Accredited And Setting The Mark For Continuous Improvement
Earning Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) accreditation is a moment of celebration for the Archie W. Dunham College of Business (DCOB), and it is also a moment of resolve.
From the beginning, our goal was not simply to earn a credential. We pursued accreditation to improve—our programs, our processes and most importantly, the student experience. Along the way, we refined curricula, strengthened faculty development, deepened faith integration and aligned our degrees more intentionally with workforce needs. This process reminded us why we exist: to educate students well, prepare them for meaningful work and equip them to lead with competence and character. ACBSP accreditation affirms that we are on the right path. It also commits us to continuous improvement—listening closely to students, alumni and employers and responding thoughtfully as the business landscape evolves.
I am deeply grateful to our faculty and staff for their dedication, collaboration and belief in what this college is and can be. Together, we are building something strong—and are continually building something lasting.
Michael Rome
Dean & Director of Academic and Corporate Partnerships of the Archie W. Dunham College of Business
A Mark of Excellence and a Charge
Archie W.Dunham College of Business Achieves Accreditation
On Dec. 11, 2025, Houston Christian University (HCU) officials received news that marked both a milestone and a new beginning for the Archie W. Dunham College of Business (DCOB). After an extensive and rigorous three-year auditing process, the College officially earned accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
For DCOB leadership and faculty, the recognition serves not as a finish line, but as a catalyst for continuous process improvement—affirming decades of disciplined progress, from its humble beginnings in 1966 as the Division of Business and Economics at what was then Houston Baptist College, to the start of a new decade of targeted improvement.
“This is not just a single stake in the sand,” says Dr. Greggory L. Keiffer, Executive Associate Dean of the DCOB. “ACBSP accreditation means we’ve committed ourselves to an ongoing process—listening to the marketplace, learning from employers and our advisory board and continually refining how we prepare students for meaningful careers.”
Significance of ACBSP Accreditation
ACBSP accreditation affirms that a business school meets rigorous standards in leadership, strategic planning, curriculum quality, faculty development and—most
importantly—student learning outcomes. For HCU, it also validates the Dunham College of Business’s identity as a teaching-focused, student-centered institution.
Dr. Kenneth Bandy, Professor of Business and Accreditation Liaison, described the DCOB’s recent accreditation as “a signal to the world that we have looked outside of ourselves to a set of standards that are, in practice, high quality markers.”
“Our goal was to achieve those standards and then share with the world and all of our stakeholders that we have met those quality requirements,” says Dr. Bandy.
ACBSP emphasizes teaching excellence and continuous improvement and enabled DCOB to remain true to its mission and student-centered focus.
“We’re a Christian university. Our calling is to prepare students not only for employment, but for service, leadership and stewardship,” says Dr. Keiffer.
The Archie W. Dunham College of Business is now the only ACBSP-accredited four-year business school in the greater Houston area.
A Business-Minded Process for a Business School
The ACBSP accreditation journey is a multi-phase process that includes institutional eligibility and candidacy, completion of a comprehensive self-study, an on-site peer-review visit and review by the ACBSP Board of Commissioners, followed by ongoing reporting and continuous improvement.
The process mirrored what students are taught in Dunham classrooms: strategic thinking, accountability and disciplined execution.
“We approached this exactly like a business transformation,” says Dr. Keiffer.
Every program, every course and every learning outcome came under review. Faculty analyzed assessment data,benchmarked against peer institutions and asked difficult
questions about relevance and rigor.
For the 2024-2025 academic year, HCU business students outperformed competing institutions represented by their accreditation or faith affiliation on the end-of-program assessment exam. The exam, offered by Peregrine Global Services, measures students’ knowledge of core business areas and demonstrates the quality of academic programs. “We weren’t just checking boxes,” Dr. Bandy explains of the accreditation process. “We were asking: Does this actually prepare students for the marketplace?”
The result was a refined strategic plan that places student success at its core. Graduation rates, retention, experiential learning and career placement are no longer by products of the process; they are central benchmarks and performance indicators.
