Babson Earns EQUIS and AACSB Reaccreditation

September 16, 2019

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Babson has achieved accreditation for five additional years by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

At the same time, the European Foundation for Management Development has once again awarded the College EQUIS accreditation recognizing Babson’s quality as a global higher education institution in management and business administration.

“Babson’s mission statement reflects our commitment to having a global impact: Babson College educates entrepreneurial leaders who create great economic and social value—everywhere,” says Provost Mark P. Rice. “Hence, we are thrilled to continue to be accredited by EQUIS and AACSB, and are appreciative of our positive and productive engagement with the EQUIS and AACSB staff and our EQUIS and AACSB peer review teams.”

AACSB

AACSB is an internationally recognized specialized accreditation for institutions offering business programs that ensures quality and continuous improvement.

“Thank you for participating in the continuous improvement review process and for providing valuable feedback that is essential to a meaningful and beneficial review,” wrote Caryn Beck-Dudley, Chair, AACSB Board of Directors.

Babson received commendations and best practices from AACSB that demonstrate leadership and high-quality continuous improvement in management education in the following areas:

Clear and distinctive strategic positioning and vision focused on entrepreneurial thought and action.
High engagement with external stakeholders;
Rich and impactful experiential learning for students;
A high bar for teaching effectiveness;
High quality IT support for students, faculty and programs; and
The global scholars program.

The EQUIS Review

EQUIS accreditation recognizes business schools that are trying to make an impact beyond their domestic frontiers. Institutions with EQUIS accreditation must demonstrate not only high general quality in all dimensions of their activities, but also a high degree of internationalization.

EFMD, who runs EQUIS, is an internationally recognized accreditation body ensuring continuous improvement and quality within business schools. EFMD also acknowledges uniqueness within institutions that have a clear strategy on how they are shaping future leaders.

Rather than just looking at degree programs, the EQUIS accreditation assesses institutions as a whole. Its assessment includes looking at all the activities and sub-units of the institution, including students, faculty, research, executive education, and ethics, responsibility, and sustainability. In addition, EQUIS seeks a balance between academic quality and professional relevance provided by interaction with the corporate world.

EQUIS attaches importance to the creation of a learning environment that favors development of students’ managerial and entrepreneurial skills and fosters their sense of global responsibility. It looks for innovation, including program design and pedagogy.

Additional Accreditation

Besides EQUIS and AACSB, Babson has earned accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). NECHE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a reliable authority on the quality of education.