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(December 16, 2007) 31st & Pearl Like Butter Without raising even a bead of sweat, the College of Business at USM just successfully completed its 6th Year AACSB Review. And, the Year-in-6th-Year was, for the CoB at least, only 10 months. While the CoB.s central administration rejoices in the news, as it should, it would probably be a good idea to take stock at what this decision means to the world surrounding USM's b-school.

(December 17, 2007) Special Report "6th Year Review" Faculty Turnover An Investigative Report on the CoB's AACSB Accreditation The 14-Dec-07 announcement -- that the CoB's AACSB probation had been lifted -- came as a surprise to many CoB faculty. More than one source has since told USMNEWS.NET that the AACSB's most recent finding is also perplexing simply because the CoB is demonstrably worse, as an organization, today (14-Dec-07) than it was at the time the CoB's AACSB Peer Review Team visited in February of 2007. A previous installment in the Special Report series indicates that the CoB lost 14 faculty during the AACSB probationary period (from Feb-07 to Dec-07).

(December 17, 2007) 31st & Pearl AACSB Re-Cycle The recent "good news" from the AACSB regarding the CoB's re-accreditation means that the CoB is now on a new accreditation cycle. Since the CoB.s prior accreditation success in 1997, the AACSB moved from 10-year review cycles to 5-year review cycles. Given the CoB's AACSB failure in February of 2007, the first year of the new 5-year cycle (2007-2012) has been spent on the most recent accreditation attempt.

(January 11, 2008) (updated January 21, 2008) Accreditation 2012 -- The Impossible Dream? With the calendar turning over into 2008, the CoB's next attempt to retain its AACSB accreditation is already looming. The recent faculty departures of Barry Babin (MKT), Charles Sawyer (ECO), Sean Salter (FIN), and Franklin Mixon (ECO) -- all easily "Academically Qualified" by research, using the CoB's standard for its 2007 re-accreditation attempt -- will make things that much more arduous when 2012 rolls around. With the loss of 2007 to the so-called "6th Year Review" of 2007-08, things were already looking bleak.

(February 6, 2008) CoB News, 5 February 2008 “President Saunders, Come on Down!” On Monday, 11-Feb-2008, USM President Martha D. Saunders will be attending the CoB’s reception honoring Interim CoB Dean Alvin Williams’ successful effort to have the College’s AACSB accreditation renewed until 2012. The celebration will be held on the 3rd floor of Joseph Greene Hall, and all faculty and staff are invited to attend.

(March 19, 2008) 31st & Pearl Anticipating Arnold -- Word to Trapnell Frostburg State University business school dean, Danny Arnold, will soon be visiting USM to interview for the same position ( business dean). Arnold is already a one-time loser when it comes to chasing down the top post at USM's business college, having failed in the late 1990s when his interview with the top brass at USM went awry. Those familiar with the CoB's latest AACSB accreditation troubles also recognize Arnold as a key figure on the CoB.s Peer Review Team (PRT). In the fall of 2007 the CoB was notified that it had passed 6th Year ("Probationary") Review. Now, just about 120 days later, Arnold is heading this way to see about taking over the top post of the organization he just judged.