AACSB Accreditation Information

This page contains details on key metrics regarding student, faculty, and organizational success. The Coles College of Business makes this material public as part of its accreditation with AACSB International, the world's leading accrediting body for university schools of business. Please review the contents to learn more about how the Coles College accomplishes its mission to inspire the next generation of business leaders.

Student Success Metrics Societal Impact

CCB is strongly committed to societal impact. This commitment manifests in the curriculum, the portfolio of intellectual contributions, and the community engagement that its faculty invest their time in. The extensive work conducted by the societal impact task force is a true testament to this commitment. Using data from various sources (primary data collection using a faculty survey and secondary data using faculty annual review documents) the task force identified societal impact themes that aligned with college activities in teaching, research, and community engagement. AACSB’s outlook on societal impact and the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs) provided the guiding framework. They performed content analyses using DICTION software on the data to algorithmically discover the themes characterizing societal impact. Faculty listening sessions and discussions with unit heads were conducted as part of robustness checks. Decent Work and Economic Growth; and Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure emerged as the top two themes. Using word clouds, multiple sub-themes emerged for these two overarching themes. The theme identification approach notably assessed the congruence of UN SDGs, AACSB’s societal impact outlook, and a business school’s strategic plan. This endeavor helped CCB with valuable inputs for resource planning and allocation and guided the new strategic planning process as well as financial planning. CCB institutionalized a process whereby each faculty when they prepare for the annual performance review, tag each of their key activities including teaching, research, and community engagement, to the themes created. We collaborated with Watermark, the system we use for AACSB data reporting purposes, to update the data entry pages to capture these societal impact-driven developments. This also included an update to the fields in the reports this system generates.

CCB continues to be recognized for impactful research through various rankings, top-quality publications, and recognition. Annually, CCB hosts the Homeland Security Research Symposium showcasing both industry and academic experts. Additionally, its Education Economics Center hosted a hybrid educators conference that was recognized in Forbes Magazine. Similarly, its Master of Accounting Students were recently recognized for providing feedback to an IASB Exposure Draft. The faculty and students received congratulations from multiple Financial Accounting Standards Board Members. CCB has initiated strategic partnerships with external academic institutions (i.e., Georgia Fintech Academy and AURO University in India) and professional associations (i.e., American Transactions Processing Coalition – Fintech industry). Its academic units and centers of excellence continue to actively engage the business community through speaker series, internship opportunities, and professional engagement opportunities for its students.

Below are some specific examples of the profound societal impact CCB engagements create.

The mission of the Education Economics Center is to provide nonpartisan research and technical assistance in the evaluation and design of education policy, including both tax and expenditure issues. 

The objective of the Center is to promote the development of sound education policy and public understanding of education issues with the goal of maximizing student learning, achievement, and other important outcomes.

The National Hybrid Schools Project is the national clearinghouse for research, data, practices, and networking for the burgeoning hybrid home school movement.

The purpose of the Hybrid Schools Project is to document and analyze the independent actors creating these new forms of K-12 schooling outside of the conventional education system. The project explores the many ways individuals and small groups are finding different ways to serve families’ and students’ diverse needs. Over time, the project will produce unique datasets and analyses for publication. The Hybrid Schools Project will also act as a convener to bring together hybrid and micro school founders, educators, policymakers, and researchers interested in these school models.

Kennesaw State University economics professor Ben Scafidi, executive director of the University's Education Economics Center, serves on the Georgia Charter School Commission, where he directly sets policies affecting the 50,000 K-12 students in Georgia's charter school system.

The Georgia Charter School Commission approves and supports Georgia’s 49 charter schools. It focuses on establishing and developing high-quality charter schools by reviewing their performance and promoting immersive educational models.

Scafidi’s tenure on the commission is for two years. He plays an instrumental role in setting policies and reviewing petitions and renewals for existing and upcoming charter schools. With more than 30 years of experience studying the economics of education, Scafidi has produced 20+ publications and presentations on the subject. His research interests range from economic inequality in education and housing to teaching and public school education analyses.

The symposium on homeland security hosted by the Coles College of Business showcases quality research by both industry and academic experts on homeland security issues. This event is meant to facilitate discussions among peers on important research advancements in the homeland security domain, the current state of affairs, and related future challenges and possible strategies to tackle them. It also gives the opportunity to build partnerships and future research collaborations as researchers attempt to strategically address these challenges.

Beyond showcasing notable research and practice-oriented work in homeland security, we publish a special working paper series issue featuring Coles faculty work submitted to this event. The symposium features student research posters conducted under the mentorship of our faculty in related areas.

