Alliant first standalone university to be certified as a B Corp

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Jan 21, 2016, 03:27 ET

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Alliant International University is pleased to announce it has become the first standalone university in the United States to achieve B Corp Certification, given only to public benefit corporations meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability. The certification confirms Alliant is committed to using its resources to solve social and environmental problems.

To achieve the certification, B Lab, the governing body for B Corporations, put Alliant through a rigorous vetting process to evaluate the university's outcomes including its wages and benefits, worker conditions, environmental targets, reduction of energy and waste, and financial transparency. Using B Lab's newly developed standards for post-secondary institutions, Alliant was also evaluated on its ability to deliver long term sustained educational services and to create positive outcomes for its students, in particular those from traditionally underrepresented groups.

"This is a significant achievement," said Vale Jokisch of B Lab. "Alliant is setting a high standard for impact measurement and transparency among for-profit higher education institutions, and we hope others will follow."

The B Corps Certification is the second historic milestone for the university in the past year. On Feb. 5, 2015 Alliant became the first university in the nation to transition from a 501(c)3 status to a public benefit corporation.

Alliant Interim President and CEO Andy Vaughn said the B Corps Certification shows "Alliant is meeting the needs of students, the community, and society as a whole in an exemplary way," while adding the move to a public benefit corporation has "strengthened our ability to provide the highest level of educational experience for our students, learning at nine campuses in four countries."

About Alliant International University

Alliant is a private, independent university offering graduate study in psychology, education, business management, law and forensic studies, and bachelor's degree programs in several fields. Alliant is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), as well as numerous specialized accrediting organizations, including APA accreditation for the PhD and PsyD programs in clinical psychology, and encompasses a family of five schools with seven California campuses, three international locations.

Alliant's schools specialize in preparing students to enter professions that require both advanced knowledge and highly specialized skills. Degree programs emphasize the practical applications of theory and research, and most of those programs provide opportunities for students to participate in placements, practica and internships in the field during their courses of study.

More information is available at www.alliant.edu.

SOURCE Alliant International University