College of Business and Economics
Receives Maximum Accreditation Renewal
January 29, 2004 :: No. 138
Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business
and Economics has earned successful renewal of accreditation for
its business and accounting programs from the Association
to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
“We are extremely gratified that the AACSB continues
to recognize the superior academic quality of our college,”
said Anil K. Puri, dean of the College of Business and Economics.
“Full accreditation renewal is an acknowledgement of the top-notch
education that the college provides students in Orange County and
the surrounding communities. It, along with the number and diversity
of our successful alumni, are evidence of a job well done.”
Fullerton’s College
of Business and Economics is among only 25 percent of business
schools nationwide that have earned AACSB accreditation. The university’s
accounting program is among just 163 programs nationally with additional
specialized accreditation. Cal State Fullerton is the only Orange
County university to hold that distinction.
The CSUF College of Business and Economics is home
to the nation’s third largest accredited undergraduate business
program and the largest such program in California in terms of enrollment:
7,140 undergraduates and 498 graduate students.
Accreditation is a process of voluntary, nongovernmental
review of educational institutions and programs. Such accreditation
assures quality and promotes excellence in business education, noted
Puri.
To achieve accreditation, business programs must satisfy
the expectations of a wide range of quality standards linked to
the institution’s mission and related to strategic management
of resources, interactions of faculty members and students in the
educational process, and achievement of learning goals in degree
programs.
During the accreditation process, Cal State Fullerton
was visited and evaluated by business school deans with detailed
knowledge of management education, applying accreditation standards
that are widely accepted in the educational community. Heading the
team was Earle C. Traynham of the University of North Florida.
Among the strengths cited by the team are “excellent
relationships with the business community” and “excellent
technology support for its faculty and classrooms.”
“I’m proud to say our programs have enjoyed
an unbroken record of accreditation since 1965,” said Puri,
adding that when first accredited, Cal State Fullerton was the nation’s
youngest institution to achieve that standard, doing so just two
years after the campus admitted its first freshmen class.
“This has been a great tribute all these years
for the College of Business and Economics and its accounting program,”
said alumnus Phil Schimmel (B.A. business administration - accounting
’76), managing partner with KPMG LLP.
“The latest renewal of accreditation is a special
tribute to the efforts of Dean Puri and his faculty. It puts us
in an elite group and adds credibility to the university and its
graduates.”
“Full accreditation
renewal is an acknowledgement of the top-notch education that
the college provides students in Orange County and the surrounding
communities. It, along with the number and diversity of our
successful alumni, are evidence of a job well done.”
Anil K. Puri
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The College of Business and Economics is known for
its annual economic forecast presented by Puri, as well as Professor
for a Day and Business Week activities that bring alumni and other
business leaders to campus to share their knowledge and expertise
with students. In addition, business majors are required to complete
capstone courses that typically involve real-world projects, providing
students with practical experience and benefits to area businesses.
Faculty members in the college serve as advisers and
consultants to international, national and statewide agencies, and
as members of national and state advisory boards. They have testified
before the Congress and served as consultants to multinational corporations.
Cal State Fullerton business administration majors
have won national and regional awards for their skills in utilizing
their business education in practical applications. As students,
they receive broad exposure to the fields of business and economics,
as well as opportunities to specialize in a number of programs,
ranging from accounting, marketing, finance and economics, to international
business and information systems. Three undergraduate degrees are
offered: business
administration, economics
and international
business, plus five graduate degrees: MBA,
accountancy,
economics,
information
systems and taxation.
“The renewal of accreditation the College of
Business has received is a validation of Cal State Fullerton’s
place among the nation’s top public universities,” noted
David Hirz (B.A. business administration - finance ’96), president
of Food 4 Less Stores. “I am proud to be a graduate of Cal
State Fullerton’s College of Business. The education I received
at CSUF has served me very well in my professional life,”
Hirz added. “CSUF’s College of Business has an outstanding
curriculum that prepares students well for their careers in the
business world. Employers also know that CSUF business graduates
have the skills that one needs to succeed.”
In addition to its educational programs, the college
provides research, consulting, continuing education and training
programs for the Southern California region. The College of Business
and Economics operates centers for: Economic
Education, Entrepreneurship, Insurance Studies, Study of Economics
of Aging, and Study of Emerging Markets. The college also houses
the Family
Business Council, and the institutes
for Economic and Environmental Studies, Real Estate and Land Use,
and Small Business.
“Our centers and institutes contribute to the
economic vitality of our region,” noted Puri. “Just
as we recruit top-quality faculty members to teach our students,
we utilize their expertise and skills to educate and help advance
the region’s business community.”
Included in the university’s master development
plan is a building for the College of Business and Economics that
will feature state-of-the-art classrooms, interactive technology,
multimedia lecture halls and additional faculty offices. “Currently
various departments of the college are housed in four buildings
on campus,” said Puri. “A new building will allow us
to ensure an optimal learning environment for our students.”
Funding for the building is included in Proposition
55, a bond measure on the March 2 statewide ballot.
AACSB International, headquartered in St. Louis, is
a not-for-profit organization consisting of more than 900 educational
organizations and corporations. Its mission is to further excellence
in management education in colleges and universities.
More information about Cal State Fullerton’s
College of Business and Economics is available from 657-278-2592
or on the Web at http://business.fullerton.edu.
Media Contacts: |
Anil K. Puri, dean of the College
of Business and Economics, at 657-278-2592 or apuri@fullerton.edu
Pamela McLaren of Public Affairs at 657-278-4852
or pmclaren@fullerton.edu |
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