FAMU SBI earns ACBSP accreditation

The FAMU School of Business and Industry (SBI) has secured membership in an organization that represents a large number of teaching-centered business education programs. On Tuesday, the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) announced its decision to place FAMU on its list of accredited schools.

“This is a milestone,” Interim President Larry Robinson told the Tallahassee Democrat. “It’s another indication of the quality of our academic programs.”

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and state of Florida do not require business programs to be accredited by any specialized body. Such distinctions are entirely voluntary.

Founding SBI Dean Sybil C. Mobley, who led the school from 1974 until her retirement in 2003, designed a non-traditional curriculum that had a strong emphasis on professional development. She picked professional development faculty members mainly based upon their success in corporate America rather than their graduate training.

Back when Mobley applied for accreditation with the research-centered Association to Advance College Schools of Business International (AACSB), the organization told her it wanted FAMU SBI to have more faculty members with doctoral degrees. AACSB turned down another application from FAMU SBI back in 2011, giving a very similar explanation.

SBI Dean Shawnta Friday-Stroud said that the teaching-focused ACBSP was an excellent fit for FAMU SBI.

“This says we received a stamp of approval from our peers. Their primary focus is teaching, and this notice confirms that we have high-quality teaching in our academic programs,” Friday-Stroud said.

ACBSP’s list of accredited schools includes the business education programs at many historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). They include: Fisk, Claflin, North Carolina Central, Fort Valley State, Kentucky State, Paine, Florida Memorial, Virginia Union, Alabama State, Albany State, Alcorn State, Bowie State, and Central State.