Anticipating a Year of Continued Membership Growth and Institutional Strength

Posted on by Melinda Dorning

By: Kim Wong, Chair, ACBSP Board of Directors (2019-20), KWong@cnm.edu

The beginning of the 31st year of the existence of ACBSP speaks volumes to the success that all of us must appreciate for the hard work and dedication of those who came before us. Who would have ever imagined that the 160 business educators meeting on April 25, 1988 in Kansas City, Missouri “…interested in creating a new accreditation association for institutions which are teaching oriented rather than doctoral granting, research-oriented institutions…”1, would become the organization we are today? ACBSP is truly a global organization representing 63 countries on six continents, exceeding 13,000 individual members from more than 1,200 member campuses and including 3,000 accredited programs.

It is truly my honor to serve as Chair of the Board of Directors for the 2019-2020 year. I anticipate a year of unprecedented accomplishments with the continued membership growth and with institutional strength in ACBSP being of the highest importance. I look forward to working together with my fellow members of the Board of Directors, the ACBSP Boards of Commissioners, Accreditation Governance Board, ACBSP President/CEO Jeffrey Alderman, and the entire ACBSP team during the upcoming year.

“ACBSP is the bridge that provides the objective standards so readily being called for in today’s legislative and funding environment.”

Given the various structural changes occurring and the growing challenges that institutions face, the value of the services ACBSP provides to the educational community cannot be underestimated. While pressure on educational funding increases, resulting in tightening institutional budgets, accountability for the objective outcomes and measurements are being required at an unprecedented rate. Schools must provide the systematic data to address such demands. ACBSP provides this data and one of our goals for the coming year is to communicate and market to the educational community that ACBSP is the bridge that provides the objective standards so readily being called for in today’s legislative and funding environment.

As we continue to grow globally, the challenges ACBSP faces are also of the highest magnitude. With each new country we enter, a completely new set of educational standards exists to evaluate and assess. The expansive global strategy undertaken by ACBSP is truly consistent with our commitment to diversity and inclusion and uniquely sets us apart from comparable organizations. A global strategy also positions us well for a continually growing potential market of future member schools.

Facing the demands of the constantly changing domestic and global markets, it is my desire to build upon the tremendous work that has been previously undertaken and accomplished. The following are initiatives which will continue the tremendous path of success which ACBSP has experienced during our first 31 years:

  • Identifying, updating and formulating the strategic objectives of ACBSP. A select committee will be created and tasked with reviewing the current ACBSP Mission Statement and Values with the intent of bringing both more current, focused and consistent with changes that have taken place in the last several years.
  • Developing a promotion and implementation strategy for the Certificate Accreditation program. A clear and effective marketing strategy will be developed which emphasizes the ACBSP Certificate Accreditation program is perfectly aligned with the national trends in school-to-work applicable educational skills programs. A promotional strategy will emphasize focusing on the idea that ACBSP Certificate Accreditation creates the necessary standards to objectively measure the results of certificate programs.
  • Continuing and expanding the previous market and product development strategies including the inaugural Associate Degree Forum being held in conjunction with the Access Accreditation Workshop in Overland Park. Expanding successful strategies to bring the three-day international business start-up student workshops (3DS’s) held in Latin America to ACBSP regional conferences. Creating a MOOC emphasizing the “Teaching in a Student-Centered World” theme based upon the very successful model used for the “Art of Developing Entrepreneurial Leaders” MOOC created at the Universidad del Rosario. Continuing and expanding the Innovation Challenge to be held on an annual basis with a focus of taking this year’s ideas and concepts and implementing them as soon as possible.
  • Creating an orientation manual for the Board of Directors, similar to the Regional Chairs Handbook. This manual will be a how-to booklet describing what serving on the ACBSP BOD entails including job descriptions for the executive positions of Chair, Chair-Elect, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. The manual will increase productivity by helping new leaders understand the requirements of the position they are about to undertake. Discussions have already taken place for a similar manual created for the Boards of Commissioners.
  • Creating and designing an ambassador program to strengthen the relationship of long-time ACBSP members to recognize long-time individual members with an emphasis on creating and funding student scholarships administered through an ACBSP Foundation. The ambassador program will model similar initiatives undertaken by other non-profit programs.

This upcoming year will be an exciting one and we are well-positioned to maximize the available opportunities in the marketplace. ACBSP is an organization built upon the concept of excellence. There is no doubt that we will continue on such a path. I very humbly thank all of you for the wonderful opportunity that you have given me to provide leadership in accomplishing our goals. 

1Organizational Meeting Minutes, New Business Program Accreditation Association, June 25, 1988, as referenced in Mark of Success.