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February 10, 2005
WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY’S CHRISTOS
M. COTSAKOS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ACHIEVES PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL
ACCREDITATION FROM ASSOCIATION TO ADVANCE COLLEGIATE SCHOOLS OF
BUSINESS (AACSB)
—Russ Berrie Professional Sales Lab, E*TRADE Financial Learning
Center, and other professionally oriented programs earn commendation
—College is one of 15 percent of schools internationally to
earn this prestigious distinction
William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J. has achieved international
accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools
of Business (AACSB) International for the undergraduate and graduate
programs offered by its Christos M. Cotsakos College of Business,
with special commendation for the Russ Berrie Professional Sales
Laboratory, the E*TRADE Financial Learning Center and its overall
emphasis on programs that provide students with real-world business
experiences.
By achieving accreditation, the Cotsakos College of Business joins
an elite group that comprises less than 15 percent of business schools
around the world who have completed the demanding AACSB International
process.
“AACSB International accreditation represents the highest
standard for business schools,” said John Fernandes, president
and chief executive officer of AACSB International. “AACSB
accreditation emphasizes continuous improvement of business school
curricula and faculty through an extensive, ongoing peer review
process. This benefits students, who seek the very best when they
choose a business school, and, over time, helps meet the requirements
of employers who recruit our best and brightest for future manager
positions.”
“Earning accreditation demonstrates that the Cotsakos College
of Business is one of the preeminent schools of business in the
country,” said Arnold Speert, president of William Paterson
University. “It assures the business community, parents and
students that the College offers excellent academic programs by
outstanding faculty who prepare graduates to meet the challenges
of a fast-moving economy and excel in a competitive marketplace.
We’re proud that in granting accreditation, the board of AACSB
cited several centers of excellence that provide strong links between
the College and the business community.”
In announcing the accreditation, the AACSB commended the Cotsakos
College of Business for a number of strengths and effective practices,
including the Russ Berrie Professional Sales Laboratory, where students
can develop and sharpen their communication, presentation and negotiation
skills; the E*TRADE Financial Learning Center, a simulated trading
room; and the Professional Enrichment program, which is required
of all undergraduate students and helps them improve their professional
skills. The AACSB commended faculty expertise and dedication, the
curriculum, assessment of student learning outcomes, and links to
the business community.
The Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales, a unique partnership
between the private sector and higher education, provides training
and educational programs for both sales professionals and undergraduate
students. Many of the Institute’s programs benefit from the
Russ Berrie Professional Sales Lab, which helps professionals and
students develop and sharpen sales skills in an interactive simulated
office environment. The lab is a major component of the Institute’s
customized training and certificate programs for sales professionals.
William Paterson’s E*TRADE Financial Learning Center, a simulated
trading room and instructional facility, provides an opportunity
for students interested in finance to learn first-hand about the
world’s financial markets by working with the latest industry
standard datafeeds, databases, financial software packages, and
trading platforms such as First Call, Reuters, Datastream, and CompuStat.
The Professional Enrichment Program requires all Cotsakos College
of Business students to participate in activities such as job shadowing,
internship and practicum experiences, as well as other business-related
seminars, forums and workshops. A finite number of contact hours
are required for the degree.
“The College’s mission, which is driven by the importance
of understanding and serving the needs of the business community,
has fueled the development of the Russ Berrie Institute for Professional
Sales, the E*TRADE Financial Learning Center, and other programs
that provide real-world experiences for our students,” said
Chernoh M. Sesay, provost and executive vice president for academic
affairs. “The College’s excellent faculty provide a
dynamic, contemporary curriculum that is essential for ensuring
student achievement.”
“Achieving accreditation assures the business community that
we offer a dynamic curriculum and contemporary degree programs that
meet the needs of the student body, that instructional resources,
including technology, are up to date, and that rigorous assessment
procedures are in place,” said Jess Boronico, dean of the
Cotsakos College of Business. “Our emphasis on professional
enrichment creates opportunities for students to enhance their readiness
for and awareness of the business world. These innovative programs
help students meet and anticipate the complex needs of the workplace,
thus giving them a competitive edge upon graduation.”
The Cotsakos College of Business offers bachelor
of science degree programs in accounting and business administration,
with concentrations in finance, global business, management and
marketing, and a master’s degree in business administration.
With more than 1,400 undergraduate and graduate students, the College
is housed in the University’s new, technologically advanced
facility at 1600 Valley Road in Wayne.
AACSB International is a not-for-profit organization consisting
of more than 900 educational organizations and corporations. Its
mission is excellence in management education in colleges and universities.
Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, AACSB is the premier accrediting
agency and service organization for business schools.
To achieve accreditation, business programs must satisfy the expectations
of a wide range of quality standards relating to strategic management
of resources, interactions of faculty and students in the educational
process, and achievement of learning goals in degree programs. These
standards are mission-linked. The rigorous five-year process requires
an extensive self-evaluation. During the final phase, William Paterson
was visited and evaluated by business school deans with detailed
knowledge of management education, applying accreditation and best
practices standards that are widely accepted in the educational
community.
William Paterson University, one of the nine state colleges and
universities in New Jersey, offers 31 undergraduate and 19 graduate
programs through five colleges: Arts and Communication, the Christos
M. Cotsakos College of Business, Education, Humanities and Social
Sciences, and Science and Health. Located on 370 hilltop acres in
Wayne, the University enrolls nearly 11,500 students and provides
housing for nearly 2,300 students. The institution’s 373 full-time
faculty are highly distinguished and diverse scholars and teachers,
many of whom are recipients of prestigious awards and grants from
the Fulbright Program (26 scholars), the Guggenheim Foundation,
the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Institutes
of Health, the National Science Foundation and the American Philosophical
Society.
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