................................................................ USA Kristu Jayanti College ............................................................. India LeTourneau University ............................................................... USA Louisiana State University at Alexandria ................................... USA Metropolitan State University ................................................... USA Pacific University ....................................................................... USA Peshgam Institute of Higher Education ........................ Afghanistan Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico .................. Puerto Rico Regis College .......................................................................... USA Rowan-Cabarrus Community College ....................................... USA

• Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technologies .................... Canada • Shanghai Business School ..................................................... China • South Louisiana Community College ....................................... USA • Southern Regional Technical College ........................................ USA • Southwestern Oklahoma State University ................................. USA • Ulaanbaatar Erdem University ......................................... Mongolia • United International University (UIU) ........................... Bangladesh • Universidad Autonoma de Baja California - Facultad de Contaduria y Administracion ........................................ Mexico • Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi ........................... Mexico • Universidad CES - Faculty of Administrative and Economic Sciences ........................................ Colombia • Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez ........... Dominican Republic • Universidad Ricardo Palma ...................................................... Peru • Universidad Tecnologica Del Peru ........................................... Peru • University of Fredericton ...................................................... Canada • University of Mount Union ...................................................... USA • VIT Business School ............................................................... India • Wayland Baptist University .................................................... USA • York College - The City University of New York .......................... USA • Zurich City Business School .......................................... Switzerland

To view a full list of ACBSP member institutions, please visit acbsp.org. WINTER 2017 | ACBSP.ORG | 18

Your New Membership Experience Starts Now By Maliha Khan, Digital Content Coordinator, ACBSP

We mean it when we say this is the year of the member. Towards the end of 2016, we found ourselves reflecting on ways in which we could improve the member experience in 2017. In the previous Backstage Pass, published in the Fall 2016 issue of the ACBSP Update, we introduced the new ACBSP.org and outlined three new ways ACBSP is looking to expand our digital footprint: a new blog called ACBSP Impact, a new member community, and a new job board. We are one month in and making great progress! ACBSP Impact Since 1988, ACBSP has been impacting communities around the world, including students, faculty, business school faculty and leadership, small businesses, corporations and more. So it occurred to us, what if we could sum up the different ways ACBSP impacts others and feature this content in one area? That is how the idea of the ACBSP Impact blog was born. Through this blog, you will be able to access important information about ACBSP, such as initiatives we’re embarking upon, partnerships, upcoming professional development opportunities and events, updates from our regions, development of member privileges, and helpful material about the path to accreditation. This blog also serves as a new space for thought leaders in the ACBSP network to share their expertise. Visit blog.acbsp.org to explore. Do you consider yourself a thought leader? Are you interested in becoming a contributor for the ACBSP Impact blog? Submit an article for review at acbsp.org/writeforimpact. Or, email mkhan@acbsp. org to learn more. We are always looking for new and refreshing content from our members who are industry experts in a variety of disciplines.


A Road to Endless Possibilities: The New ACBSP Member Community One sentiment that resonates with not just the headquarter staff, but also the membership, is the desire to capture the momentum we see firsthand at the ACBSP conference and maintain the same level of engagement with our members year-round. We see a lot of passion emerging from our members, whether it is their commitment to continuous improvement through the accreditation process, bringing innovative teaching methods to their students, or their dedication to empowering fellow business education professionals by sharing their own expertise. A request that we have repeatedly heard from our members is the need for more collaboration space, so that when you need to find a contributor or co-presenter you can find one from within the ACBSP community. You asked, we delivered. The new member community gives us a platform where members can do just that — share their thoughts, expertise, engage in discussions, make connections, and more. The possibilities are endless. In upcoming issues of the ACBSP Update, we will be digging deeper into the many ways in which you can benefit from this addition. But for now, here’s all that you need to know to get started. Get Started: Setup Your Profile Login to acbsp.org. When you login to the ACBSP website, you will now see your profile appear.

...continued from pg. 19 It is important to note that regularly updating and maintaining an accurate profile is crucial. After you have reviewed your profile, go to the “Information and Settings” tab (on the left) to review your preferences. Under notifications, you can let us know if you would like to receive an email digest, set your timezone, and manage important privacy settings.

• Connections - Simply put, these are members you want to connect with. You can add other members as connections, private message them, and see their updates in the Newsfeed. • Directory - Looking for a specific member? Search the directory to find their profile. Don’t know their name? Search by the region, board, or committee criteria. You can also see “Who’s Online Now” and start a chat. • Messages - Private message members, ACBSP staff, Boards, and more. • Groups - There are group pages available for regions and committees. You can find updates from each respective group, a group roster, files, documents, photos, and other items here.

