Arkansas Tech University in Russellville expects to hear its accreditation status for its College of Business from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International sometime early next year.
The AACSB sent a peer review team to Russellville in October as part of the process to re-accredit the university’s business school, a process the college goes through every five years. The AACSB has a pretty strict no-comment policy about the renewal process, until it is time to announce which schools have earned accreditation.
The AACSB wouldn’t even confirm when its peer review team visited Arkansas Tech. An AACSB official said the organization announces accreditations in “buckets” every few months.
“The process for the regularly scheduled fall 2019 review of the ATU College of Business by AACSB is ongoing,” said Arkansas Tech spokesman Sam Strasner. “It is anticipated that process will be completed by mid-January 2020.”
There was some concern among Arkansas Tech’s faculty about accreditation after university President Robin Bowen fired Dean Lisa Toms just before the fall semester started. Associate Dean Kevin Mason was named interim dean and is overseeing the college until a permanent replacement is named.
AACSB officials and Toms (who otherwise has declined comment on the situation) insisted a turnover at the top spot probably wouldn’t affect the school’s ability to earn accreditation.
Toms is also a peer review member for AACSB and travels with teams to accredit other university’s schools of business, so she would know, wouldn’t she?