July 30, 2024 | Claire Hall

Professor Plesko To Serve on Prestigious Accreditation Committee

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business seeks to elevate the quality and impact of business schools worldwide. While nearly 900 colleges and universities hold AACSB accreditation, only 194 have AACSB-accredited accounting programs. The organization is considered the ‘gold standard’ of higher-education business accreditation.

Accounting Professor George Plesko (Nathan Oldham / UConn School of Business)

Accounting Professor George Plesko outside the School of Business in Storrs. Plesko was recently selected to serve on the AACSB Accounting Accreditation Committee. (Nathan Oldham / UConn School of Business)

Accounting professor and department head George Plesko has been selected to serve on the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Accounting Accreditation Committee, an appointment that reflects his educational expertise and engagement within the accounting industry.

The non-profit organization seeks to elevate the quality and impact of business schools worldwide. While nearly 900 colleges and universities hold AACSB accreditation, only 194 have AACSB-accredited accounting programs. The organization is considered the ‘gold standard’ of higher-education business accreditation.

“George’s recent elevation to the AACSB Accounting Accreditation Committee affirms his engagement and tremendous expertise,’’ said School of Business Dean John A. Elliott. “In this role he will oversee the integrity of the accreditation process and examine all of the reviews by accounting peer-review teams. This is an exciting opportunity and a reflection of George’s leadership capability. It is also an affirmation of our position as a premier school of business.’’

Plesko has led the UConn Accounting Department for 10 years. He is the past president of the American Taxation Association and the recipient of several prominent research awards, including the American Accounting Association’s Wildman Medal and the American Taxation Association’s Sommerfeld Outstanding Tax Educator Award. He is an experienced reviewer, having chaired a number of external reviews of accounting departments across the country.

Plesko said he is looks forward to the opportunity to learn about innovative practices at other colleges and universities and that it will be gratifying to help identify up-and-coming programs.

For UConn, the role provides even greater visibility to colleges across the nation. “Our stature has increased dramatically over the last 15 years, and the UConn Accounting Program is recognized as among the best in the nation,’’ he said.

UConn has a storied history with the AACSB. The Accounting program was the first in New England accredited by the International Association of Management Education, which later became AACSB. In addition, Elliott formerly served as chair of AACSB International, overseeing the organization which then had 840-member business schools worldwide.

This summer has been extraordinarily busy for Plesko, who recently traveled to Washington D.C. to present the results of his research on corporate taxation to the White House Council of Economic Advisors. He was joined by UConn accounting alumnae and co-authors Danielle Higgins Green ’13, Ph.D. a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Erin Henry ’14 Ph.D., professor at the University of Arkansas. Missed the article? You can read it here: https://today.uconn.edu/2024/07/white-house-taps-expertise-of-professor-plesko-and-two-uconn-alumnae/