FIT Awarded Accreditation of Its Business Programs

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May 23, 2018, 01:03 ET

NEW YORK, May 23, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Fashion Institute of Technology's Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology has been awarded accreditation of its business programs by the Baccalaureate/Graduate Degree Board of Commissioners of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

Of the higher education institutions in the United States with business programs, less than 50 percent are accredited, according to ACBSP.

The programs in the Baker School of Business and Technology receiving accreditation are Advertising and Marketing Communications, Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing, Fashion Business Management, Home Products Development, International Trade and Marketing for the Fashion Industries, Production Management: Fashion and Related Industries, and Textile Development and Marketing.

Celebrating 30 years of excellence in global business program accreditation, ACBSP is the only organization offering specialized business accreditation for all degree levels, from associate to baccalaureate to doctoral degree programs. ACBSP accreditation certifies that the teaching and learning processes within the undergraduate and graduate business programs offered through the Baker School of Business and Technology meet the rigorous educational standards established by ACBSP.

Based on the Baldridge Education Criteria for Performance Excellence, ACBSP accreditation evaluates aspects of leadership, strategic planning, relationships with stakeholders, quality of academic programs, faculty credentials, and educational support to determine whether or not the business programs offer a rigorous educational experience and demonstrate continuous quality improvement.

"The accreditation of these programs recognizes the Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology's ability to provide its students with the most current knowledge and skills for the global marketplace and to serve its external industry partners," said Dr. Joyce F. Brown, president of FIT. "This accomplishment also directly supports the strategic goals of both the school and the college, including ensuring academic and creative excellence, and enhancing our ability to recruit, develop, and retain an outstanding faculty."

The Baker School of Business and Technology is the largest among FIT's schools in terms of degree-seeking student enrollments (55 percent of all FIT enrollments, or 4,505 students in fall 2017). The school offers majors that focus on business in fashion and its related professions, including Fashion Business Management, the first and largest program of its kind in the United States. Through all of the programs offered in the Baker School of Business and Technology, students gain high-level communication skills and creative problem-solving abilities that are critical in the global marketplace, while also mastering the advanced technology necessary for success.

Notable alumni from the Baker School of Business and Technology include Leslie Blodgett, Cosmetics Fragrance and Marketing, creator of bareMinerals; Bridget Foley, Textile Development and Marketing, senior materials developer, Nike; Kelsey Ives, Fashion Business Management, senior merchandising manager of women's bags, Coach; Orrea Light, Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing, vice president, product development, L'Oréal Paris; Rhiannon Madden, Advertising and Marketing Communications, vice president of consumer products and director of apparel, National Football League (NFL); Shona Quinn, International Trade and Marketing for the Fashion Industries, sustainability leader, Eileen Fisher; Laura Sok, Advertising and Marketing Communications, vice president of publicity, IFC Films; Essie Weingarten, Fashion Business Management, founder and global brand consultant, Essie Cosmetics; and Joe Zee, Advertising and Marketing Communications, former editor-in-chief and executive creative officer of Yahoo Style.

"The accreditation recognizes teaching excellence, determining student learning outcomes, and a continuous improvement model," said Steven Frumkin, dean of the Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology. "Institutions with programs accredited by ACBSP are committed to continuous improvement that ensures their business programs will give students the skills employers want. Their benchmarks provide a framework that make us a better school."

"The Fashion Institute of Technology has shown its commitment to teaching excellence and to the process of quality improvement by participating in the accreditation process," said ACBSP Chief Accreditation Officer Steve Parscale, who will present the Certificate of Accreditation at ACBSP Conference 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 10. "This accreditation is evidence that FIT is committed to providing the highest quality business education for its students."

About Accreditation at FIT
FIT is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (msche.org). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. FIT is also accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (nasad.arts-accredit.org), the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (accredit-id.org), and now the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (acbsp.org).

Cheri Fein
Executive Director of Public and Media Relations
212 217.4700; [email protected]

SOURCE Fashion Institute of Technology