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Cameron Seeks AASCB Accreditation
4/30/2007
 The curriculum in the Cameron School of Business is undergoing a sweeping reorganization that streamlines and strengthens some of its degree programs while phasing out others in a move that was recently approved by UST’s board of directors. It should bring the school closer to a prestigious accreditation awarded to only 20 percent of universities worldwide.
Dr. John Hittinger, vice president for Academic Affairs, and Dr. Bahman Mirshab, Cameron’s new dean, announced the changes that will pare down the number of degree programs to focus attention on the remaining ones and align Cameron’s mission and structure more closely with the requirements for accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
“These changes were instituted to make the Cameron School of Business truly outstanding and to be on track for achieving accreditation,” Hittinger said. “Business is an important arena for leadership today. It is imperative that men and women of faith and character be present in the business environment.”
Although the reorganization includes phasing out some degree programs, students who are in those programs now will be allowed to complete their degrees under the original degree requirements, Mirshab said.
“In a fiercely competitive market like Houston, it is imperative that we achieve AACSB accreditation for long-term survival,” he said.
Four permanent committees – curriculum, mission and strategic planning, faculty development and assessment – are studying the current system and making improvements that were recommended by a mentor from the AACSB accreditation program who visited UST in October.
During his visit he found an expansive listing of degree programs and joint majors with other colleges at UST that spread faculty and adjunct professors too thinly to have strong, healthy programs, Hittinger said.
“The mentor from AACSB advised us that the number of programs in place was excessive in relation to the available resources of the university, and he said it would be beneficial to focus on core offerings that demonstrate quality,” he said.
The reorganization extended to the existing Cameron Advisory Board, which has been overhauled and includes new members who are prominent members of the business community. In addition, an alumni advisory board composed of graduates of the Cameron School of Business has been established. The Student Advisory Board, formed last year, will continue to operate.
An accreditation plan will be submitted to AACSB by the end of March. It will undergo intense scrutiny by two accreditation committees for possible approval. If it passes muster, the University will report annually for three years on its progress toward achieving the standards set forth in the plan. If the efforts are successful, the Cameron School of Business will host a formal visitation team that will assess Cameron’s progress for final approval.
“The accreditation process is rigorous and lengthy, but it will be worth it,” said Mirshab, who arrived at UST in mid-August from the University of Detroit-Mercy in Michigan, one of the oldest AACSB-accredited universities in the United States.
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