LATROBE, PA – The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) recently reaffirmed accreditation for business programs at Saint Vincent College.
“Accreditation emphasizes our strong pedagogical approach, and it’s a good way to benchmark to make sure we are staying competitive in comparison with other business programs,” said Dr. Michael Urick, C’04, dean of the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government. “It also helps us to consider ways in which we might improve our programs so that we can continue to get better. It’s a way to reflect on what we’re doing so that we focus on our strengths and grow from opportunities.”
Urick and Dr. Jeff Godwin, chair of the Department of Management and Administration, spearheaded the ACBSP self-study report process for the McKenna School.
Nearly all business faculty assisted with the reaffirmation of accreditation in addition to the McKenna Council of Advisors, past and present McKenna School students, and College administrators.
Within the process, over 150 documents of evidence—including syllabi, budgets, organizational charts, department assessment reports and teaching observations—were provided to the ACBSP. Additionally, seven standards were addressed in an 80-plus-page self-study report.
Drafting of the report started during summer 2025; it was submitted in December 2025. The ACBSP site visit team met with College representatives in February, and the reaffirmation decision was issued by the Baccalaureate/Graduate Degree Board of Commissioners in mid-May.
“Accreditation is an ongoing process—it never really ends,” Urick said. “We are continuously looking at data so that we can improve, assess what we are doing well and ensure that we are in compliance with accreditation standards.”
Reaffirmation of accreditation is in effect for 10 years. The College is required to file interim reports to the ACBSP in 2028 and 2030.
The reaffirmation of accreditation applies to the College’s Bachelor of Science degrees in accounting, business administration, business data analytics, business economics, finance, international business, management, marketing and sports management, and the Master of Science degree in management: operational excellence.
Founded in 1988, the ACBSP is a global business education accrediting body and the first organization to offer accreditation to all levels of collegiate business educational degree programs from associate to doctoral.
