Westcliff University Host to Annual ACBSP Conference

Westcliff University’s main campus in Irvine, Calif. was selected to host this year’s annual Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) conference. The campus was abuzz with more than 43 individuals representing 14 universities for the official annual meeting of Region 7 – which encompasses the 12 western states of the USA, including Alaska, and Hawaii. With academic speakers discussing topics such as AI, entrepreneurial initiatives in education, and helping students bridge the gap from education to career. This gathering served as a platform for open dialogue surrounding higher education institutes, how to best ensure students’ investments in education are protected, and that their degrees at every level propel them forward to the career path they seek out. It was also a platform for sharing ideas, innovations, and emerging trends in education.

ACBSP accreditation emphasizes the acknowledgment of exemplary teaching, the assessment of student learning achievements, and a framework for continuous improvement. ACBSP’s dedication to a student-centric teaching and learning approach, assessed for quality, guarantees that students acquire the valuable skills they need from their educational endeavors. Institutions with ACBSP-accredited programs are steadfast in their commitment to continuous improvement, ensuring that their business programs equip students with the skills desired by employers. Associate Dean of Westcliff University College of Business, Dr. Diana Siganoff said, “These conferences are important to promote educational excellence, collaboration, and provide a beacon of clarity for students choosing where to study.”

Westcliff Professor Jim Lipot was integral in the University joining the ACBSP, as well as putting on this highly successful conference. Professor Lipot discussed the incredible partnership that Westcliff has with Tech Coast Angels, one of the four largest angel investment collectives in the nation. Tech Coast Angels Orange County, a highly active and prestigious branch of the investing collective, comes every two weeks to the Westcliff campus to listen to fully realized and real business pitches from entrepreneurs including Westcliff students, seeking angel investment. Tech Coast Angels members also make visits into the classroom to provide this same valuable investor feedback to student projects. Professor Lipot explained this concept as being akin to the popular investing television show Shark Tank, but stated that this opportunity gives students the chance to go even more in depth in their presentations in what is a very real pitch to potential investors. These business pitches have included industries such as technology, food and beverage, sports and wellness, clothing, and much more. Westcliff Director of Entrepreneurship, Dr. Barry Sandrew, a member of Tech Coast Angels himself oversees this successful partnership. View Jim Lipot’s presentation here.

Dr. Sandrew also fulfilled the role of keynote speaker at this year’s conference and shared his wealth of knowledge gained from decades of success. Dr. Sandrew discussed the exponential growth of artificial intelligence and the many different avenues of everyday life it has already touched and the incredible potential it holds moving forward. The realm of innovation is nothing new to Dr. Sandrew, who holds an expansive array of expertise across many fields. From Harvard/MGH neuroscientist to internationally recognized serial entrepreneur, digital imaging expert, and visual effects (VFX) pioneer, Dr. Sandrew has more than 34 patents and decades of feature film and TV accomplishments, including productions for all the major Hollywood studios, TV networks, and several cable networks. Dr. Sandrew invented the process for colorizing black and white feature films and founded a production studio, American Film Technologies, that became the gold standard for color visual effects. In 2000, he re-invented colorization and founded Legend Films. This expertise, which he brings to Westcliff and passionately shares with students.

Talk of innovation was amongst many discussions and presentations at the conference. Amongst the most highly-relevant topics was that of AI, and how artificial intelligence fits and does not fit in the realm of education. This was the exact topic of Westcliff’s presentation from Dr. Assaf, Mr. Yanni Kouloumbis, and Dr. Haddad. They dove into the world of AI and how already in the short time of public access it has heavily impacted the classroom. The powerful tool has created a level of efficiency in work that has never been seen before, but with that comes new avenues of misuse that users can leverage. Thus, the debate of how to regulate this emerging technology within the classroom began. Dr. Assaf began the presentation directly addressing this conundrum, restating that this is a tool that is sure to endure, so a solution is not optional. Kouluoumbis reiterated this saying, “There was a similar response to AI as there was when Google emerged. A similar worry of its capabilities and what that meant for education. Yet when you look today, every student uses Google and for an institution to ban it would almost certainly cause them to fall behind. So the solution is not to push back on AI but embrace it and learn the ways in which it can be properly used in the classroom.” The team went on to show a demonstration of an AI program they are currently developing that utilizes its powerful capabilities while having guardrails that not only ensure proper use but actually aid in the learning process.

On its third day, the conference came to an end with a renewed sense of strength amongst attendees in the shared educational community. Dr. Siganoff said, “The presentations by Westcliff left no-one in any doubt of the innovative approach that Westcliff University takes to develop experiential education and support for our students. We ensure a quality, relevant entrepreneurship focused experience that prepares our students for their careers.”

For more information on the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, visit acbsp.org