Walker College of Business

• In 1982, Dr. J. Paul Combs became the third Dean of the Walker College of Business.
• In 1983, the Walker College business majors were so popular that 43% of ASU juniors were declaring business majors and enrollment in the college rose to 3,000.
• In 1984, the Walker College of Business begins recognizing top students at honors day convocation. See the list of top business students through the years.
• The Walker College honors program was established in 1988. 

The Walker College Academic Advising Center was created.

The Master of Science in Accounting program was established.

Dr. John E. Thomas (1979-93) recruited a first-rate faculty, believing that strong, effective teaching should be supported by research and community service. With a focus on improving campus technology and blending it into teaching, Thomas also developed Appalachian’s leadership in distance learning, which expanded in the late 1990s and early 2000s to include a formal partnership with 10 regional community colleges. Under Thomas’ leadership, Appalachian developed exchange programs in a dozen countries including China, Germany and Costa Rica. 

The Walker College was reorganized into the Department of Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate; Department of Management; Department of Marketing; Department of Accounting.

• In 1977, the Walker College launched its MBA program, which (by at least the mid 2000s) would be consistently named an ‘excellent choice’ for an MBA by the Princeton Review and a Tier One Program by CEO Magazine (2020).
• The Walker College began offering a BSBA in Computer Information Systems. In 1984, the Department of Decision Sciences was formed, which later became the Department of Computer Information Systems.
• Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society established.

• In 1976, the Walker College of Business received initial accreditation of the BSBA programs from AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The College of Business had previously joined the American Association for Collegiate Schools of Business, which later became AACSB, in November 1970.
• The Walker College would receive AACSB accreditation of its MBA and MS Accountancy programs in 1980-81. 
• At the time this timeline was compiled, the most recent re-accreditation for a standard, five-year extension was rece

• Walker Hall is completed and named in honor of John A. Walker, a founding director of Lowe’s Companies and strong supporter of Appalachian State University and the College of Business. 
• In 1976, the Walker College of Business is also named in honor of John A. Walker.
  

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• In 1974, the College of Business began offering a BSBA in Management. 
• In 1976, the BSBA in Healthcare Management, to be housed in the Department of Management, was launched.The Healthcare Management Program would be accredited by the Association of University Programs in Healthcare Management in 1990.  The Healthcare Management major would later move to the College of Health Sciences in 2010. 

Dr. Richard Sorensen (1943-2020) became the second Dean of the College of Business. Dr. Sorensen was  instrumental in the development of the college. During his tenure, the college was named for John Walker, MBA and MS-Accounting degrees were developed, new departments were formed, initial AACSB accreditation was received, and the college grew significantly.