The College of Business and Public Affairs at the University of Tennessee at Martin has achieved reaffirmation of accreditation for its bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in business administration by the recent actions of the Board of directors of AACSB International – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The official announcement was made Jan. 10 in Tampa, Fla. The reaffirmation of accreditation extends the accreditation of UT Martin’s business programs through the 2009-10 academic year.

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. During the accreditation process, UT Martin was visited and evaluated by business school deans with detailed knowledge of management education, applying mission-based standards that are widely accepted in the educational community.

“The purpose of accreditation is to ensure quality in academic programs,” said Dr. Thomas Rakes, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “We are fortunate to have received a glowing review.”

Dr. Ernest Moser, dean of the College of Business and Public Affairs, added, “With the reaffirmation of the national accreditation of our business programs, current and future graduates are assured that they will be able to compete for positions in the regional, national and international job markets. I am very proud of the work performed by our faculty and staff in helping achieve this significant indicator of the quality of our business programs.”

UT Martin is one of only 452 institutions worldwide to have achieved accreditation by AACSB International.

AACSB International is a not-for-profit organization consisting of more than 900 educational institutions and corporations. Its mission is excellence in management education in colleges and universities. Headquartered in Tampa, AACSB International is the premier accrediting agency and service organization for business schools.