School of Business Earns Re-Accreditation from AACSB

St. John Fisher College’s School of Business received continued accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

An international nonprofit, AACSB recognizes institutions that align with 15 business standards focused on mission and strategic management; support for students, faculty, and staff; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement. It is the preeminent global accrediting body for business education.

Fisher’s accreditation process included a self-evaluation and peer-review, as well as a site visit. This is the second time the School has received continuing accreditation since its initial recognition in 2003.

“Continued external accreditation of our undergraduate and MBA programs by AACSB-International is a testimony to the quality of our faculty and our academic offerings,” said Dr. Rama Yelkur, dean of the School. “It is validation of the caliber of our prospective and current students and alumni, and the engagement, innovation, and impact of the business education offered by the St. John Fisher College School of Business, as only five percent of schools of business worldwide earn this distinction.”

The College has a long history of offering academic programs in business disciplines with members of the pioneer class of 1955 earning degrees in management and accounting. In 1983, the Master of Business Administration became the College’s first graduate program, and in 2002, the School of Business became Fisher’s first professional school. Over the course of a decade, the School created additional programs expanding its list of majors, including human resource management and marketing. In 2011, the College received its largest gift ever from an alumnus when Victor E. Salerno ’66 gave $2 million to build the Victor E. Salerno Center for American Enterprise.

With a robust internship program and thriving student organizations, Fisher undergraduates have opportunities to hone their skills outside of the classroom as well. In 2016, five accounting students made history as the first Fisher team to win the national Deloitte FanTAXtic Competition and the College’s chapter of the American Marketing Association was named a Top 20 International Chapter in 2018.

Alumni of Fisher’s business programs go on to work for Fortune 500 companies, start their own ventures, or find success in the local, national, and international business landscape.

“Fisher’s business programs have graduated distinguished leaders both in their professions and in their communities since the College’s inception,” said Dr. Gerard J. Rooney, president of the College.  “Continued accreditation from AACSB reaffirms that the faculty and staff of the School of Business are successfully living its mission of preparing the next generation of Fisher graduates for productive careers in our ever-more global economy.”