This post was written by Hatchet reporter McKinley Kant.
The GW School of Business undergraduate program slid five spots to No. 71 in the annual Bloomberg Businessweek rankings Wednesday.
The tumble marks the third straight year the business school has fallen in the magazine’s list, which is considered one of the gold standards among aspiring business leaders.
Low student satisfaction hit GW’s undergraduate business program hardest, as the school dropped to No. 99 in the measure. Academic advising and career services topped the list of student complaints.
Employer satisfaction was also low, coming in at No. 88. Student and employer surveys account for half of the overall ranking.
“GW is strong academically,” said Bloomberg staff editor Geoff Gloeckler, who compiles information for the rankings. “But it’s not hard to see where the school is coming up short.”
Other measures weighed include median salary, academic quality and placement in top MBA programs.
The rankings drop also comes soon after heavy turnover in the school’s undergraduate office, where the program’s director, advising director and nearly the entire advising staff all left their positions last year.
Some students said then that they were unable to form relationships with administrators and staffers as a result.
The business school has also started making changes to its undergraduate program, including an attempt to approve a new bachelor of science degree in finance this semester.
The school, led by Dean Doug Guthrie, has also overhauled its academic and career advising in recent years in an attempt to improve student satisfaction.
In past years, administrators have taken rankings dives seriously, making trips to New York City to visit Bloomberg Businessweek editors to pinpoint how GW can turn its rating around.
This year, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou said she shook off the decline.
“Each year there are fluctuations and a position variation does not indicate a significant change in the perception of the school,” she said in a statement. “We are working everyday to ensure our students get the best education available and we are focused on preparing ethical leaders who will positively impact the world.”
GW ranks lower than both Georgetown and American universities, which came in at No. 16 and No. 56, respectively. Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business earned the magazine’s top spot for the fourth year.
