The Farmer School is pleased to announce the extension of its accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The School as a whole, and the Accountancy program individually were both so honored.

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), a highly regarded accrediting body for business schools, recently completed its accreditation review of both Miami University’s Farmer School of Business and its Department of Accountancy. Both the Farmer School of Business and Department of Accountancy received highly favorable review reports and ultimately extensions of accreditation.

Operating on a five year cycle, AACSB accreditation review is an extensive process that ensures continuous improvement across numerous critical dimensions including student learning, curriculum development and implementation, strategic planning, faculty qualifications, intellectual contributions, and resource sufficiency. Thus, receiving an extension of AACSB accreditation is a significant accomplishment which provides independent assurance that the Farmer School of Business and Department of Accountancy are meeting and often exceeding rigorous standards of excellence across all areas of operation.

Currently, approximately 900 business schools and only 185 accountancy programs in the world hold this accreditation.

Jenny Darroch, Farmer School Dean and Mitchell P. Rales Chair in Business Leadership, said, “As a new dean, going through such a rigorous process provided me with a tremendous opportunity to look closely at the School. I am especially gratified by the comments made by the peer review team regarding our faculty and the feedback from our students about just how extraordinarily committed our faculty are to students’ success.

“They were extremely impressed and commented ‘The FSB employs a faculty body that is committed to teaching excellence, complemented with scholarly research that elevates professional expertise and brings into the classroom applications of cutting-edge business research that excites and motivates student engagement. A balanced teacher-scholar model is their motto, where teaching excellence and high-quality research are expected and recognized. This is in fact one of the school’s “Guiding Principles”, and it permeates everything the school does.’ They continued with their praise: ‘The students at all levels spoke positively about both the level of student-faculty interaction in the classroom, facilitated by the fact that most courses are small, and the availability of faculty to speak to students outside of class. They noted how supportive faculty had been during the pandemic despite the fact that many faculty members were also facing additional stress. Indeed, faculty availability was cited as remarkable, as a feature of the school, and the reason many students chose to attend.‘”

While AACSB only visits every five years, “continuous improvement” is an ongoing process at the Farmer School. We are dedicated to providing an unparalleled educational experience to our students to ensure that they are Beyond Ready for career and personal success.