The digest emails are different than the informational emails that you receive from the ACBSP Headquarters, which include Business Education Week, ACBSP Update, and other updates. Last, if you would like to use Facebook or Linkedin to login to the ACBSP website, please review the “Manage Social Sign-On” section.

Key Features to Explore Aside from being able to manage your profile and update a CV, there are many great features that we believe members will benefit from. Here is a summary: • Newsfeed - This is the area where you’ll see updates from your connnections, ACBSP, and ambassadors (staff & select members). Feel free to post articles related to business education, higher education, and academia in general. Or, post a photo from an ACBSP event, share news from your institution, and projects you’re working on.

• Quick Links - Links to additional features we believe you’ll benefit from, such as Forums. Under Forums you can join discussion boards on a variety of topics, create your own discussion thread, and/or ask a question. Each discussion board has a moderator. For example, the Associate Degree Board of Commissioners moderates the “Associate Degree Institutions” discussion board. Also, a shortcut to “Who’s Online Now” is also provided here. There is also a shortcut provided for the ACBSP Impact blog. Lastly, an idea box is available for members to submit ideas on ways to improve the new member community. Links under this menu option may change periodically, as we see fit. Our goal is that you will use this new platform to engage with us and your peers, and look forward to the many conversations, discussions, and collaborations that will take place. We will be using the backend to keep you informed about important deadlines and reminders that effect your membership. In the future, we may be using this platform to issue invoices, provide certifications that can be added to your profile, and more. Stay tuned.

CLICK HERE TO LOGIN. WINTER 2017 | ACBSP.ORG | 20

Critical and Creative Thinking for Improving Enterprise Productivity By Francisco G. Barroso Tanoira, Profesor Investigador at Universidad Anáhuac Mayab, and recipient of the 2015 International Best of Regions Award Is it possible to help students improve critical and creative thinking to solve problems and improve corporate productivity in a way that they enjoy learning? The answer is an absolute yes.

All Humans Express Creativity

According to Sir Ken Robinson, an expert in fostering creativity within the educational institution, creativity must be at the same level as literacy because we all are born with it, but have to develop it as we grow up. Much has been said about creativity and its value in achieving competitiveness and facing competition in what is proving to be a complex and diverse world everyday. To be competitive, firms need to solve their problems in an innovative way with ideas that allow them to constantly adapt to their environment and survive. This means that creativity is a competitive advantage, as well as a source of differentiation in the long term. Although creativity is considered important in many firms, it is not enhanced or understood, except by designers and marketers. Actually, creativity consists of generating new ideas and communicating them for creating value (De la Torre, 1997). Or, the capability for combining new and useful ideas, different to what has been done before, but appropriate for the problem or opportunity presented (Robbins & Judge, 2013). An individual who lacks creative thinking skills tends to follow a strict plan when problem solving, while a creative individual takes a less rigid approach to problem solving, which can make finding a solution much easier and often leads to multiple solutions to a given problem. There are three components needed: 1. Competency, which means knowledge plus abilities plus attitude in their work field; 2. Creative thinking abilities, including intelligence, independence, risk taking, self-control, tolerance to ambiguity and avoiding frustration; 3. Intrinsic motivation in the assignments, which refers to interesting, intensive and emoting work.


To be creative, the most important traits for a person include: • • • • •

Sensitivity to problems, deficiencies, failure, gaps and improvements Autonomy and criterion independence Good self perception High level of expectations Engagement and consistency at work

Since originality is just a criterion for measuring creativity, it is not necessary to be original in order to be creative. According to Gámez (1998), a person could have fluency at work by completing the same tasks many times with perfection; flexibility by introducing minor changes in products or services for differentiating them (even though in essence they are the same), and attention to detail. This means, as it was stated at the beginning, that everybody is creative or able to use his/her creativity and create value. It´s not only for artists or scientists. However, it is desirable to use creativity for the good, because it could be used (as it has happened in history) for actions against mankind.

The driver for creativity is connectivity. People now are more creative than those a hundred years ago. However, it´s important to admit that individuals now are better connected and that they have the possibility for developing creativity in a faster way than before. In my previous research about creativity in México, I have found that even when managers think their workers are creative, they don´t let them use their creativity, resulting in routine work and low motivation. Creativity is rewarded only with money (if it is rewarded) and there is limited use of creativity, but more use of power, rules and fear of change. As a result, there is fear of failure and avoidance in taking risks, which limits creativity and does not let it become innovative. Creativity is the foundation for innovation.

What’s the Objective?

