August 23, 2007
Business college moves up in rankings
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale's College of Business and Administration has moved up in the 2008 U.S. News & World Report rankings and the school continues to be recognized as one of the top 100 public business colleges in the nation. There are more than 1,600 business schools in the U.S.
In the U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges 2008" guide that hit newsstands this week, SIUC College of Business and Administration was ranked 79th overall among public business schools, up four spots from 83rd last year.
"We are very proud of the recognition our top-notch academic programs continue to receive but we are not sitting still. We're aiming to build on our success," said Dean J. Dennis Cradit.
The U.S. News rankings are based on surveys by deans and senior faculty at undergraduate business programs accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB). Participants were asked to rate the quality of all programs with which they are familiar. The rankings are based solely on this peer survey, which is why Cradit is reluctant to place too much emphasis on them. "One approach is to market to those deans but that's not what we want to do. The College of Business is more interested in what our students think. We are focusing all our energy on delivering genuine value to our students and we don't want to be motivated purely by rankings," Cradit said.
The high ranking comes at a time when the school is investing heavily in learning resources and accommodations for students. Earlier this year, Pittsburgh couple Herb and Barbara Shear donated $1 million to assist the dean in attaining his long-term strategic goals, which include a plan to create a student-service culture in the college.
SIUC's College of Business and Administration is also among an elite group of schools accredited by AACSB International, putting SIUC in the top 10 percent of business schools nationwide. It is one of only three public business colleges in Illinois that offers bachelor, master and doctoral degrees.