CCB’s Kennesaw State University Student Managed Investment Fund LLC (KSU SMIF) provides real-time, hands-on experience in portfolio management and investing to a select group of high achievers. Students are actively involved in managing the fund daily, effectively applying classroom theory to a real-world setting. The organization operates as a limited liability corporation, solely owned by Kennesaw State University, a non-profit organization. SMIF provides students with the unique opportunity to further their global education at partner institutions abroad. Currently, Student Managed Investment Fund students enjoy a privileged track for selection to the KSU-Soka University Student Exchange Program. In addition to Soka University, the KSU Student Managed Investment Fund has participated in the exchange with the University of Laval, Quebec, Canada.

In partnership with Mendix, the MAD lab hosts Well-Being Hackathons each year. At the event, mobile apps are designed to bring awareness or help around mental health, well-being, or related issues. This event contributes to a critical need for creativity and solutions in this area thereby making a significant positive societal contribution.

As part of the engagement, Mendix provides free mobile app development training and certification ($1350+ value!) to participants. Their platform enables even beginners to make sophisticated mobile apps. In doing so, the event also helps students enhance their resumes as there is a job market for the industry certification earned through Mendix.

The Iota Tau Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) had an excellent year of events and activities. In November 2022, for the 5th consecutive year, SOA’s chapter was recognized as a Superior Chapter by Beta Alpha Psi International. Students completed a collective of 621.8 professional development hours and 573.5 community service hours in the 2022-2023 academic year, including a new service opportunity with Junior Achievement at the World Congress Center in Atlanta. KSU’s BAP chapter has nearly 150 members and hosted 20 companies during the 2022 year.

TheRobin and Doug Shore Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center (RDSEIC) has developed and executed significant student, alumni, business, and community impact programs in the discipline of entrepreneurship through numerous support functions. Highlights of major impacts and accomplishments are listed by categories of student/alumni engagement, new venture creation, corporate innovation, social entrepreneurship, and the entrepreneurship fellows' program. 

a) Student Engagement

The RDSEIC embarked on increasing student engagement significantly throughout the Leven School of Management, Entrepreneurship & Hospitality, Cole’s College of Business, and across all disciplines at Kennesaw State University. The goal was to enhance and expand entrepreneurial mindsets and skillsets to business students and students outside business that provide skills in support of business opportunities. This goal was accomplished by having the RDSEIC serve as the focal point for integrated programming, training boot camps, internal and external networking events, guest speakers, mentoring platforms, business funding, and coaching to both business and non-business students and alumni. The RDSEIC developed three targeted programs: CEO organization, ENACTUS, and an entrepreneurship fellows’ program.

The Collegiate Entrepreneurship Organization (CEO) operates as the main student organization to create and promote entrepreneurship to students and alumni across campus. The CEO team has a student board, meets weekly, and runs student/alumni events with RDSEIC support throughout the year. The CEO organization has grown from a handful of students to over 400 students in the past several years with average attendance at events of over 50+ students.

b) New Venture Creation

The RDSEIC is committed to action-oriented support of cross-discipline students engaging in the actual development of new venture ideas, product creation, company formulations, and launching of viable and scalable ventures that impact the local, state, and regional economies. The RDSEIC created an innovation fund to provide pre-seed capital to students and alumni along with training, coaching, and mentoring to launch these companies that operate in local, regional, and global markets. Through the support of an external donor, The Mookerji Innovation Fund was established and supported for five years. The RDSEIC has funded 20 new start-up ventures created by students and alumni from various disciplines across the KSU community within the past 24 months. In addition, most companies have received multiple rounds of funding as they develop customer discovery experience, prototype development, and early adopter customers. Companies are currently highly scalable and fundable, and two companies are operating in global markets. Multiple companies have migrated to the KSU incubator/accelerator, and several companies have placed in the finals for regional and national competitions such as Tie Atlanta and TCU’s business competition.

c) Corporation Innovation

Corporation Innovation and Entrepreneurship is an emerging area of focus for the RDSEIC. The center works with established companies and industry leaders interested in developing innovation-focused projects and teams to solve real-world problems needed within their companies. In addition, they seek to leverage entrepreneurial thinking in the development of next-generation solutions and leverage students, faculty, and domain experts as part of the new product or service offerings that will benefit their company or industry in the future. The RDSEIC has engaged with companies such as Well Star Health System, Radical Logistics, and Green Energy Accelerator.

