The Department of Accounting at the University of New Orleans has maintained its accounting accreditation by AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). UNO is one of only 175 institutions worldwide to have earned the specialized accreditation for its accounting program.
“The Department of Accounting in the College of Business Administration continues to be an outstanding Program of Distinction at the University of New Orleans,” said John Williams, interim dean of the College of Business Administration. “The achievement of AACSB accreditation, as provided by the premier accreditation body worldwide for institutions in business and accounting, is a great example of the exceptionally high standards maintained by the Department of Accounting. The College of Business Administration is so very proud of the department’s commitment to excellence.”
The UNO Department of Accounting, chaired by Philip J. Harmelink, has more than 500 undergraduate accounting majors and 100 graduate accounting students. The department has awarded approximately 4,000 bachelor’s degrees during UNO’s 52-year existence and 570 M.S. in accounting and M.S. in accounting-tax option degrees since 1972. Many UNO accounting alumni obtain the CPA designation, and many hold key positions in accounting firms, industry and the government.
Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business and accounting. To realize accounting accreditation, an institution must first earn or maintain AACSB International business accreditation, which requires an institution to undergo a meticulous internal review and evaluation process. In addition to developing and implementing a mission-driven plan to satisfy the 21 business quality standards, accounting accreditation requires the satisfaction of an additional set of 15 standards that are specific to accounting.
“It takes a great deal of self-evaluation and determination to earn and maintain AACSB accounting accreditation,” said Jerry Trapnell, vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. “Schools must not only meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculty and staff must make a commitment to ongoing improvement to ensure the continued delivery of high-quality accounting education to students.”
UNO’s achievement will be recognized at the 2011 AACSB International Conference and Annual Meeting in New York City held April 28-30. To learn more about the UNO Department of Accounting, visit www.business.uno.edu/acct.