To enhance creativity, there are traditional class methods with theory and in-class activities, which could suffice, but might not be as effective in helping students learn. Can this learning take place in an enjoyable environment in which students can learn by doing, and allow them to discover new things along the way? By using the latter approach, educators can help students learn by using their creativity,

assimilate knowledge, improve competencies and create links between the University, the Government and business firms, contributing to student success. The objective of this activity is to help students identify the relationship between critical and creative thinking and productivity in business firms.

The Method

Organized in teams of five to seven, students design activities to develop critical and creative thinking for workers to improve their labor competencies and help them become more motivated to detect and solve problems. The professor, managers and supervisors are present, and there is a maximum of 20 workers. The assignment is this: At the end of the activity, the student will use the concepts and techniques studied in class for teaching other people to develop their creativity, so they can increase productivity. Here are the specific objectives for students: • Develop new creative and original concepts, products or services which are attractive and based on identified opportunity niches and the characteristics of the people they are focusing on. • Solve problems in different areas of the enterprise using critical and creative thinking strategies, which allow them to implement improvements using methods and mechanisms not previously identified, breaking paradigms, but supported by other alternatives. • Assess innovation and creativity in projects generated by others, with objective statements about the judgment he/she presents. By the end of the period students should: • Improve their critical and creative thinking abilities. • Improve their sensitiveness to environmental problems. • Improve their attitude at work and at facing failure. • Suggest innovative ideas in their company. • Change their way of thinking regarding creativity. Description of the activity: Students of the Innovation and Creativity course help a group of people improve their creative and critical thinking skills, by suggesting innovative solutions for products, processes and/or services. To do this, students select a firm, school, town, community, or perhaps the university itself, then make proper arrangements to visit their chosen business. Their assignment is to detect problems related to the lack of creativity and design an activity/program to help foster creativity. The professor supervises this process, which consists of six medium-size enterprises and two groups of students participating. Here are the steps: 1. Students must interview the owner, director, manager or person responsible for identifying problems related to the lack of creativity within the workplace. If students

choose the university, then they must talk to tutors or another group of students to detect problems related to the lack of creativity. 2. Students apply the creativity questionnaire to the participants as a kind of pre-test. See below. 3. With the results of steps 1 and 2, students design an activity program that fosters creativity in the participants, lasting for the rest of the semester. It could be activities performed for a number of hours a week or maybe one activity now and another at the end of the period. They must include in the program an explanation about what creativity is, myths, innovation, etc., as well as the objective of the activity. The program could include creative games, dynamics and others – as long as it fosters group participation. 4. At the end of the program, they apply the questionnaire again to verify whether or not there was a significant difference between the scores before and after the session (as a post-test). 5. Students ask attendees about innovative ideas they must implement for improving their workplace, production or any other alternative, using what they learned in the program. 6. Students record all this experience in an edited video and present it on the final exam day, in a maximum 5-8 minute presentation per team, with some time for feedback and questions from the professor and classmates. They must film at least three brief testimonials from the employees or participants. 7. Students will give the professor: the video in a CD, the questionnaires answered by participants (before and after) and those answered by themselves, as well as a paper expressing what each has learned from this experience.

Left: Students working on models for their presentations. Students are encouraged to have fun with this activity.

...continued on page 23.


...continued from pg. 22. Instruments The questionnaire used as pre and post test for participants was designed according to concepts stated by creativity authors. There is a second part to be used only at the end of the experience. Both parts were designed using a Likert scale: Totally agree (5) / Agree (4)/ Indifferent (3) / Disagree (2), and Totally disagree (1). Part I. General aspects (pre and post test): 1. It´s difficult to be creative 2. Creativity is easy 3. Creativity is fun 4. I´m a creative person Part II. Regarding this exercise (only at the end of the experience) 1. It helped me realize I´m creative 2. It helped me use my creativity 3. I enjoyed this experience 4. I´m fearless about having mistakes 5. I´m more creative now than before this activity The scale for interpreting the numerical results was: 1 to 1.5= Totally disagree / 1.6 to 2.5=Disagree / 2.6 to 3.5= Indifferent / 3.6 to 4.5= Agree, and 4.6 to 5=Totally agree. Results The results were monitored and correlated with labor development for each worker and his/her productivity. This way the student explores, discovers and assimilates best practices for increasing productivity through creative and critical thinking, which also relates to an appropriate leadership style. In this way the firm, the university and the students win. In Part I, for workers at firms, the pre-test was 3.4 (indifferent) and the post-test was 3.9 (agree). For participant students it was 4.5 (agree) vs 4.7 (totally agree), while for course students it was 4.6 (totally Agree) vs. 4.9 (totally Agree), all significant at p