In a challenging time for retail, fashion schools must do what they can to ensure graduates are properly equipped. Meanwhile, business programs need to get creative in order to keep pace with the quickly evolving market.
Fashion Institute of Technology is one such example. The college’s Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology biz programs were just awarded accreditation, said a spokesman for the university.
“This accomplishment directly supports the strategic goals of both the school and the college, including ensuring academic and creative excellence, and enhancing our ability to recruit, develop and retain [a strong] faculty,” said Joyce Brown, president of FIT.
The recognition comes from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, a specialized body for business education. It evaluates features like stakeholder relationships, academic program quality, strategic plans, leadership aspects and faculty credentials. Notably, the qualification may help empower students.
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“Institutions with programs accredited by ACBSP are committed to continuous improvement that ensures their business programs will give students the skills employers want,” said Steven Frumkin, dean of the business and tech school. “Their benchmarks provide a framework that make us a better school.”
Overall, the accreditation aims to distinguish programs. As the spokesman described, “[It serves] to determine whether or not the business programs [considered] offer a rigorous educational experience and demonstrate continuous quality improvement.”
The endorsement may bolster the school’s cachet. According to the spokesman, ACBSP said that of the higher-education institutions in the U.S. with biz programs, fewer than 50 percent boast accreditation.
This particular school is among FIT’s largest. ACBSP intends to present FIT with a certificate of accreditation at its conference in Kansas City, Mo., on June 10.
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