BUSINESS PROGRAM ACCREDITATION IN
AMERICA: IMPACTS OF ASSESSMENT ON QUALITY
AT
PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY
BABEŞ-BOLYAI UNIVERSITY, CLUJ-NAPOCA, ROMANIA
PROFESSOR DUNCAN C. MCDOUGALL
5 November 2010
AACSB Monopoly (Pre-1988)
 Motto: “Excellence through Research”
 Accreditation = f(# PhDs, refereed journal
articles)
 Major Universities and “Name” B-Schools
 An exclusive club (ONLY SO MANY JOURNALS!)
 Teaching loads low (2 to 3 courses/semester)
 Expensive!
 Hundreds of smaller private and state-supported
business schools had no chance of accreditation.
ACBSP Enters in 1988
Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs




2400 U.S. Business Programs
Most in smaller schools, or
Teaching-focused institutions
“ACBSP, …was created by its members to fulfill a
need …
 for specialized accreditation by institutions of higher
education with business schools and programs
 that need was for business education accreditation
based on the mission of the institution…
 an accreditation that acknowledged and emphasized
quality in teaching and learning outcomes.“
http://www.acbsp.org/p/cm/ld/fid=11
ACBSP vs. AACSB
 Excellence in Teaching & Learning Outcomes
vs.
 “Excellence through Research”
Plymouth State University
Plymouth State University
AACSB Member for 12 years
Worked toward accreditation
Hired only PhDs (or ABDs), etc.
Saw UNH’s struggle with AACSB
Watched ACBSP develop
Attended ACBSP Conference 1996
Joined ACBSP
Prepared Self-study in 1997.
Achieved Accreditation as a quality
teaching-focused business program.
Learning with our Council
 In 1998 I became Business Department Chair
 Attended ACBSP Annual Conferences
 Learned of the changing emphasis in the




