Accreditation

In business and industry, companies pursue quality assurance (QA) programs to deliver products and services that consistently meet predetermined specifications. For higher education, QA programs come in the form of regional and disciplinary accreditation. In 2012, the Business Administration and Accounting Programs (the Programs) became accredited with Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), a global business accreditation.

The ACBSP’s mission, guiding principles, and standards are built upon continuous improvement of business education and draw heavily from the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence, criteria aimed at improving the competitiveness and performance of U.S. organizations. ACBSP’s philosophy matches well with LHU’s historical reputation for teaching excellence with a focus on improving teaching and learning processes. The Programs must demonstrate through their leadership, faculty, curriculum, learning activities, and support processes that students learn, key stakeholders are satisfied, and program improvements continue. These outcomes, as measured by the ACBSP accrediting standards, serve as a mark of quality assurance for LHU’s business education.

In August 2012, the Programs’ Self-Study (Volume 1) and Appendix (Volume 2) were submitted to ACBSP and followed by a site visit during the fall 2012 semester to determine how well the Programs met the standards to earn the recognition of accreditation.  The Programs received official notice in November 2012 that the following business programs at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania have been accredited by ACBSP:

Accounting, B.S.
Business Administration, B.S.
Business Administration, A.S.