ERIC Number: ED272224
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1986-Jul
Pages: 9
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Two-Year Colleges and the AACSB.
Savage, Daniel D.
Because the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) sets accreditation standards specifying that undergraduate business programs should concentrate their professional courses in the last 2 years of a 4-year program, and should offer only a limited amount of work below the junior year, community college transfer students typically lose a year or more of college work when they decide to pursue a baccalaureate degree in an accredited AACSB program. The severity of this problem is affected by the number of transfer options available to the students, and the particular state's position on programmatic accreditation. Compounding the problem is the preponderance of adult students attending community colleges, who "back into" higher education, taking a few business courses to enhance their job skills, move on to an associate degree, and then decide to pursue a baccalaureate degree. Unfortunately, virtually none of their technical credits will transfer and they must retake the same courses to earn the bachelor's degree. The AACSB has created a set of prescriptive standards without research or scholarly inquiry to support their educational basis. The Division of Eligibility and Agency Evaluation (DEAE) acknowledged the community colleges' concerns in 1980 and granted a 2-year (rather than the typical 4-year) renewal of recognition to the AACSB, directing the agency to give special attention to the situation. In 1983, the AACSB was granted the normal 4-year renewal in the absence of any third party input. The AACSB will approach the DEAE again in 1987 at which time community colleges are urged to represent their position in a continuing effort to reform the situation. (EJV)
Descriptors: Academic Standards, Accreditation (Institutions), Accrediting Agencies, Business Education, College Credits, College Transfer Students, Community Colleges, Degree Requirements, Educational Quality, Institutional Evaluation, State Standards, Transfer Policy, Two Year College Students, Two Year Colleges
Publication Type: Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A