( Bluefield)—After being granted national accreditation on a conditional basis five years ago, Bluefield State College’s School of Business was recently awarded full national accreditation by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). The national accrediting body has determined that specific conditions required for full accreditation have been successfully addressed by the School.

ACBSP’s decision represents a significant achievement,” noted Dr. Elaine Scott, Dean of the BSC School of Business. “We submitted a report that detailed how the School has met the conditions identified by ACBSP when we were granted conditional accreditation, and that body has determined that we are now in 100% compliance.”

Dr. Scott expressed special appreciation to Geoffrey Hunter, Associate Professor of Business, for his efforts in compiling the most recent ACBSP report, as well as Dr. Debbie Halsey-Hunter (former Dean, School of Business) and the School’s faculty for their involvement in, and support of, the national accreditation effort.

“ACBSP accreditation is extremely valuable for employer, student, and institution,” Dr. Scott explained. “For the employer, it means that our School’s graduates have successfully completed nationally recognized curriculum and have developed skill sets essential for success.”

“For the student, it means that all business courses are fully transferable as business credits, and for the institution, national accreditation validates the quality of our programs and specializations,” she continued.

She also noted that BSC School of Business students approaching graduation now take a major, nationally administered field test that provides data for comparing their performance, and the School’s performance, against other ACBSP member schools and programs.”

March 1, 2006