UC Recognized by AACSB International for Innovative Business Program

The University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business is being recognized by AACSB International, the global accrediting body and membership association for business schools, at the Feb. 6 AACSB Dean’s Conference, held in New Orleans.

Lindner’s "Back to Business" program is one of 35 innovations from around the world chosen by the AACSB International for representing critical work being done by business schools to better their communities and society at large.

“This year’s

Innovations That Inspire initiative

has highlighted the groundbreaking and commanding influence that AACSB’s member schools can have on the world when they focus their attention on creating impactful ideas for all of society,” says Tom R. Robinson, president and chief executive officer of AACSB international. “We are honored to highlight the University of Cincinnati’s innovation as a pioneer in the business education landscape, and use them as an example for how AACSB’s schools are facilitators for innovation and leadership.

Back to Business is a free four-week program offered at UC’s Lindner College of Business to local professionals who have been downsized. In classes taught by the UC faculty, participants gain new knowledge and learn new skills needed to compete in the region’s best jobs. Since its inception in 2009, 85% of participants have received a full-time job offer within three months of completing the program.

Amit Raturi, professor of operations management at Lindner, founded the program with a team of Lindner professors to help those hurt by staggering job losses after an economic downturn in 2008. His commitment to help earned him a UC Just Community Award in 2010 for demonstrating high community values.

"Making a difference for community members is the goal of the program, and I'm honored to be a part of it," says Lindner College of Business Dean and Marketing Professor David Szymanski, one of the many faculty members who routinely teach in the program.

This is the second year that the Lindner College of Business has been highlighted by the AACSB. In 2015, Lindner alum Paul Polman, the CEO of Unilever, was named one of the first recipients of the AACSB Influential Leaders Award. Polman, MBA ’79 and MA ’79, along with notable alumni from AACSB-accredited schools such as Colin Powell and Sam Walton, was honored for making an impact in the world through his business acumen, leadership and entrepreneurial success.

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About AACSB International

As the world's largest business education network connecting academe with business, AACSB provides business education intelligence, quality assurance, and professional development services to more than 1,500 member organizations across 97 countries and territories. Founded in 1916, AACSB accredits 780 business schools worldwide. Its global headquarters is located in Tampa, Florida, USA; Asia Pacific headquarters is located in Singapore; and its EMEA headquarters is located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.aacsb.edu.