Recently, the Jones School of Business received accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).  Thirty-six undergraduate business schools in the world are accredited.  This places The Jones School of Business in elite company.  Other business programs that have received this award include Harvard, Stanford and the University of Rochester.  All in all, the AACSB accreditation will benefit students graduating from any of Jones School of Business programs.  The recognition is international. 
The process of earning accreditation was a lengthy one.  The entire process took about seven years and Zuckerman tapped the resources of the business department to aspire to meet the challenging goal.
The areas that AACSB evaluated included the mission of the school, student data, curriculum, instructional resources as well as faculty qualifications.   Zuckerman cited the length of time in which the accreditation process took place as a considerable challenge, specifically in maintaining the momentum and morale of faculty staff and students.  She also recognized the availability of financial and human resources necessary to do the job as a substantial challenge to meet during the accreditation process.
In order to meet these challenges during the accreditation process, Dr. Zuckerman utilized all available resources.   Having experience as a faculty member in the school, Zuckerman knows well the importance of listening to the faculty and valuing their opinions and

contributions.  Dr. Zuckerman's leadership is best characterized as supportive.  Zuckerman "works to be inclusive and build consensus."  She believes that the only way the school could achieve accreditation is if "the faculty members are working toward it, putting their time, energy and creativity into the process." 
Dr. Zuckerman recognizes a strong commitment from senior administration as a vital factor to the School's success.  She says, "President Dahl and Provost Dixon were both very supportive of the efforts of the School of Business."  Ultimately, Zuckerman believes our leaders of tomorrow need to have a "vision of where they want their unit or organization to go."  "They need to listen to the people they work with and treat them fairly.  She further states, "They need to recognize that we are living in an increasingly global and technological world, and they should recognize these factors in their decision making."  Zuckerman concludes by saying that she would like future leaders to "have  a commitment to giving back to society, whether it be financially, or through volunteer work or serving on boards of non-profits."
In the future, we will see many business leaders emerge from Jones School of Business.  AACSB accreditation will provide a benchmark for the future Jones School of Business administration, faculty and students to embrace and grow upon. 

Denver M. Rex