Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/55878
Making an Impact by Sharon Shinn s a Jesuit institution, Saint Joseph's University in Phila- delphia, Pennsylvania, considers it essential to blend ethical ideals into its educational offerings. When the Haub School of Business codified its strategic mission five years ago, faculty identified key goals they would try to meet in their research and teaching, including upholding Jesuit ideals and serving key industries. So the Haub School was in good shape to participate in an exploratory study launched in 2008 by AACSB International that asked schools to evaluate whether their scholarly con- tributions truly support their stated missions. Haub faculty were asked to self-assess how well their research aligned with five specific criteria drawn from that mission statement so the school could judge how well it was reaching its target markets. The answer came as a pleasant surprise, says Stephen Porth, associate dean for academic affairs: Eighty-eight percent of 545 intellectual contributions met at least one criterion. A Business school administrators know it's not enough for their faculty to produce good research; they also must share it with key constituents. But how can they measure the impact of scholarly contributions? An AACSB study looks for the answer. 26 BizEd JULY/AUGUST 2010