Seven years ago, the School of Business and Industry began the application process for receiving accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International.
On Tuesday, Shawnta Friday-Stroud, dean of SBI, received news that the school had been denied accreditation. Pamela Tolson, PR representative for Florida A&M said the decision does not negate the impressive work of SBI students.
“Our students in SBI just this year and last year were won a case competition. In case competition our students competed against major institutions,” said Friday-Stroud. “Fortune 500 companies are recruiting our students. Some students are receiving job opportunities before they even graduate.”
In October, SBI students won the Annual National Black MBA Case Competition for the third time in the last five years. It is the only team to win two years in a row.
The AACSB is the oldest specialized accrediting agency in the world. Only 633 schools have received accreditation from the AACSB.
According to the AACSB website, the accreditation is a “voluntary process requiring significant commitment, self-assessment, peer review, and dedication from a schools administration and, it doesn’t end there. Every five years, schools must pass a rigorous peer review in order to maintain their accreditation.”
Monique Mussio, a fourth-year marketing student from Tampa, was saddened by the news.
“It is disheartening that we didn’t get it, but it is not the end of the world,” said Mussio. “A lot of us SBIans are still going to graduate with a six-figure job. We have people who have internships with Caterpillar or J.P. Morgan. The accreditation really isn’t that big of a deal that some people are making it seem.”
Malik Mangum, a third-year accounting student from Tampa, agreed with Mussio’s sentiments.
“The accreditation does not change the drive and the goals my peers and I have. We’re going to work hard and not let this distract us,” Mangum said.
Sybil C. Mobley founded the School of Business and Industry in 1974. In the last six years, the school has graduated almost 2,500 students, according to famu.edu.
Friday-Stroud became Dean of SBI in February 2010. She led the university’s successful reaccreditation with Southeastern Association of Colleges and School (SACS).
Tolson believes the school will continue to excel.
“I just want to emphasize that this doesn’t hinder SBI,” she said. “The program will continue to provide students with the highest quality education that they have been receiving over the years.”