REGINA — In May 2026, a peer review team representing the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International came to the University of Regina to settle one question: does the Hill Levene School of Business meet the AACSB global standard for business education?
AACSB has defined that global benchmark since 1916. Its peer-review process asks whether a business school can substantiate the quality and continuous improvement of its programs. Accreditation places Hill Levene within a network that employers and universities recognize worldwide.
Faculty, staff, students, alumni, employers, and community partners came together to make the case. The reviewers assessed the evidence and asked how decisions were made.
Our task now is to build on this momentum while remaining grounded in Saskatchewan, connecting our students, researchers, and community partners with global ideas and opportunities that create meaningful impact here at home and beyond. — Dr. Erin Oldford, dean of the Hill Levene School of Business, University of Regina
On July 21, AACSB announced the result: the U of R was among 11 institutions worldwide to earn business accreditation, a distinction held by fewer than six per cent of the world's premier schools offering business degrees.
Dr. Erin Oldford, dean of the Hill Levene School of Business, says her first thought was not of the credential.
“My first thought was of our people, the faculty and staff who carried this work forward over several years while continuing to teach, support students, conduct research, and serve our community,” she says. “Achieving AACSB Initial Accreditation felt like recognition of their collective effort and of the quality and impact they create every day. I felt an enormous sense of pride and gratitude.”
What accreditation means for students, families, and employers
Very few schools hold this accreditation. With the University of Regina now among them, the worldwide total stands at 1,097 institutions across 71 countries and territories.
For a Grade 12 student comparing business schools, or a parent weighing where tuition dollars will go, the credential answers a practical question: who has checked this school’s claims?
"AACSB accreditation provides independent, internationally recognized assurance of the quality of a Hill Levene education," Oldford says. "It tells students and families that our programs are relevant and rigorous, our faculty are accomplished teachers and researchers, student learning is carefully assessed, and our curriculum evolves alongside the needs of employers and society."
Behind that assurance was a team. Oldford credits the accreditation team led by Dr. Morina Rennie, associate dean, continuous improvement, along with the faculty and staff who supported the work across the school.
Rennie says the credential tells employers much the same thing: that a Hill Levene degree is rigorous and relevant, and that the school has the evidence to back it up.
Stephanie M. Bryant, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB, looks past the milestone to what the accreditation sets in motion.
"Today’s students are tomorrow’s business leaders, and the addition of the Hill Levene School of Business to the network of AACSB-accredited business schools will have a lasting positive impact for their institution, both locally and globally,” says Bryant.
Accreditation built over nearly six years
The recognition Bryant describes was not conferred by a single visit. Oldford explains that the peer-review visit did not grant accreditation; it was achieved through years of effort and growth. The visit merely highlighted the shared culture, grit and the hard work behind it.
The journey began in 2020 with preparation and submission of the School’s eligibility application. An initial self-evaluation report followed in 2022, progress reports in 2023 and 2024, and a full self-evaluation in December 2025. In all, the process involved nearly seven years of work and five major submissions.
Reviewers examined assurance of learning, curriculum and teaching, student experience, continuous improvements, intellectual contributions, positive societal impact, and strategic planning.
Christina Tathibana, manager of strategic projects and accreditation at Hill Levene, says that scrutiny is what most people miss.
“What would probably surprise most people is that accreditation is not a one-time test or a checklist exercise. It’s a comprehensive process focused on continuous improvement, requiring organizations to critically examine their practices, measure their performance, identify gaps, and demonstrate how they are learning and evolving over time.”
A global platform grounded in Saskatchewan
That work does not stop with the announcement. For Hill Levene, accreditation adds reach for its students and for its graduates. Oldford names new academic partnerships, more student mobility and experiential learning, stronger faculty research collaborations, and deeper ties with employers and industry.
“Our task now is to build on this momentum while remaining grounded in Saskatchewan, connecting our students, researchers, and community partners with global ideas and opportunities that create meaningful impact here at home and beyond,” she says.
Dr. Jeff Keshen, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Regina, frames the accreditation as an advantage for students and Saskatchewan.
“What makes me most proud is what it means here at home. Students from Regina, from across Saskatchewan, and from around the world can earn a globally recognized business degree and make positive contributions to their employers and their wider community. That is the University of Regina at its best,” says Dr. Keshen.
The peer reviewers have left campus. The work they came to examine remains in Hill Levene’s classrooms, research, student supports, and partnerships. AACSB accreditation gives that work a wider platform and the people behind it a moment worth celebrating.
