MONTREAL/April 11, 1997—
Concordia University received accreditation of its Faculty of Commerce and Administration from the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) today at a ceremony held in the J.A. DeSËve Cinema of the McConnell Building on the downtown campus.
The Faculty of Commerce and Administration is the first business school in the Montreal area and only the second in Quebec to earn accreditation. Three other Canadian business schools, the University of Calgary, the University of Alberta and UniversitÈ Laval, have been granted AACSB accreditation. Of more than 1,250 business schools in North America, only 332 have successfully completed the rigorous accreditation process ó schools such as Harvard, Northwestern, Stanford, UCLA, Columbia and Wharton.
The ceremony featured addresses by Concordia Rector Dr. Frederick Lowy and Mohsen Anvari, Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Administration as well as the official presentation of the certificate of accreditation by Carl Stem of the AACSB. Keynote speakers were the Honourable Lucienne Robillard, Federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and Serge MÈnard, Quebec Minister of State for Metropolitan Montreal.
ìThis is an important moment for the Faculty of Commerce and Administration, the University and the community as a whole,î said Dr. Frederick Lowy, Rector of Concordia University. ìAACSB accreditation is recognition that the faculty is providing students with forward-looking, dynamic business education that equips them to meet the challenges of the next century. It is preparing them to make a contribution to the business world and to their communities.î
ìAACSB accreditation signals an important milestone in the Faculty's history,î Mohsen Anvari, Dean of the Faculty said. ìWith this latest accomplishment, we now officially join the ranks of the best business schools in North America.î
The St. Louis-based American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business is the oldest accrediting body in the field of business education. Founded in 1916, the AACSB developed its first set of standards for the teaching of business administration in 1919. Schools being considered for accreditation undergo strenuous examination, involving separate intensive evaluations of each degree program to ensure they meet the quality standards of the AACSB. The goal of accreditation is to ensure that programs have the curriculum, staff, resources and mechanisms for continuous improvement which are necessary in order to provide excellent and constantly evolving business education.
ìFostering excellence in business education is the AACSB's primary goal,î said Milton R. Blood, AACSB director of accreditation. ìThe process of accreditation is a demanding one and requires intense dedication, hard work and long hours from everyone involved. We ask a lot of the programs who apply to us. But those demands are our insurance that AACSB accreditation remains synonymous with excellence,î Blood added. ìCongratulations to Rector Lowy, Provost Jack Lightstone, Dean Anvari, and to the faculty, the staff, students, and all supporters of the business program. This is an accomplishment to be proud of."
Concordia University's Faculty of Commerce and Administration is one of the largest business schools in Canada, with more than 4,800 students enrolled in graduate and undergraduate programs. The Faculty offers bachelor's and MBA programs, one of Canada's first Executive MBA programs, a unique Aviation MBA, MSc and doctoral programs as well as graduate diploma programs.
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