Data-Based Decisions (Continuous Improvement)
Virtual Advisory Panel on Globalization
In recent years the SOA Student Satisfaction Survey and the Alumni Satisfaction Survey have frequently revealed low satisfaction with the extent of international exposure received in the program. Recently, the SOA formed a Virtual Advisory Panel on Globalization comprised of USU alumni working around the world. The panel's charge is to provide perspectives from the global community that will benefit our students and faculty. It is advisory in that the SOA will receive suggestions on how the SOA can best prepare students for the increasingly global nature of the accounting profession. The dialogue is generated using an e-mail threaded discussion among the panelists. The panelists will provide recommendations and brief reports that are posted on the SOA website and/or printed in the newsletter. The panel also fields student inquiries about international careers. As travel schedules permit, global panelists are encouraged to meet with our regularly constituted advisory board or to visit campus to meet with students and faculty.
One of the current SOA advisory board members, Scott Nixon, a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), recently completed a four year special assignment in South America. He made a presentation of his experiences to Beta Alpha Psi and contributed an article to our 2006-07 Annual Report in which he gave his perspectives on current international issues.
Enhanced MAcc Specialization – Professional Accountancy
Feedback from the SOA Advisory Board and alumni revealed a need for graduate students to develop more sophisticated investigative skills as well as competencies with the latest audit technologies. These concerns were heightened by the high-profile corporate scandals that culminated in the passage of Sarbanes-Oxley. In response to these suggestions, two courses, Forensic Accounting and Information Systems Auditing, were added to the Professional Accountancy Specialization.
New Course in Ethics, Communications, and Professionalism
Feedback from the Student Satisfaction Survey and the Student Advisory Council Focus Groups was critical of a business communications course then required by all Master of Accounting students. Respondents felt that this course was essentially a repeat of an undergraduate core class and was not providing enough added value for the credit hours added to the program of study. In addition to the communications issue, the advisory board and the professional community felt strongly that a course was needed that would round out a student professionally, including coverage of ethical reasoning and professional conduct. In response to this, the SOA introduced a new graduate course in Ethics, Communications, and Professionalism.
Re-alignment of Undergraduate and Graduate Programs
In the September 2005 meeting of the Advisory Board, professionals and faculty were reviewing the undergraduate and graduate accounting programs with the goal of better differentiating the objectives of each of these programs. At that time, undergraduate students could choose from multiple options in their major and graduate without having completed a uniform accounting curriculum. For example, some students electing non-accounting options could earn an accounting degree without completing Acct 5210 (Business Combinations), Acct 5220 (Governmental), and Acct 5400 (Tax II). Even the students who elected the accounting option were typically missing one of the above courses. These courses (known as "foundation courses") were cross-listed at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Macc students were subsequently required to include in their program any of the above courses that were not taken as an undergraduate. These foundation courses were taken by both graduates and undergraduates, thus blurring the distinction between the two programs.
To address this problem, the Advisory Board and faculty articulated distinct yet complementary visions for the undergraduate and graduate programs. The undergraduate accounting vision is to provide a sound technical accounting framework that prepares students for successful careers in accounting, business, and graduate school. The graduate vision is to build upon the above technical accounting framework to instill professional attitudes and values. It provides students with the ability to research, analyze, communicate and apply new methods in a changing accounting landscape.
The new accounting bachelor's degree will consist of eight 3-hour courses (Acct 3110, 3120, 3310, 3410, 4200, 4410, 4500, 4510). The non-accounting options will be eliminated and all students at the undergraduate level will complete the same accounting series. In addition, there will no longer be co-listed courses that can be taken either at the undergraduate or graduate levels. These changes will result in the realignment and/or renumbering of the three foundation courses that currently span both programs (Acct 5210/6210, Acct 5220/6220, and Acct 5400/6400). These changes are effective Fall 2006.
Continuous Improvement – Faculty
One issue raised by the January 2005 Student Advisory Council focus group was the need to have faculty performance standards parallel the higher admission standards that had been implemented for both undergraduate and graduate students. In response to these concerns, the SOA implemented two tools to ensure that faculty are focused on continuous improvement activities. The first is known as the SOA Professional Development Plan and is negotiated between the faculty member and the department head to document how each faculty member will meet role expectations. Whereas the role statement prescribes "what" is expected, the professional development plan describes "how" the faculty member will meet such expectations. This document is also crucial in documenting that faculty development is mission driven and that it supports the strategic initiatives of the school. The second tool is the SOA peer teaching evaluation. This tool provides an opportunity for faculty members to visit each other's classes to observe instruction, provide constructive criticism, and share best practices in teaching.
Expanded Supplemental Instruction and Tutorial Labs
Feedback from the Student Advisory Council indicated a need for supplemental instruction and expanded accounting lab coverage. Funding for the Acct 2010 supplemental instruction labs was secured from the Provost's Office. Because the Student Advisory Council was concerned also about tutorial support for the Intermediate Accounting, the SOA funded two additional graduate assistants to staff a lab to support students enrolled in Acct 3110 and 3120.
Recruiting Ethics and Protocols
Each year, the SOA surveys recruiters to assess their level of satisfaction with SOA recruiting activities and the actual process itself. We noted a comment from one employer that two USU students, to whom they had extended offers, had gone on to accept offers with other organizations without notifying them - a clear violation of recruiting ethics. It was learned through further investigation that these two students were part of an off-campus, weekend (Alliance) MBA program. Because of the geographic distances involved in these programs, students in these programs are much less likely to participate in the professional activities where such issues are frequently discussed. However, we realized that we had been remiss in making these off-campus students aware of these opportunities. We have since enhanced the communications we have with these students through our own participating MBA instructors and through the MBA office.
During the 2002-03 recruiting season we were receiving complaints that a public accounting firm recruiting at our school was placing unrealistically short acceptance deadlines on its offers. This issue came to light in a somewhat embarrassing fashion when a student who had accepted one of these offers developed second thoughts and continued interviewing with other firms, eventually accepting another offer. Clearly, the student was in the wrong and we made that clear to the student. However, it concerned us that the first firm was creating a difficult situation for students by unnecessarily restricting student options to make the best employment choice. The SOA believed that both the students and the employers deserved an adequate timeframe to evaluate each other in a professional manner. This motivated the SOA to begin holding a recruiters meeting with prospective employers of USU students that is scheduled immediately after the annual Get Acquainted Breakfast. This is a meeting for building a consensus for recruiting guidelines and expectations to ensure that the process is ethical and perceived as being fair to all participants. In collaboration with prospective SOA accounting employers, the SOA has also developed a non-binding document to guide the activities of both students and recruiters known as the Recommended Guidelines for Accounting Recruiting. This document is reviewed each year during the recruiters meeting and reaffirmed as representing the shared values of the recruiting process. This dialogue with recruiters has done much to alleviate concerns among students and faculty with respect to ethical and professional behavior during the recruiting process.