WFU School of Business recognized by AACSB International for Global Ingenuity, Innovation, and Creativity

Inaugural “Innovations That Inspire” initiative highlights creative strategies developed by business schools around the world across technology, experiential learning, entrepreneurship, career development, and more

WINSTON-SALEM, NC (February 1, 2016)—Business schools have long been important drivers of change by creating an environment where out-of-the-box thinking flourishes. Today at its 2016 Deans Conference, AACSB International (AACSB), the global accrediting body and membership association for business schools, recognized Wake Forest University School of Business among a sampling of 30 innovations that represent how business schools are innovating and diversifying the business education environment.

Celebrated as part of AACSB’s Centennial Anniversary and upcoming Visioning Initiative, the inaugural Innovations That Inspire shines a spotlight on a variety of ways that AACSB member schools, around the globe, are working to innovate and diversify the business education environment. From their approaches to research and learning, to their engagements with stakeholders and oversight of their management and operations, business schools are redefining the way that academic institutions of all kinds create, teach, connect, and lead.

“It is my pleasure to recognize Wake Forest University School of Business for its role in spearheading ingenuity within the business education landscape,” said Thomas R. Robinson, president and chief executive officer of AACSB International. “As AACSB celebrates 100 years of improving quality management education worldwide, it is important for those within and outside of the industry to be reminded of the vision, leadership, and innovative thinking business schools bring to the table. Through our Innovations That Inspire recognition, Wake Forest University School of Business stands as a testament to how business schools are driving positive impact within their communities and society at large, through their groundbreaking practices and continuous focus on excellence.”

“Not only does this honor affirm our business school’s innovative culture, it specifically showcases a faculty-evaluation model that boldly alters a core school practice,” said Wake Forest University Provost Rogan Kersh. “A willingness to rethink–and meaningfully improve–central aspects of teaching and scholarship: that is as rare in professional education as it is essential to the future of our shared enterprise.”

“We are deeply honored to have been recognized by the AACSB for our creativity in harnessing the strengths and passions of our faculty,” said Charles Iacovou, Sisel Distinguished Dean of the School of Business. “As business schools face greater resource constraints and compete for the best talent, it has become increasingly important to reconceive of how best to design and promote teaching and scholarship excellence. By pursuing a novel faculty path model, our goal was to recognize and value a diversity of passions and skill sets among faculty. This is one of several innovations we are pursuing at Wake to continue to distinguish our work”

For a detailed overview of the featured innovations, please visit www.AACSB.edu/Innovations-That-Inspire. In the coming months, AACSB will continue to showcase more schools and innovations that demonstrate an impressive range of creativity and commitment to quality. Additionally, access to the full portfolio of submissions will be available to member schools via AACSB’s benchmarking database, DataDirect.

A comprehensive look at AACSB’s upcoming Visioning initiative is also available online at www.AACSB.edu/Vision, and findings from the Visioning Initiative will be presented at ICAM 2016 in Boston, MA, USA on April 3-5, 2016.

About AACSB International
Founded in 1916, AACSB is an association of more than 1,450 educational institutions, businesses, and other organizations in 90 countries and territories. AACSB’s mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation, thought leadership, and value-added services. As the premier accreditation body for institutions offering undergraduate, master’s, and doctorate degrees in business and accounting, AACSB offers a wide array of services to the management education industry. AACSB’s global headquarters is located in Tampa, Florida, USA; its Asia Pacific headquarters is located in Singapore; and its Europe, Middle East, and Africa headquarters is located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Contact: Amy Ponzillo, Senior Manager, Public Relations, MediaRelations@aacsb.edu

About Wake Forest University School Of Business (business.wfu.edu)
The Wake Forest University School of Business offers undergraduate programs in finance, accounting, mathematical business, and business and enterprise management, and graduate programs including a Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Accountancy and Master of Arts in Management. Our programs are consistently ranked among the world’s best in surveys by U.S. News & World Report, BusinessWeek, the Economist, Forbes, and the Financial Times. Wake Forest accountancy graduates rank first for all test takers among large and medium sized schools and have ranked in the top 2 among first time test takers for 16 of the past 17 years.

Contact: Stephanie Skordas, Sr. Associate Director, Communications, skordas@wfu.edu