The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) Associate Degree Board of Commissioners has awarded Gateway Technical College initial accreditation of its business programs, the first technical college in Wisconsin to receive that designation.

 The national accreditation means Gateway programs, curriculum and staff members meet the rigorous standards set by the ACBSP, and put the learning opportunities on par with four-year colleges in Wisconsin and throughout the nation.

“This accreditation is a validation that our program is now on an even higher level than in the past,” said Gateway Associate Dean of Business Manoj Babu. “It’s a tribute to our Business and Information Technology team.

“It means our programs are enhanced, our effectiveness in teaching is increased and our students receive the optimal training at our college. Businesses look for this accreditation as they interview applicants, and our graduates will have an increased opportunity to be hired because of it.”

Four-year colleges also look for this accreditation when forging transfer agreements with technical colleges, which may open doors to even more opportunities for this in the future.

 “Gateway Technical College has shown their commitment to teaching excellence and to the process of quality improvement by participating in the accreditation process,” said ACBSP Director of Accreditation Steve Parscale, who will present the Certificate of Initial Accreditation at the ACBSP Annual Conference in Chicago, Ill., June 29.

“This accreditation is evidence that Gateway Technical College is committed to providing the highest quality business education for their students.”

Babu said accreditation has been a longtime goal of the business program, but that work was ramped up when businesses began asking for even more verification of the ways Gateway provides quality education.

“Accreditation gives us that high value, that we are doing what we say we are doing,” he said. “And it’s ongoing – accreditation doesn’t end here. It begins here – to retain the accreditation, we need to consistently improve and provide the best education we can to our students.”

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 within the business school at Gateway Technical College meet the rigorous educational standards established by ACBSP. For more information on ACBSP, go to www.acbsp.org.