WFU named best-practice organization for technology usage

The university received the designation from the American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC) and the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business-The International Association for Management Education (AACSB).

Wake Forest was one of six organizations chosen for the best-practice designation out of a field of 50 that participated in a study by the APQC and the AACSB.

The study focused on ways to enhance management education by identifying and examining innovations, trends and best practices in the use of technology in the learning process. Schools, colleges, businesses and government agencies were included in the study.

Wake Forest was selected for its extensive university-wide use of computer technology, particularly in the undergraduate College, the Wayne Calloway School of Business and Accountancy, and the Babcock Graduate School of Management.

Wake Forest has been recognized as a national leader for its technology initiative.

The university has wired classrooms and residence halls for Internet access, installed multimedia equipment in classrooms, and introduced programs to support the integration of technology into teaching.

Every student is given an IBM ThinkPad computer when they enroll at Wake Forest. From practically anywhere on campus, students can use their computers to visit course Web sites, turn in assignments, search databases, and more. ThinkPads are also used to conduct lab experiments, write papers and explore CD-ROMs providing multimedia supplements to textbooks.

In addition to Wake Forest, the other best-practice organizations were Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business; Ernst & Young’s LLP Global Learning Solutions; Ohio University’s MBA Without Boundaries Program; the Anderson Graduate School of Management at University of California-Los Angeles; and the University of Phoenix Online Campus.

The APQC is a nonprofit organization that helps organizations adapt to rapidly changing work environments. The organization is known for its benchmarking, knowledge management and best-practice information.

The AACSB–The International Association for Management Education is the premier accrediting agency for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in business administration and accounting. This not-for-profit corporation also conducts research and survey projects and produces publications and reports on management education issues.