Heidelberg receives full ACBSP accreditation

The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) has awarded Heidelberg University full accreditation of its business programs.

ACBSP is the only organization offering specialized business accreditation for all degree levels. ACBSP accreditation certifies that the teaching and learning processes within the business programs and degrees offered by the Heidelberg University School of Business meet the rigorous educational standards established by ACBSP.

Based on the criteria of the National Malcolm Baldridge Quality Award, ACBSP accreditation evaluates aspects of the institutional leadership, strategic planning processes, relationships with the community, quality of academic programs, faculty credentials and services, and educational support to determine whether or not the institution offers a rigorous educational experience and demonstrates continuous quality improvement to ensure the success of its students.

“Heidelberg University has shown its commitment to teaching excellence and to the process of quality improvement by participating in the accreditation process,” said ACBSP Chief Accreditation Officer Dr. Steve Parscale. “This accreditation is evidence that Heidelberg University is committed to providing the highest quality business education for their students.”

'Berg administrators are hailing the achievement and its positive implications for current and future students, alumni and all other stakeholders.

“This validation of the university and our School of Business is the strongest indicator of teaching quality, excellent scholarship and the outstanding value of all of our business programs,” said President Rob Huntington.

Rob noted that only a small percentage of business schools worldwide are accredited by ACBSP. “We started work on improving our business education programs seven years ago. This milestone is huge for us,” he said.

Accreditation applies to all four academic programs within Heidelberg’s School of Business: bachelor’s degrees in accounting, business administration and economics and the Kaplanis MBA Program.

Heidelberg has spent the past five years in “candidacy status” with ACBSP as the School of Business prepared for a site visit by a review team from ACBSP in late January. According to Dean Dr. Haseeb Ahmed, the preparation process involved curriculum revision, strategic and assessment planning, effective delivery of relevant and current course content and data collection.

“Our ACBSP accreditation reinforces our focus on the quality of student learning and our mission to develop innovative leaders who make a difference in their communities and careers,” Haseeb said.

ACBSP accreditation will be an effective tool as Heidelberg seeks to enroll the best and brightest students who are the ideal fit for the university’s liberal arts and professional preparation academic programs.

In addition to granting full accreditation for 10 years, ACBSP also has made the unusual move of recognizing Heidelberg for three best practices following their site visit, according to Ahmed. Those include the relevance and currency of the Berg Business Board, the relevance and impact of connections developed within the community, and active learning methods integrating practice into theory. ACBSP also noted several important processes and systems as key areas for continuous improvement going forward, he said.

Provost Dr. Beth Schwartz said ACBSP accreditation has major positive implications for Heidelberg across the board.

“This is an extraordinary achievement for the university and especially, the School of Business and its faculty and staff,” Beth said. “Current students and families, the community, prospective students (both domestic and international), alumni and donors also will benefit from the increased credibility, prestige and visibility ACBSP accreditation brings to the university. Our PlusOneAdvantage Free MBA is even more valuable now.”

“Aligning with ACBSP’s mission, we will continue on our own path of continuous improvement, innovation and scholarship in all of our business programs,” Beth added.

About ACBSP

ACBSP’s mission is to promote continuous improvement and recognize excellence in the accreditation of business education programs around the world. ACBSP, www.acbsp.org, is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as a specialized accreditation agency for business education. ACBSP currently has 1,215 member campuses, 235 of which are located outside of the U.S. Of those campuses, 951 have achieved accreditation and 167 are in candidacy for accreditation. Individual members on these campuses now exceed 13,000.