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FIBAA Accreditation Panel Impressed with Support for Students

https://www.wittenborg.eu/good-news-wittenborgs-mba-programme-accredited-another-7-years.htm

Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences' Master of Business Administration programme has just been re-accredited for the next 7 years by the German, Austrian, Swiss accrediting body FIBAA.  In its report, FIBAA was particularly impressed with how Wittenborg prepares its students for the challenges in an international working environment.

Admission Department and Faculty Exceed Quality Requirements

It singled out the admissions department and the faculty for the support it provides to students, saying counselling for prospective students exceeds quality requirements. "Student support is an integral part of the services provided by the faculty. Faculty members are also available to students outside the specified office hours. Students are 'fully content' with the support they receive. The team of experts were particularly positive about the whole student support - especially by the process tutors and academic supervisors."

Rolling Intake a Clear Advantage for International Students

The report also calls Wittenborg's rolling intake throughout the year a "specialty and clear advantage". "The block structure and the curriculum design make it possible to start at various times during the academic year. Especially with students coming from so many different countries, this is a very unique and student-friendly situation which was very much appreciated by WUAS students during our on-site visit."

Not Just a Student Number

The MBA programme also exceeded quality requirements in terms of its positioning within the institution's overall strategic concept, the report reads. "There are few master's programmes in the Netherlands with a rolling entry throughout the year, offering a very competitive position compared to similar programmes. There are (also) very few programmes in the Netherlands embedded in a completely English-speaking and culturally diverse environment like the MBA at WUAS. In addition, the small size of the institute allows students in the MBA programme to feel that they are individuals who are part of a fine academic community, rather than being just a student number within a large and impersonal university.

Partnership with Brighton University Brings Wealth of Experience and Professionalism

"WUAS counters the disadvantages of (its) small size with its strong, strategic partnership with the University of Brighton, giving access to a range of online resources, for example, and a pool of external lecturers from the UK, that bring a wealth of experience and professionalism to the institute and hence to the MBA programme."

The FIBAA panel cited Wittenborg's internationality as its main and driving characteristic. "From figures obtained by Nuffic, in percentage of student body WUAS is the most international higher education institute in the Netherlands.

"WUAS is a small university, and the international mix of its students and staff has a fundamental impact on its functioning, the content of its programmes, learning materials, the discussions and debates, its teaching methods, on its ethics and its ability to absorb intercultural differences and allow its students and staff to flourish and achieve. An international focus is encouraged in all modules and international reflection stimulated throughout the modules."

On Wittenborg's efforts to ensure its students' employability, the report reads: "The promotion of employability in various work areas by the students runs as a common thread of the study programme through all its modules."

Recommends Larger Stock of Books for Library

One of its recommendations to Wittenborg, though, was to enlarge its stock for the books required by the modules. "During the on-site assessment, the team of experts was able to determine that some of the recommended textbooks are not actually available in the library. The team considers that the students should have direct access to the recommended books."

WUP 26/9/2019
by Anesca Smith
© WUAS Press