STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The College of Staten Island’s business school has been accredited by a prestigious association known as the gold standard for business schools worldwide.
The college’s 12-year-old Lucille and Jay Chazanoff School of Business has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business — marking the third City University of New York school to have its business program accredited.
“We’re really excited, not just with the announcement of accreditation, but with what’s on the horizon for the Chazanoff School and the College of Staten Island,” said Dr. Timothy G. Lynch, president of the college, which is located in Willowbrook, who shared the details during a recent meeting with the Advance/SILive.com.
The Chazanoff School joins a select group of business schools globally, including Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business, accredited since 1933, and Brooklyn College’s Murray Koppelman School of Business, accredited since 2019.
Worldwide, just 6% of business schools receive this accreditation, including fewer than 20 public institutions in New York state.
Although the accreditation does not change the type of degree offered by the school, completion of the extremely rigorous process signifies to both students and their future employers that the program has a top-flight status.
From left, CSI President Timothy Lynch, Dean Dr. Susan L. Holak, Trustee Jay Chazonoff, and Advance Executive Editor Brian Laline.(Advance/SILive.com | Jason Paderon)
Lynch noted that students seeking a career in finance and business will no longer need to travel to Manhattan for an accredited business school.
They can stay right here on Staten Island.
“You can stay here and go anywhere; you don’t need to go to Manhattan,” said Lynch. “You don’t need to go to the Zicklin School — as fine a program as it is — you’ve got the equivalent here on the Island. It offers the same opportunities for career success and is so rooted in our community. That’s something we take pride in.”
More access to financial institutions
The school will gain access to a network of institutions that have produced 73% of CEOs of Fortune 100 companies. This recognition also helps attract talented staff and students. As of fall 2025, nearly 2,000 students were enrolled at the Chazanoff School, according to Susan Holak, founding dean of the business school at CSI.
“We expect that with word of accreditation getting out, interest in the Chazanoff School will increase tremendously,” said Lynch. “Accreditation brings a certain level of cachet to the College and to the University. We’re only the third school of business within 25 CUNY campuses to earn this distinction. Only 6% of schools of business worldwide are AACSB-accredited.”
A view of the business school’s entrance.(Advance/SILive.com | Jason Paderon)
It means students will be able to match graduates of Ivy League schools. But Lynch noted one thing about Staten Island residents — they have persistence that many Ivy League students may not.
“Our students, having experienced many of the challenges that public higher education students traditionally face, are highly desirable because they’ve got stick-to-itiveness. They’ve got grit. They’ve got determination,” said Lynch.
A years-long process
The process to earn this recognition began as early as 2018, when the school applied for eligibility. After self-evaluation and progress reports — even during the pandemic — a site visit was held in March this year. The accreditation committee officially voted in October for the Chazanoff School to receive the accreditation.
It was made possible with a $7.5 million cash gift from Class of 1965 alumni and philanthropists Jay Chazanoff and the late Lucille Chazanoff, for whom the business school is named.
“We’re hopeful that we can really build off this and change the lives of young people in our own communities so Staten Island itself gets elevated,” said Chazanoff. “People don’t appreciate our community as much as they should because they don’t know enough about it.”
From left, Advance Executive Editor Brian Laline, Dean Dr. Susan L. Holak, Trustee Jay Chazonoff, and CSI President Timothy Lynch speak about the new building space at the Willowbrook campus.(Advance/SILive.com | Jason Paderon)More opportunities for students
Chazanoff noted that the College of Staten Island serves approximately 11,000 students, the majority from Staten Island — and many are first- or second-generation college students. With this accreditation, there will be more opportunities for students to receive internships and job offers upon graduation — especially with the changing landscape of finance and business and the introduction of artificial intelligence, he added.
“If we can have more impact where more of our students get opportunities for internships, I think that is going to be extremely important for long-term success,” said Chazanoff. “That’s where you get the exposure that really helps you understand the environment you’re going into, and it gives you a chance upon graduation to already have demonstrated the qualities that employers look for when they interview. It’s really critical that people see an educational institution as one that’s evolving.”
A look inside the Con Edison Trading Room, which will open in fall 2026.(Advance/SILive.com | Jason Paderon)New state-of-the-art space
In addition to its accreditation, the College of Staten Island is also renovating the first floor of a campus building to make it the center of the business school —complete with faculty offices, study rooms, a classroom, and a new Con Edison Trading Room, designed to replicate trading floors found in financial institutions with real-time information.
“There are dual-screen monitors, just like a trading room in any financial setting, where classes can be taught and lectures given. People will have access to Bloomberg data on one screen and, on the other, a question from the professor regarding the use of that data,” said Holak. “So you can work with the immediacy of statistical and trading data and answer your finance questions.”
The new space, located on the first floor of the 2M building, is slated to open to students and faculty by fall 2026. An outdoor patio and an expansion of the business school to surrounding buildings are included in other long-term plans.
“We really want to be well-known and promote ourselves for the things we’re doing here — not just in the Chazanoff School, but campus-wide,” said Lynch. “We are the intellectual, academic, cultural, athletic, and artistic heart of the Island. We provide pathways to careers, internships, and applied learning experiences. You can come here and study abroad. We’ve got students going to the best law schools and medical schools. We need to let people know about all the wonderful things happening here.”
A look inside the business school’s new space which is slated to open to students and staff next year.(Advance/SILive.com | Jason Paderon)
The recognition is the latest marker of CUNY’s focus on career preparation. In October, CUNY and the New York Jobs CEO Council announced that nearly 10,000 CUNY students have been hired by the city’s largest private-sector employers during their five-year partnership.
“Congratulations to the College of Staten Island’s Lucille and Jay Chazanoff School of Business on this well-deserved achievement, which will create new opportunities for the school and its students,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “CSI is the third CUNY school to earn this prestigious accreditation, and it speaks to our university’s commitment to providing students with a high-quality education that leads to career success.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.