UB School of Management recognized by AACSB International for inspiring innovation

By Matthew Biddle

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The University at Buffalo School of Management’s Undergraduate Learning and Community Center was recognized on Feb. 1 by AACSB International, the global accrediting body for business schools, as part of its Innovations that Inspire initiative.

Selected from more than 200 business schools in 35 countries worldwide, the UB School of Management’s undergraduate center was highlighted at AACSB’s 2016 Deans Conference in Miami, as one of 30 innovations that represent how business schools are diversifying the educational environment and redefining how academic institutions create, teach, connect and lead.

The Undergraduate Learning and Community Center opened in fall 2015 as a destination for management and accounting undergraduates to connect with their peers and develop skills for lifelong success.

Located in the lower level of the Jacobs Management Center, the 5,800-square-foot space includes tutoring facilities, three classrooms, the glass-walled Learning Hub for group work and study sessions, and the Frank and Marilyn Clement Undergraduate Community Hub, a colorful gathering space named for the center’s lead donors.

“This is a key initiative in our goal to provide an outstanding experience for our students,” says Paul Tesluk, interim dean of the School of Management. “In addition to academic and tutoring services, the center offers our undergraduates a place where they can gather and feel at home from the moment they step on campus.”

In its first semester alone, the center welcomed nearly 4,300 student visits and became an integral part of undergraduate life in the school. The center hosted more than 780 one-on-one tutoring sessions and workshops during fall 2015, and 100% of students who used the tutoring services said they’d recommend them to their peers.

“It is my pleasure to recognize the University at Buffalo School of Management for its role in spearheading ingenuity within the business education landscape,” says Thomas R. Robinson, president and chief executive officer of AACSB International.

“As AACSB celebrates 100 years of improving quality management education worldwide, it is important for those within and outside of the industry to be reminded of the vision, leadership and innovative thinking business schools bring to the table,” Robinson says. “Through our Innovations that Inspire recognition, the UB School of Management stands as a testament to how business schools are driving positive impact within their communities and society at large, through their groundbreaking practices and continuous focus on excellence.”