POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Marist College’s internationally recognized School of Management (SOM) has received an extension of its accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). This prestigious mark of excellence was granted to the school’s undergraduate and graduate business degree programs. The School of Management was first awarded accreditation by AACSB International in 2002.

AACSB International is the premier accrediting agency for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in business and accounting. AACSB accreditation represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide, with only five percent of business schools earning this distinction. The review process evaluates a Continuous Improvement Report (CIR), which presents evidence from the previous five years that demonstrate the school’s continued adherence to the shared ideals and standards of AACSB. This rigorous process involves an examination of the programs’ curricula, assessment results, strategic plan, and the school’s overall support for faculty, staff, and students.

“Everyone in the SOM community – faculty, staff, administrators, students, alumni, and our Board of Advisers – should feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment for what they have accomplished,” said Dr. James G. Snyder, Interim Dean of Marist’s School of Management. “The AACSB continuous improvement review showcased our innovative programs, the success of our students, and the scholarship, teaching, and service of our dedicated faculty. The future is bright for the school as we welcome a new dean this summer and begin construction on the new Dyson Center. The desired outcome of the CIR is, of course, the extension of accreditation. But the process is also important, and the site team was impressed with the high degree of faculty, staff, and student engagement in all elements of the CIR process.”

This announcement comes as Marist welcomes new its Dean of the School of Management, Dr. Will Lamb, who brings a wide variety of experience to the college, most recently serving as Dean of Graduate and Adult Learner Recruitment at EAB Global.

“I'm thrilled to be joining Marist's School of Management as Dean this summer,” said Dr. Lamb. “AACSB's renewal of our accreditation is an important affirmation of what the Marist community has known for years: that the School of Management's students, faculty, and staff are truly exceptional.”

“This extension of accreditation from AACSB serves as a validation of our relentless pursuit of academic excellence within the School of Management,” said Dr. Kevin Weinman, Marist College President. “With our continued growth in undergraduate enrollment, renowned graduate programs, and exciting new leadership, the school is poised for an incredible future. I would like to thank all faculty and staff, led by outgoing interim dean Dr. James Snyder, for all of their hard work over these many months to make this possible and also look forward to Dr. Will Lamb’s leadership to continue this great work,” he said.


School of Management students collaborating in the Investment Center. Photo by Carlo de Jesus/Marist College

The gathering of evidence of compliance with AACSB’s standards and ideals started immediately upon the completion of the previous CIR in 2017. The School of Management was reviewed under AACSB’s new 2020 standards that place an increased emphasis on strategic planning, societal impact, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. This year the school developed a new strategic plan, societal impact plan, and convened an ad hoc DEI committee that developed a strategy with goals and tactics. Drafting of the report started in earnest last summer, with the school hosting its first August retreat since the start of the pandemic. The final CIR report, detailing the school’s alignment with AACSB, was submitted to the site visit team in February, with the in-person review taking place over three days in April.

“This extension of accreditation by AACSB recognizes the extraordinary work that our faculty members do both in instruction, but also in the assessment of student learning,” said Alexander Henderson, Marist Associate Professor of Public Administration and co-chair of the SOM assessment committee. “Our school-wide assurance of learning processes are rigorous and comprehensive, and are marked by a dedication to ensuring that our students leave the School of Management with the competencies and skills that are critical as they take on leadership roles.”

“AACSB accredited schools are seen as among the best in the world.  It is a mark of distinction and an affirmation of the quality education we provide to our students,” Dr. Ken Sloan, Marist Associate Professor of Management. Dr. Sloan helped define the school’s new standards for qualified and eligible faculty under AACSB. “It is particularly gratifying to me as it represents the collective efforts of the SOM faculty in first building, and then demonstrating, excellence across each of the standards set.”

“This past year, the faculty strategic planning committee took to the task with enthusiasm. The end result is a strategic plan that is relevant to current socioeconomic trends and actionable in a way that will inspire even more improvement for faculty, staff, and students in the School of Management,” said Dr. Anne Zahradnik, Marist Associate Professor of Health Care Administration. “I’m proud of the work the committee did, and quite pleased the site visit team saw fit to call out our strategic plan as an exemplary part of our re-accreditation application.” 

About Marist’s School of Management

The Marist School of Management, includes undergraduate programs in a wide area of study, including Business Administration, Accounting, and Finance and Economics, making it a leader in teaching students to develop the skills to succeed in today’s global business community. Students frequently give classroom presentations and network at informal events on campus. The School of Management also offers an accelerated dual degree accountancy program, allowing students to complete a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Professional Accountancy in just four years and four months.

The School of Management offers three graduate degrees: a fully AACSB-accredited Master of Business Administration program, Master of Public Administration, and Master of Science in Professional Accountancy. Marist launched New York State’s first AACSB-accredited 100%-online MBA program in 1998, one of the first such programs in the nation. Marist’s online MBA program has also been featured in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Online Education Program” rankings.

The School of Management will also be front and center in the massive transformation of the Dyson Center, which is undergoing an extensive multi-million-dollar expansion to provide Marist students with world-class new gathering and learning spaces.