News

The Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics at IU South Bend is one of 86 business schools in the country to maintain their Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International accreditation.

Established in 1916, ASCSB International is the premier accrediting agency for bachelors, master’s, and doctoral degree programs in business administration and management.

Less than five percent of the Schools of Business in the world have AACSB accreditation.

After earning its accreditation in 1989, the Leighton School undergoes periodic peer reviews to continue its accreditation. Achieving and maintaining the accreditation is a process of external review, evaluation, and continuous improvement.

The accreditation involves examination of a college’s strategic plan; the composition and qualifications of the faculty members providing the programs, the overall quality of the school, and defining and measuring student learning. The periodic reviews takes place every five years and require the efforts of virtually every faculty and staff member.

Rob Ducoffe, dean of the Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics, said AACSB accreditation is considered the gold standard for certifying quality in higher education in business. “The Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics measures its quality against the highest standard,” said Ducoffe. “Business schools that hold AACSB accreditation are committed to high quality and continuous improvement—and this reaffirmation of our accreditation is endorsement of the Leighton School’s excellence and its committed faculty, staff, and students.”