UW College of Business Earns AACSB Reaccreditation

Students graduating from the University of Wyoming’s College of Business can be assured that their degrees will continue to carry a reputation of high quality, as the college has been reaccredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

UW’s College of Business, one of less than 5 percent of the world’s business programs that have earned AACSB accreditation, has held that distinction since 1956. The college recently received notification of its reaccreditation following a rigorous, multiyear effort.

“AACSB is the gold standard for business school accreditation, and I’m delighted that we have been able to maintain that status during challenging times,” Dean David Sprott says. “Among other things, AACSB accreditation requires a commitment to continuous improvement and, through the work of our faculty and staff, we have taken actions demonstrating that commitment.”

As part of the accreditation process, the College of Business goes through a “continuous improvement review” every five years. The college submitted its application for reaccreditation in July 2018, just before Sprott became dean. AACSB, which updated its standards in 2020, conducted a virtual peer review team visit in February. UW’s College of Business is among the first schools in the U.S. to be reaccredited under the new standards.

Among the initiatives that helped the college achieve accreditation:

-- Policies and procedures related to faculty workload, tenure and promotion, assurance of learning and budgeting have been drafted, created and revised.

-- The suite of undergraduate degree offerings has been revamped, leading to a “smarter” set of course offerings and more faculty teaching capacity.

-- The Green Johnson Student Success Center was launched, improving support for students from pre-entry to graduation and beyond.

-- Online programs have been added and enhanced to better serve students throughout the state and region.

-- The Center for Business and Economic Analysis and the Center for Blockchain and Digital Innovation were launched to support Wyoming’s economic diversification efforts.

-- A hospitality minor was added to support the state’s No. 2 industry, tourism.

“Our story over the past several years is one of clear vision and motivated action,” Sprott says. “We deeply appreciate AACSB’s role in helping us align our local mission with broader business school best practices.”