Business Program Accreditation Received
The university’s general business administration program was recently awarded accreditation from the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education. Stout’s program is the only business program in the UW System to achieve this recognition, which covers a 10-year period.
“This accreditation means that the Stout general business program has been exhaustively examined by business education professionals outside the university and has been found to be worthy of national-level recognition,” said Hugh Williamson, the program’s director.
IACBE is mission based and outcomes-assessment oriented. As such, the assembly encourages its accredited universities to develop policies, procedures and standards that allow them to accomplish their distinctive missions and goals.
A unique aspect of Stout’s general business administration program is its required 10- to 12-credit technical component that is related to a specific business or industry. General business students may choose from 21 technical components, including apparel design and manufacturing, packaging, inter-national business, and construction management.
“Employers consistently praise this aspect of the Stout business program because it helps ensure that graduates earn their keep the day they arrive on the job,” said Williamson.
An additional strength of the program is its internship requirement. Business students spend a minimum of two months as junior managers in real-world businesses, during which they are paid and assigned managerial-level responsibilities, Williamson said. “Students attest that the experience is invaluable in helping them gain both practical knowledge and personal self-confidence as business professionals,” he added.
IACBE is dedicated to promoting and enhancing the quality of undergraduate business education. Headquartered in Overland Park, Kan., the association includes more than 100 colleges and universities located throughout the United States and in various other countries. Currently, IACBE’s international centers are located in Puerto Rico, Switzerland and Guam.
October 2001