Curious about the update to the School of Business & Society? Want to know more about the renaming process? Here’s what you need to know about our name change, how it affects you, and more.
The School of Business & Society name change reflects a broader perspective on business education, in keeping with the changing world in which businesses operate. For the school, it represents a new, third era in its evolution.
The first era included a business program in the Alfred North Whitehead College (1976-2001).
The second era (1976-2021) saw the Whitehead College become a free-standing business school--The University of Redlands School of Business.
Today, we celebrate our third era (2021-present) as the University of Redlands School of Business & Society. The School of Business & Society includes an expanded range of considerations, including new student pathways such as the 4+1 undergraduate-to-graduate programs for MBA & M.S. in Business Analytics degrees.
The school has structured its programs along seven pillars that constitute “Business & Society.” These are embedded in many of our programs and will be further strengthened over the next several years.
The name change to the School of Business & Society was approved by the Board of Trustees this spring and was publicly announced on October 26, 2021.
The name change and programmatic enhancements are aimed to elevate the school’s commitment to its mission as articulated in the Strategic Plan (2018), namely to “empower our students to positively impact business and society.” We believe we are distinctive as a business school because of our commitment to 21st century business skills and their use for professional, organizational, and societal advancement.
The name change will not affect accreditation. We retain our accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), a premier governing body that certifies business programs around the globe at over 1,000 institutions.
The School’s name change will not affect your degree program or coursework. As a current student, you will complete coursework in your existing program. Curriculum enhancements will continue to will occur through normal course development and program review processes.
There will be no change in your diploma. The diploma is granted by the “University of Redlands” and states the degree obtained. The school is not listed in the diploma.
You can expect to see the School of Business & Society name on documents, webpages, signs, business cards, and more over the next few months. We are working to complete all administrative changes by the beginning of the fall 2021 semester.
You can give us a phone call at 909-748-8060 or email us if you have additional questions.