News

The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) recently announced that Dr. Dewayne Thompson, professor and chair of the Department of Business at Lee University, received the 2013 ACBSP International Teaching Excellence Award.

The announcement was made at the “Salute to Regions Luncheon” held June 23 during the ACBSP Annual Conference in Salt Lake City. As the Baccalaureate/Graduate Degree 2013 Teaching Excellence Award recipient for ACBSP Region 3, Thompson was honored with other regional recipients. From that group, Thompson received the International Award, representing baccalaureate/graduate degree institutions, and was presented with an engraved plaque and a check.

“No one in a Thompson classroom has any doubt that they are getting high quality,” said J. Matthew Melton, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Lee. “His course evaluation numbers, which are among the best in the university, cannot accurately reflect the number of lives Dewayne has and continues to mentor personally.”

ACBSP recognizes the significance of the classroom teacher to the mission of degree-granting institutions. It is for this reason that the Commissioners of ACBSP established the International Teaching Excellence Award in 1995 to recognize outstanding classroom teachers.

“I’ve witnessed first-hand Dr. Thompson’s commitment to teaching and to ACBSP through my work with him on the marketing committee,” said ACBSP Communications Coordinator Melinda Dorning. “I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this award.”

Thompson also received the ACBSP Best Presentation International Award. The council initiated the International Best of Regions Excellence Award to encourage scholarly presentations and to further establish expositions around the conference theme. Thompson’s paper was titled, “A Business Ethics Framework: The Foundation of Corporate Social Responsibility.”

The recipient of this award is determined by a panel of judges who attend sessions presented by the regional recipients of the Best of Regions Award.

“I’m thankful to Lee University for supporting my involvement in ACBSP. This is a career highlight for me,” said Thompson. “I’m especially glad my wife, Cathy, was able to attend the conference and be with me when my name was called. I am overwhelmed and humbled, and thankful to God for His favor and providing the opportunity to teach business students over the past 32 years.”

Thompson has served as the Chair of the Department of Business at Lee University since 2006. He has been listed in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and received Lee’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 1987. He earned his DBA from Nova Southeastern University, his MBA from Middle Tennessee State University and his BS from Lee College.

“It is more important than ever for business programs to produce graduates who are ready to enter the global marketplace,” said Douglas Viehland, ACBSP Executive Director. “ACBSP has a mission to develop, promote and recognize best practices that contribute to continuous improvement of business education. Recognition of teaching excellence is one way we achieve this goal,” he stated.

For more information about the ACBSP, visit www.acbsp.org.

 
Pictured here is Dr. Peter Horn, international president of Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, congratulates Thompson at the ACBSP Annual Conference last month.