First awarded in 2013 and then renewed in 2017, Excelia has once again had its commitment to local development recognised by the renewal of its BSIS label.
What exactly is the BSIS label?
What exactly is the BSIS label? BSIS, the Business School Impact System, was devised to measure the impact of business schools on their local environment, using appropriate evaluation criteria and a suitable assessment process. It was developed by the FNEGE, the national foundation for business education, and has been successfully utilised in a number of French higher education establishments. It has also been tailored to be used internationally through a partnership between FNEGE and the EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development).
The objectives of the BSIS label
BSIS aims to determine the impact that a business school has on its local environment through its educational activities. These include…
- generating financial impacts… such as expenditure by the institution in the impact area, the jobs and salaries it provides, and expenditure by students coming from outside its region
- contributing to the economy and the culture of the local community
- its teachers may generate new business creation and can meet the needs of local businesses for vocational training and management skills development
- its students add dynamism to the region and provide a pool of talent upon graduation - providing an important intellectual forum through its research programmes and the many events it organises each year, introducing new ideas on a variety of topics that are important not only to the corporate world, but also to political and social organisations across the region
- playing a significant role in raising the profile of a city and its wider region
Excelia’s final BSIS report
Following the audit carried out by BSIS experts on 17th & 18th October 2022, a final report was delivered, outlining 3 key areas:
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The positioning of Excelia Business School
The experts considered that Excelia Business School’s positioning presents 7 important features:
- A strong local presence and multi-regional focus
- A comprehensive strategy of national & international recognition through the many accreditations it has sought and obtained (EQUIS, AACSB, AMBA, TedQual, etc.)
- A long-standing commitment to CSR issues (a pioneering approach compared to other business schools at that time)
- A study programme development strategy (tourism, environment, digital technology, healthcare, etc.) that reflects the specific requirements of the various regions in which Excelia has chosen to develop its activities
- Numerous partnerships with local stakeholders, generating impact within the regions; agreements with companies, universities and public bodies
- The introduction of campus managers for its ‘new’ regions, whose mission is to develop partnerships and ensure that the campuses become an integral part of their region
- A partnership with a local radio station (RCF) which highlights Excelia Business School’s exemplary actions, particularly in the field of CSR (25 minutes/month)
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The impact of Excelia Business School’s intellectual output
On a general level, the experts stressed the pertinence of the school’s comprehensive research and impact generation strategy.
This strategy includes the following:
- A clear focus on a limited number of areas, namely…
- Sustainable Development, CSR, Energy Transition
- Tourism Management
- Agility, Innovation, Digitalisation (AID) - A diversification of its research areas
- Academic
- Applied (including working with companies)
- Pedagogical - A constantly expanding and developing research culture that is increasingly enriching the pedagogical offer by taking into account its impact on management and society
In terms of intellectual output, the experts noted:
- A steady increase in research productivity in academic journals
(140 over the period 2017-2021) - Measures of research impact being used on various levels and involving a variety of indicators
- The links between research and the Sustainable Development Goals being clearly specified
- The links between research and study programmes being evident, indicating that research feeds into pedagogy
- The organisation of numerous symposia, demonstrating a strong in-house momentum in research
- 6 public seminars
- Publications in The Conversation
- Significant production of cases, with the number of published cases having doubled
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Societal impact of Excelia Business School
On a more global level, the experts highlighted the fact that Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility have been fully incorporated into Excelia Business School’s strategic plan, in particular as regards the following aspects:
- Consolidating the positioning of CSR and Sustainable Development
- Developing activities with high added value for the benefit of its local regions
- Developing a diversified and sustainable differentiating model
- Accelerating its internationalisation
These aspects have been incorporated into daily operations through various charters and agreements, as well as through involvement in various international initiatives such as PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education) and the European Charter for Research Ethics. The school’s CSR policy has been progressively implemented across all its activities as well as at all levels of Excelia’s governance through the identification of stakeholders’ expectations. The experts noted the introduction of a CSR & SD department, called the Ecological and Social Transition Department, which encompasses a network of coordinators in each school department.
Conclusion of BSIS
“Through the many documents and appendices submitted and the interviews conducted within Excelia Business School, our experts were able to measure how Excelia has successfully become a pioneer in measuring its own impacts, and in integrating a Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility policy, whilst at the same time continuing to pursue a strategy of learning and continuous innovation.
The progress made by Excelia Business School on an intellectual level is indeed truly impressive. Excelia Business School’s commitment to having a societal impact is long-standing and embedded in the school’s activities.The different impacts of Excelia Business School are comprehensive, well-structured and conducive to creating a compelling and inclusive culture.”
