Review team grants accreditation

By Drew Irwin
Staff Reporter

The School of Business has received re-accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

“Re-accreditation was critical for our image nationally,” said William Moncrief, senior associate dean of the business school. “Students come to a school like TCU because of our accreditation.”

The school received accrediatation last month based on the association’s visit to the business school in October, when the school was checked for quality of programs, facilities, atmosphere, faculty, staff, students and faculty research.

Moncrief said the team found the school “in very good shape.” The report also suggested that the school’s undergraduate program is one of the top 50 in the country, he said.

The school was ranked as one of the top business schools in the Wall Street Journal for 2003 and 2004. Forbes Magazine and Entrepreneur Magazine have also recognized the school in the last year.

The association also re-accredited the business school’s accounting department. Only 162 other accounting programs in the nation have individual accreditation.

“The accreditation enhances our credibility,” said Robert Vigeland, accounting department chairman. “This puts us in fairly elite company, and it, hopefully, will help us attract more students.”

While accreditation is a continuing process for the business school, the re-accreditation will last for an additional six years.