The Foundations of the AACSB Global Standards for Business Education™ course provides participants with a practical introduction to AACSB's 2026 standards framework and the principles that guide high-quality business education worldwide.
Designed for business school leaders, accreditation professionals, faculty leaders, and staff from accredited and non-accredited schools, this interactive one-day course introduces the structure, purpose, and interconnected nature of the nine Global Standards. Participants explore how the standards provide a shared framework for advancing mission-driven excellence, learner success, teaching effectiveness, scholarship, and societal impact.
Through facilitated discussions, institutional examples, and guided reflection activities, participants examine how the standards work together as an integrated framework for quality enhancement and continuous improvement. Rather than providing detailed accreditation preparation or an in-depth review of each standard, the course emphasizes understanding the intent and purpose of the standards, encouraging participants to consider how the concepts relate to their own institutional context.
Participants leave with a foundational understanding of the standards, greater confidence in discussing the framework with colleagues, and a personalized action plan identifying opportunities for future institutional conversations and continuous improvement.
Course Focus
This course provides a broad introduction to the AACSB Global Standards for Business Education™ and is intended for participants who are new to the standards or seeking a high-level understanding of their purpose and application. It is not designed to provide comprehensive accreditation preparation or detailed interpretation of individual standards. Participants seeking in-depth guidance on applying the standards within the accreditation process should consider the AACSB Business Accreditation Seminar.Why Attend?
The AACSB Global Standards provide a shared framework for advancing quality, innovation, and continuous improvement across business education. Whether your institution is beginning its accreditation journey, maintaining accreditation, or simply seeking a stronger understanding of the standards, this workshop provides an accessible introduction to the framework.By participating in this course, you will:
- Build a foundational understanding of the purpose, structure, and guiding principles of the AACSB Global Standards for Business Education™.
- Explore how the nine Global Standards work together as an integrated framework supporting institutional quality, learner success, and continuous improvement.
- Examine institutional examples that illustrate the intent and principles of the standards.
- Reflect on your institution's current strengths and opportunities through guided discussion and practical activities.
- Develop practical next steps and an individualized action plan to support future institutional conversations about the Global Standards.
Who Should Attend?
This course is especially valuable for institutions that:- Want to strengthen institutional quality, innovation, and continuous improvement using an internationally recognized framework.
- Want to build a shared understanding of the Global Standards across the business school—not just among those directly involved in accreditation.
- Are exploring AACSB accreditation and want to understand the philosophy, structure, and intent of the Global Standards before engaging in accreditation-specific programming.
Participants may include:
- Business school deans and associate deans
- Faculty leaders and program directors
- Faculty members
- Professional staff supporting strategy, assessment, curriculum, learner success, or institutional effectiveness
- Accreditation and quality assurance professionals
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:- Explain the purpose, structure, and guiding principles of the AACSB Global Standards for Business Education™.
- Describe the relationships among the three standards categories: Strategic Management, Learner Success, and Pathways to Impact.
- Discuss the purpose and intent of each of the nine standards within the context of business education.
- Recognize examples of institutional practices that illustrate the principles of the standards.
- Explain how mission, strategy, resources, curriculum, faculty, teaching effectiveness, scholarship, and societal impact function as an interconnected quality framework.
- Reflect on institutional strengths and opportunities related to the standards.
- Identify practical next steps for continuing institutional conversations about the standards.
Learn More
Questions? Please contact events@aacsb.edu.
Facilitators
Tim Mescon is Vice President Americas, Growth and Engagement for AACSB. Most recently he served as Executive in Residence at the Parker College of Business at Georgia Southern University. Previously, for eight years until his retirement, Dr. Timothy S. Mescon was executive vice president and chief officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for AACSB International. In this capacity, Mescon and his team supported close to 600 members and 180+ accredited schools throughout EMEA. Mescon is President Emeritus of Columbus State University in Georgia, where he served for 6 ½ years. Prior he was the dean and Dinos Eminent Scholar Chair for 18 years at the Michael J. Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. He was previously dean at the Perdue School at Salisbury (MD) University and prior to that a tenured faculty member and Assistant Dean at the University of Miami Herbert School of Business and an Assistant Professor of Management at the Carey College at Arizona State University. Mescon is the author of more than 200 articles and case studies, and he has co-authored five books, including "Entrepreneurship: Venture Initiation, Management and Development" 2nd edition (Routledge/Taylor & Francis) and his latest co-edited work, “Technologies, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Learning Post-COVID-19- The Crucial Role of International Accreditation,” (Springer, 2022). In 2021 Mescon was named a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Business Schools in the U.K. In 2023 Mescon began a 5-year appointment as a visiting Professor at the Ulster University Business School, in Northern Ireland. He received an Honorary Professorship from Alfred Nobel University in Ukraine and Honorary Doctorate from United Methodist University in Liberia. Dr. Mescon received his Ph.D. from the Terry College at the University of Georgia, MBA from the Cox School at Southern Methodist University and B.A. from Tulane University.
Dr. Libby Rozell currently serves as the Regional Head of the Americas at AACSB International, where she supports member schools across the region and advances AACSB’s mission to foster engagement, accelerate innovation, and amplify impact in business education. Previously, she served as associate dean of the College of Business at Missouri State University and Professor of Management. She taught Organizational Behavior at the graduate and undergraduate levels for over 25 years. Dr. Rozell received her PhD in Business Administration (Management) from the University of Mississippi. For 18 years, she held the title of Kenneth E. Meyer Professor of Management, awarded by the College of Business for her exemplary research performance. Articles she has written have appeared in elite publications such as Personnel Psychology, Group and Organization Studies, and the Journal of Psychology. She has authored over 60 publications and has received several outstanding teaching and research awards.
