Mission Statement, Vision, and Objectives

School of Accountancy Vision and Mission Statement

Vision

To achieve national recognition in accounting education by providing programs of academic distinction that meet the needs of the accounting profession.

Mission

Our mission is to provide excellence in accounting education through teaching, research, and service. We recognize our responsibility to provide high-quality undergraduate education to students who desire to work in business, industry, and the not-for-profit sectors; to provide graduate accounting education to students who desire to work in public accounting and to pass the CPA Exam or to obtain other professional certifications; to conduct applied and instructional research benefiting accounting and business; and to render service to each of our constituencies.

School of Accountancy Strategic Plan

Academic distinction is the School of Accountancy’s top priority. In 2004, the School set as its goal for academic distinction to become a national leader in forensic accounting education. To accomplish this goal, an ambitious plan was implemented.  In 2021, our strategic plan continues to pursue academic distinction for its accounting programs including, but not exclusively, in the areas of forensic accounting and taxation.

OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES OF THE SCHOOL

Objective No. 1 Student Success: Provide high-quality preparation for careers in accounting and business

•Highly skilled and motivated teaching faculty

•Faculty development activities that ensure state-of-the-art discipline knowledge and teaching methodologies

•Instructional technology that facilitates both on-campus and distance learning student engagement

•Stimulating interchange between faculty and students

•Performance expectations for students that require critical thinking skills

•Collaborative learning practices that enhance technical, communication and interpersonal skills; build a strong work ethic; and encourage personal responsibility and integrity

•Personal and professional development opportunities that promote leadership skills and a commitment to service

•Routine evaluation of the accounting curriculum and of the overall teaching/learning experience

•Continue undergraduate interdisciplinary minor in fraud examination

•Integrate forensic accounting and related governance and compliance topics into courses across the accounting and business curriculum

Objective No. 2 Teaching and Research: Contribute intellectually to accounting and business through discipline, applied and instructional research

•Discipline and applied research that benefits accounting and business practices

•Instructional research that enhances student learning and teaching effectiveness

•Collaborative and interdisciplinary approach that promotes a broad perspective in accounting and business research

•Faculty development activities that support continuous improvement in research knowledge and skills

•Practices that stimulate intellectual curiosity among faculty and students

•Support faculty efforts for research presentations and peer reviewed publications

•Provide students with experiential activities, internships, and full-time positions

Objective No. 3 Inclusive Excellence: Provide an environment in which students, faculty, and staff can thrive

•Recruit and retain high-quality faculty and staff by offering market competitive compensation, incentives and reward structures for exemplary performance

•Scholarships to attract and reward high quality students

•Promotion of diversity and inclusiveness in students, faculty, and staff

•Policies that enhance communication, mutual respect, cooperation, and trust

•Establish a faculty code of conduct

Objective No. 4 Operational Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Sustainability: Implement robust policies, procedures, and practices to ensure sustainability

•Work with advisory board and potential donors to obtain funds for faculty research and student activities

•Work with faculty to ensure continuous improvement in courses

•Ensure conformance with AACSB continuous improvement standards

•Adequate financial support to accomplish the School’s mission

•Continuous improvement in processes and procedures

Objective No. 5 Community Engagement: Render service to the accounting profession, the business and academic communities, and the community at large

•Involvement at the local, regional, and national levels of the profession and of the academic community

•Participation in local community and business events and activities

•Leadership positions in service organizations at all levels

•Consulting and collaborative projects with accounting and business organizations

Last updated: 10/27/2021