d) Social Entrepreneurship

The RDSEIC engages in promoting and supporting social entrepreneurship with ENACTUS teams that solve problems in society through developing sustainable organizations, supporting the community, and competing on a regional and national level. The KSU team competes first at a regional level and often at the national level. The team competed at ENACTUS competition events until the Covid 19 suspension by ENACTUS. In addition, the RDSEIC is currently engaged with a social organization named the Power of Piece Project (POPP) that develops impactful programs to reduce violence in prisons and high schools around the world. The RDSEIC provides leadership consulting and experts in developing a scalable technology platform to automate and accelerate program access.

e) Entrepreneurship Fellows’ Program (EFP)

The Entrepreneurship Fellows Program is an innovative program developed to promote and train faculty across disciplines at KSU. These fellows were nominated by deans across campus colleges to participate in an extensive training program to integrate entrepreneurial mindsets and skill sets focused on action–oriented teaching concepts within their specific course disciplines. Further, approved courses were developed and certificate programs in entrepreneurship were approved through the academic process. The EFP held two cohorts totaling sixteen fellows trained across KSU academic colleges. The RDSEIC developed and executed the program in coordination with the academic leadership of the Leven School of Management, Entrepreneurship, and Hospitality.

Master of Science in Healthcare Management and Informatics is experiencing exceptional growth, with many organizations unable to find qualified candidates who understand the healthcare industry, have expertise in informatics, and are capable leaders. MSHMI meets this need by empowering graduates with a holistic understanding of healthcare practices; technology, data analytics, and informatics skills; and a mastery of management and conflict-resolution techniques. The following outlines the benefits that MSHMI brings to its students, to the program, and to the digital health ecosystem. The MSHMI program provides:

• A comprehensive curriculum spread across four colleges - Coles College of Business, with roots spread across the College of Science and Math, College of Computer Science and Software Engineering, Wellstar College of Health - and five departments.
• Built-in opportunities for professional engagement, networking, executive mentoring, and practical real-world experience. These elements combine to provide our graduates with the skills/tools to reach their full potential. Our faculty, industry partners, and executive board members are committed to the success of students.
• Access to all textbooks, Harvard Business Review cases, software, AHIMA VLAB (virtual lab with access to coding software, Electronic Health Records, and Analytical Tools)
• Professional coaching and mentoring via career coach/consultant that provides services for resume review, interview prep., LinkedIn, and job search.
• Multiple opportunities for professional networking, industry engagement, and participating in exclusive Executive Speaker series with digital health leaders via access to participation in national and local platforms – AMIA, ConV2X, TAG Digital Health, Health IT Leadership Summit, Health Connect South.
• Opportunities for its students and faculty to participate in collaborative research, travel, conference presentations, and journal publications via funded graduate research assistantships and fellowships.
• Support for obtaining professional certificates for career advancements - a large majority of MSHMI students graduate with additional certificates and have research publications/presentations under their belt before completing their degree.
• Opportunities for students to get the highly selective AMIA health informatics certificate.
• Opportunities for applied industry engagement projects, which are a cornerstone of MSHMI. Our students work in teams to apply their analytical/problem-solving skills to relevant industry projects which leads to immersive experiential learning complementing classroom learning.
• Tutor and coaching support for classes and concepts that require hand-holding and extra support for student success.
• A dedicated team of staff and administration supporting advising, and operational/strategic questions.
• Student awards, recognitions, and industry events to celebrate students’ success, provide recognition and motivation, and industry engagement.
• An inclusive environment. MSHMI, despite its STEM focus, has been able to maintain gender parity, racial and ethnic diversity, and inclusivity in the current students and alumni base.
• Classes on Friday evenings in a combination of hybrid and virtual modalities to ensure access and wider reach of the program to a diverse student body.

The experiential learning, immersive projects that HMI students and faculty engage in have deep societal impact, build on skills associated with analytics and decision-making, and develop an understanding of healthcare policy and regulations and a holistic view of the healthcare ecosystem. Here are the top three of the most recent projects that groups of faculty and students have tackled with industry partners are outlined below. These were voted in the top three by health-tech leaders in Spring 2023 for deep societal impact, rigor, relevance, impact, and reach:

• Suicide Ideation - in partnership with CDC, students Anas and Jasmine, Faculty - Sweta and Austin
• Improving Patient Outcomes - Discharge with Virtual Nurse Platform. In partnership with Wellstar, Students - Bonnie, Riley, Jovelle, Faculty - Sweta, Maria, Valentina
• Medication Adherence - Industry partner DFHA, students - Joli, Richard, Elie, Farah, Faculty - Sweta