“This isn’t a one-time achievement,” Dr. Keiffer emphasizes. “It’s more of an ongoing process to make sure we don’t rest on our laurels and that we make sure
that all of the great processes that we put in place are being improved continuously.”
Faculty at the Center of Change
Achieving accreditation rested squarely on faculty leadership. Monthly meetings evolved into innovation sessions where professors examined curriculum at the syllabus level and collaborated across disciplines—from accounting and finance to marketing, management and international business.
“Faculty creativity is one of our greatest strengths,” says Dr. Bandy. “We’re constantly finding ways to bring real-world experiences into the classroom—competitions, certifications, case studies and applied projects.”
During the process, faculty built professional certifications in banking, commercial real estate, leadership and professional development; invited alumni to campus to engage with students; and refined student organizations, including student service clubs, accounting and finance organizations and human resource management clubs.
The accreditation process also sharpened the college’s approach to faith integration. Rather than remaining an abstract value, faith integration became what leaders now call a mission imperative.
“We’ve created a subcommittee focused specifically on faith integration,” explains Dr. Bandy. “Its purpose is to support every faculty member in doing their very best work in that area—and to measure it meaningfully.”
Recommended Enhancements
One of the most transformative aspects of the ACBSP process was what it revealed, both in strengths and weaknesses.
“ACBSP provides a framework for what colleges of business should be teaching. And through that process, we identified a couple of areas where we were not as
strong as we should be,” Dr. Keiffer expounds. First, business communications. Testing and evaluations revealed that while students were capable, they needed
stronger preparation in professional communication— from writing effective emails and reports to presenting in boardrooms and engaging confidently with executives.
“This isn’t just a business communications course,” Dr. Keiffer explains. “It’s about learning how to be a business professional.” Second, financial literacy and generosity. In alignment with HCU’s Christian mission, the college is developing a
dedicated course that will be a prerequisite for every business major, focused on financial stewardship, generosity and ethical decision-making. (See page 22.)
“ACBSP directly influenced that addition,” Dr. Keiffer notes. “Yes, we needed to meet accreditation standards—but the deeper benefit is how it serves students, the community and the marketplace.” Both courses will launch in Fall 2026, alongside revised undergraduate and graduate degrees shaped by employer feedback and regional workforce needs.
Students, Careers and Community Impact
At its heart, accreditation is about students. As part of the ACBSP framework, the DCOB now tracks and prioritizes outcomes that matter most: retention, graduation, internships and job placement. “The ultimate measure is employment,” Dr. Keiffer
says. “How many offers students receive—and how well those roles align with their goals.” Accreditation also enhances the value of degrees already earned.
“As the student experience improves, the value of our alumni degrees increases,” Dr. Keiffer explains. “That’s a benefit that reaches far beyond campus.” For employers, the message is clear: graduates of the Archie W. Dunham College of Business are being trained with intention—grounded in skill, character and faith.
Looking Ahead
As the college celebrates its ACBSP accreditation, leaders are quick to shift the focus forward. “We’re accredited,” Dr. Bandy says. “Now we focus on continuing to improve.”
It’s a promise—to students, to employers and to the Houston community—that the Archie W. Dunham College of Business will continue listening, learning and
leading with purpose.
For a full overview of retention and performance data for various degree programs, visit our page.
About the ACBSP
Founded in 1988, the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) is a leading global accreditor and the first to offer accreditation across all levels of business education, from associate to doctoral programs. Its rigorous, outcomes-based standards— modeled on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award—require comprehensive assessment, continuous improvement and close alignment with employer expectations, signifying that an accredited business school meets internationally recognized benchmarks for educational excellence and workforce relevance.
For the Archie W. Dunham College of Business, earning accreditation reflects significant institutional advancement, including strengthened advisory board engagement with industry leaders, the addition of new faculty, revised strategic planning responsive to marketplace realities, expanded student support and certificate programs, revitalized student organizations and faculty development grounded in ACBSP assessment and continuous improvement practices.