MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) recently announced that it has reaffirmed its accreditation for SUNY Orange’s business degree programs for another 10 years. The reaffirmation came with no notes or conditions, signifying the council’s recognition of the business degrees’ exceptional academic rigor and the College’s stellar student support.

The ACBSP accreditation process recognizes seven standards of excellence based on the Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence. By evaluating aspects of leadership, strategic planning, relationships with stakeholders, quality of academic programs, faculty credentials, and educational support, ACBSP assesses whether or not business programs offer a rigorous educational experience and commitment to continuous quality improvement.

SUNY Orange offers five accredited degree programs within its Business academic community: accounting (A.S.), accounting (A.A.S.), business administration, business management and healthcare administration. The College also offers an accounting procedures certificate.

The accreditation process included a self-study report, generated by a SUNY Orange team, that was submitted in June in advance of a site visits to both campuses in October. Accreditors submitted a peer review report to the ACBSP Board, which reviewed both the self study and peer review report in November and voted to reaffirm the accreditation.

“Having ACBSP reaffirm our business degree programs with no notes or conditions is a tribute to the tireless work of every member of our business department, each of whom is committed to creating a high-quality learning environment and layering it with exceptional student support and timely industry insight. When outside agencies validate the work we are doing, it reinforces the value and quality of a SUNY Orange education,” said Dr. Erika Hackman, SUNY Orange provost. “I want to thank Lucinda Fleming and Terree Angerame for their exceptional leadership of the business department, and each of our business faculty for doing great work every day while serving our students with distinction.”

The ACBSP site visit team acknowledged several SUNY Orange strengths in its peer review report, including:

• The availability of clear business program degree maps and published learning outcomes. These materials demonstrate compliance with accreditation requirements and provide transparency for students, faculty, and external stakeholders.
• The department’s emphasis on emerging technologies and evidence-based pedagogy reflects a culture of continuous improvement, positioning the College to remain responsive to evolving workforce and learner needs.
• The strong mechanisms in place to ensure instructional consistency across all faculty types. The use of standardized syllabi, textbooks, and learning outcomes promotes alignment in teaching and assessment practices, supporting equity in the student learning experience.
• The faculty are student-centered but output-oriented to reach learning/program goals.
• Annual structured meetings with advisory boards provide a formalized mechanism for obtaining industry input, ensuring that employer perspectives are consistently incorporated into program planning and review. This practice helps align curricula with workforce expectations and reinforces the business department’s responsiveness to stakeholder needs
• The department’s faculty mentoring process and the provision of standardized instructional resources serve as necessary quality assurance measures. These practices contribute to faculty effectiveness, promote instructional alignment, and enhance student success.
• Students have an opportunity to get knowledge from various faculty members with expert skills. These faculty have a long tenure within the department, and several are alumni of the College. Several faculty have gone on beyond the doctoral degree level and attained additional specialty credentialing in AI, law and other areas.

The SUNY Orange Business Department first applied and successfully received accreditation through ACBSP in 2005, and successfully received a 10-year reaccreditation in 2015. Institutions with programs accredited by ACBSP are committed to continuous improvement that ensures their business program will give students the skills employers want. ACBSP’s student-centered teaching and learning approach, which is measured and analyzed for quality, ensures that students gain the right skills from their educational investment.

For more information about the College’s business community and its degree programs, visit www.sunyorange.edu. To learn more about the admissions process, or to apply, visit www.sunyorange.edu/getstarted, call (845) 341-4030 or email apply@sunyorange.edu.