the american assembly of collegiate schools of business was founded as an accrediting body in 1916 by a group of seventeen american universities and colleges. the first accreditations took place in 1919. for many years, the association accredited only american business schools. but in the latter part of the twentieth century it advocated a more international approach to business education. the first school it accredited outside the united states was the university of alberta in 1968, and the first outside north america was the french business school essec, in 1997.