UWA’s College of Business and Technology reaffirmed by ACBSP

Dr. Wayne Bedford and Dr. Aliquippa Allen (center) represented UWA’s College of Business and Technology at the annual ACBSP conference in California.

LIVINGSTON, Ala.—The University of West Alabama’s College of Business andTechnology was recently awarded reaffirmation of its programs by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). COBT leaders attended the organization’s annual conference in Anaheim, Calif., to be recognized by ACBSP’s baccalaureate/graduate degree board of commissioners.

Established in 1988, ACBSP is the only organization offering specialized business accreditation for all degree levels, from associate to baccalaureate to doctoral degree programs. ACBSP accreditation certifies that the teaching and learning processes offered through the College of Business and Technology at The University of West Alabama meet the rigorous educational standards established by ACBSP.

The business programs at UWA were first accredited by ACBSP in 1997. The University is required to go through the reaffirmation process every 10 years to maintain ACBSP accreditation.

“The University of West Alabama has shown their commitment to teaching excellence and to the process of quality improvement by participating in the accreditation process,” said ACBSP Chief Accreditation Officer Dr. Steve Parscale, who presented the Certificate of Reaffirmation of Accreditation at ACBSP Conference.

“This reaffirmation of accreditation is evidence that UWA and the College of Business and Technology are committed to maintaining the highest quality business education for their students for the next 10 years, just as they have done for two decades,” said Parscale.

According to UWA’s president, Dr. Ken Tucker, this reaffirmation is a reflection of the University’s commitment to providing top quality education and application-oriented experiences to students in the college, as well as the growing capacity across all of UWA’s colleges to make a positive impact on the region it serves.

“UWA’s mission includes improving the quality of life in the Black Belt through education and outreach,” Tucker said. “By preparing our students to be the best in their professional fields, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to best serve business and industry, enhancing the overall quality of life in our service area, and continuing to establish partnerships that lead to job placement for our graduates, the College of Business and Technology at UWA is fulfilling that mission. On behalf of the entire administration, I commend the faculty and staff for their tireless efforts in achieving reaffirmation through this highly-esteemed accrediting body.”

“The faculty and staff in the College of Business and Technology are very proud of the business programs we offer and work very hard to ensure our graduates are well prepared for success in the business world. Whether pursuing the bachelor or master of business administration degree, students know that we are dedicated to giving them our very best,” said Dean of the College of Business and Technology, Dr. Wayne Bedford, now retired.

UWA provides opportunities for students to pursue a quality education through associate, baccalaureate, master’s, and education specialist degrees in liberal arts, natural sciences and mathematics, pre-professional programs, nursing, technology, business, and education. Importance is placed on providing opportunities within the curricula for the development of enhanced skills in critical thinking, communication, leadership, and computer literacy.

The University also seeks to provide students opportunities for growth beyond the classroom through a wide range of extracurricular activities, programs, and services and through the maintenance of an environment of cultural and intellectual diversity.

Through the total educational experience that it provides and through its encouragement of the free exchange of ideas among faculty, administration, and students, the University attempts to assist its students in developing the important qualities of independent thinking and respect for the ideas of others and in building firm foundations of personal integrity and character in order to realize their quests for a philosophy of life and for self-fulfillment.