Susquehanna's Women's Leadership Initiative was singled out for commendation by the AACSB upon the Sigmund Weis School of Business' reaccreditation.SU is One of 10 Undergraduate-only Business Schools with AACSB Distinction
Susquehanna University’s Sigmund Weis School of Business has been reaccredited by the International Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business — a worldwide marker of quality in business education.
Only about 5 percent of the world’s business schools earn AACSB accreditation. First accredited 28 years ago, Susquehanna is one of 10 private, undergraduate-only business schools with the distinction.
“The AACSB accreditation is the yardstick by which all quality business schools are measured,” said Matthew Rousu, dean of the business school. “To achieve it requires a tremendous commitment by our faculty to provide our students with the very best educational opportunities — from innovative classroom teaching methods to valuable real-world experience — and in turn hold our students to the highest standards in business education.”
Susquehanna’s business school was specifically commended for its guarantee of an international internship for its students. Susquehanna’s business students can apply to internship programs in many countries, including Australia, England, Italy, Germany, New Zealand, Singapore and Spain.
Also singled out for commendation was Susquehanna’s Women’s Leadership Initiative, which seeks to address societal disparities in terms of pay and leadership positions in the workforce for women, despite their outpacing men in overall academic achievement. The Women’s Leadership Initiative offers female students career treks to major cities, job-shadowing experiences that connect them with Susquehanna alumni, access to professional conferences and opportunities to secure summer research, internships or other experiential learning.
The AACSB reaccreditation process is conducted every five years to create an ongoing focus of continuous improvement for accredited schools. Susquehanna’s James Pomykalski led the business school’s reaccreditation effort, which began more than a year ago, through his role as reaccreditation and continuous improvement coordinator.
“It gives students a leg up when they can say they’ve been to an AACSB-accredited school,” Pomykalski said. “Anyone who’s been to business school knows what that pedigree means and understands that the level of expectation placed on our students is much higher.”
Pomykalski works with Rousu and other business school faculty to make sure the following accreditation criteria are met on an ongoing basis: assessment of learning goals, faculty and professional staff development, academic and professional engagement, and strategic planning.
“Our AACSB accreditation combined with guaranteed international internships, all in a liberal arts setting, means that our students receive a one-of-a-kind experience when they study business at Susquehanna University,” Rousu said.
