Contact: Shelley Herron, Director of Communications
(619) 594-4501
sherron@mail.sdsu.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SDSU Business School Accreditation Re-Affirmed

SAN DIEGO, April 17, 2003 -- San Diego State University's College of Business has achieved reaffirmation of accreditation of its bachelor's and master's programs by recent action of the Board of Directors of AACSB International, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

To achieve accreditation, business programs must satisfy the expectations of a wide range of quality standards relating to strategic management of resources, interactions of faculty and students in the educational process, and achievement of learning goals in degree programs. These standards are linked to the school's mission. During the accreditation process, experienced business deans and accounting educators visited and evaluated SDSU's program, applying accreditation standards that are widely accepted in the educational community.

"The dedication and commitment to excellence displayed by our faculty and staff resulted in a highly successful reaccreditation visit," said Gail K. Naughton, dean of the SDSU College of Business. "I am proud to be at the helm of a great school that has fueled the business leadership and economic growth of San Diego over the past 47 years."

SDSU President Stephen L. Weber added, "Accreditation by the AACSB reaffirms the high quality of education, research, and service at the College of Business at San Diego State. This distinction underscores our commitment to academic excellence and continued contribution to our local and global community."

Less than one-third of approximately 1,500 U.S. business programs are accredited by AACSB International, a not-for-profit organization consisting of more than 900 educational organizations and corporations. Its mission is excellence in management education in colleges and universities. Headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., AACSB International is the premier accrediting agency and service organization for business schools. For more information, visit aacsb.edu.

SDSU's College of Business Administration has more than 5,600 undergraduate students, making it one of the 10 largest programs in the country. The college also includes more than 700 graduate students and approximately 100 full-time faculty members. Its academic departments include accounting, finance, information and decision systems, management and marketing. It also has programs for entrepreneurship, community economic development, hospitality and tourism management, international business and an executive MBA. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu/business.

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