Standards and Criteria
ACBSP moving toward “The Baldrige Model”
Outcomes Assessment Emphasis
Fact-based management
“Practicing what we preach” in management.
Learning with our Council
 In 2004 we adopted a new standards book for
ACBSP, based directly on the Baldrige approach
to managing quality.
 New Standards in Six areas:
Leadership
Strategic Planning
Student and Stakeholders Focus
Measurement and Analysis of Student
Learning and Performance
5. Faculty and Staff Focus
6. Educational and Business Process
Management
1.
2.
3.
4.
Learning with our Council
 Standards 3, 4 and 5 all required direct outcomes
assessments.
 Each school applying for accreditation (or reaffirmation
of their accreditation) was required to have a formal
outcomes assessment plan, and at least three data
points demonstrating its application, PLUS
 Specific cases to cite, demonstrating the use of
assessment results in the managing of the business unit.
 ACBSP Commissioners called this “closing the loop.”
Plymouth State University
Business Department faculty voted to adopt the new
standards in 2004 for our ACBSP reaffirmation in
2007.
Some challenges were encountered along the way:
• Some Professors resist being measured.
• Academic freedom?
• “Teaching to the test?”
• Does MFT measure what we emphasize?
• “It is not required for my students.”
The Baldrige Approach is a lot of work.
Plymouth State University
At PSU our Assessment Plan took this form:
Plymouth State University
Department of Business
Assessment
Plan and
Budget
10/17/2005
Schedule of administration
ACBSP
Standard
Stakeholder(s)
4. Student learning & performance
Students, faculty,
employers
MFT in Business
$
3,900.00
Done
X
Annual, Spring
3. Student/stakeholder focus
Students
a. EBI Undergraduate Business Exit Assessment
(up to 250)
$
1,127.85
X
X
Annual, Spring
Alumni
b. EBI Undergraduate Alumni Assessment (up to
250)
$
1,127.85
Employers
c. EBI Management Education Employer Survey
(up to 500)
$
MBA Students
d. EBI Part-Time MBA Exit Assessment
MBA Alumni
Faculty
Note: The cost of EBI instruments has been adjusted to
Include their processing fee of 3%:
Listed price
$
Processing fee @ 3%
Budgeted cost
$
1,095.00
32.85
1,127.85
Assessment Instrument
Est'd cost per
annual assessment Spring '05
Self-Study
Years
Continuing Cycle
X
Every 4th year
695.00
X
Every 4th year, with
b.
$
1,127.85
X
Annual, Spring
e. EBI MBA Alumni Assessment
$
1,127.85
X
Every 4th year
f. Management Education Faculty Assessment
Budgets:
Spring 2005
UG & MBA Exits
$
1,024.85
X
Every 4th year
$
2,255.70
2005-06 Self Study Year
$ 10,131.25
X
Annually thereafter:
MFT, spring only
U/G Exit
P-T MBA Exit
One of 4-Year Items
Estimated Annual Budget
$
$
$
$
$
1,950.00
1,127.85
1,127.85
1,127.85
5,333.55
Note: Every 4th year add $695 for c.
Note: Every 4th year add $695 for c.
Plymouth State University
Here is the heart of the plan:
Students, faculty,
employers
Students
MFT in Business
a. EBI Undergraduate
Business Exit Assessment
(up to 250)
$
3,900.00
$
1,127.85
Alumni
b. EBI Undergraduate Alumni
Assessment (up to 250)
$
1,127.85
Employers
c. EBI Management Education
Employer Survey (up to 500) $
695.00
MBA Students
d. EBI Part-Time MBA Exit
Assessment
$
1,127.85
MBA Alumni
e. EBI MBA Alumni
Assessment
$
1,127.85
Faculty
f. Management Education
Faculty Assessment
$
1,024.85
Plymouth State University
Results:
We discovered both weaknesses and strengths in our
teaching and/or curriculum.
Marketing area weak.
Accounting area strong.
Interestingly, it was a marketing instructor who had always been
most critical of the accountants!
The EBI Exit and Alumni surveys revealed a need for
better career services. (Lowest five outcomes on both
surveys.)
Plymouth State University
Actions:
We hired some new faculty members in our weaker areas,
and assigned them the core courses. Results improved.
We launched a university-wide program of service to the
students called Career Explorations, including a general
education course by that name, taught by one of our
business professors. Results have been remarkable. Multiple
sections are now taught each semester, and all are “sold
out.”
We had learned from our assessments, and closed the loop.
In 2007, we prepared our ACBSP self-study under the 2004
Baldrige-based criteria, and were reaffirmed as Accredited.
Plymouth State University
 I will close with an e-mail received this week
from the dean of PSU’s new
 COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
 Prof. Dr. Trent Boggess:
Plymouth State University

Duncan,

I think the most important insight I have gained from the 2004 accreditation standards is
the shift in emphasis from prescriptive education to continuous quality improvement and
the Baldridge process. Accreditation is a stamp of quality assurance, but I always had
difficulty with the AACSB’s motto of “Quality through research”, while at the same time
stating that “a faculty is presumed to be able to teach effectively”. I just couldn’t make the
connection, especially with my experience at an AACSB school early in my career. But the
focus on continuous quality improvement not only makes sense, it is a road map to
producing a quality educational experience in business.

The 2007 ACBSP site visit was extremely stressful. It was not clear how little or how much
information should be disclosed to the visiting team. This was undoubtedly due to my own
lack of experience with this part of the accreditation process. What I learned was that if you
have been taking accreditation seriously and made good faith efforts to meet the
standards, then the site visit becomes a very valuable opportunity to discuss how things are
being done from the viewpoint of an outsider. The visiting team’s recommendations were
all right on and they have served again as a road map to where we have been heading since
that visit.

Cheers,

Trent
Thank you!
 Questions or comments?
Trent’s Addendum
 “Attending the AACSB annual meetings has
also been important to me. It provides me
with the opportunity, as the CoBA Dean, to
talk to my colleagues from other
universities. These informal discussions often
provide me with insights into current issues
and future trends. It is amazing what I learn
at these meetings.”