Every five years, the Terry College of Business undergoes a rigorous accreditation review process with AACSB International, an organization that champions quality and excellence in business education. While less than 6% of the world’s business schools meet its accreditation standards, the Terry College has the distinction of being continuously accredited since 1926. I am pleased to report that Terry’s accreditation was approved for another five years. The AACSB review team commended the quality of our students, faculty and staff, our prominent programs and student outcomes, and strong alumni engagement. As the spring/summer 2023 issue of Terry magazineshows, the Terry College continues to grow its impact on the Georgia economy and global business community.

With the world’s busiest airport in Atlanta and two of the nation’s top commercial ports in Savannah and Brunswick, the state of Georgia is an essential hub of business activity in the U.S. and abroad. For several years running, Georgia has been named the No. 1 state for business, and the contributions of Terry College alumni and faculty play an integral role in that ranking. Throughout the state, Terry alumni are leaders in the logistics industry — Georgia’s supply chain produced a $23 billion jump in sales impact between 2018 and 2021. The ports, which employ many Terry graduates in key roles, maintained strong operating capacity despite the recent pandemic. With Operations and Supply Chain Management as an added area of emphasis, Terry produces top graduates prepared to make a difference in the workforce. 

Through Global Georgia, a weeklong field study where Terry students visit international companies throughout Georgia and learn how the state does business with the rest of the world, our students develop a global mindset and cross-cultural competence to succeed in an international environment. This program serves as an excellent primer for Terry’s many faculty-led study away programs held across five continents, where students learn about different cultures, economies and business practices while discovering the challenges of doing worldwide business. Our alumni help us continue to grow our international programs, with proceeds from this year’s Alumni Awards and Gala supporting scholarships to ensure Terry students with financial need can participate in the life-changing opportunity to study abroad. At the Gala — an annual highlight for the college — we were thrilled to honor three accomplished alumni who have made a remarkable impact through their careers and service.

Prominently among programmatic initiatives this year, we launched an Online MBA program, offering the same world-class faculty, curriculum, career services, networking and opportunities for international study as our highly regarded Professional MBA program. Our first cohort of students, starting in fall 2023, will be able to experience our rigorous and dynamic business education from anywhere while maintaining the flexibility to balance their personal and professional lives. 

It’s an exciting time at the Terry College of Business. Our pursuit to educate and inspire future leaders continues to expand and reach globally, preparing our graduates to lead in their professions and communities.