Department of Accountancy Interim Chair Annie Farrell spent the first week of the year focusing on curriculum development with colleagues at the AAA Management Accounting Section (MAS) Conference in Atlanta. Together with Shane Dikoli from the University of Virginia, she spoke about “Future-Proofing Management Accounting Curricula” at the 2023 Research Conference, IMA Doctoral Colloquium, and Virtual AICPA CGMA Teaching Symposium. They addressed questions such as:
- What are the unique benefits of management accounting for our students?
- How can we use management accounting to create value for the next generation of business leaders?
- How can management accounting be positioned within the business curriculum to enhance student outcomes?
Professor Farrell is part of the AAA MAS Future of Management Accounting Education Working Group that also met during the conference. Their goal is to reenvision the management accounting curriculum in an effort to attract more students to management accounting careers in particular, and accountancy careers in general. One of the strategies the group is pursuing is to lay the groundwork for a new framework that can be used to rebuild management accounting courses at any level (including introductory, intermediate, graduate-level, MBA, certificate programs). In addition, the group hopes to:
- Develop an introductory management accounting course syllabus that demonstrates the new framework, along with sample modules that include materials, in-class learning resources, and student assessment.
- Engage faculty around the world in building syllabi and modules for other courses.
- Shaare the framework, syllabi, and modules with faculty across institutions of higher education around the world.
The working group is comprised by the following (See photo, left to right):
Win Van der Stede, CIMA Professor of Accounting and Financial Management and Dean of Extended Education, London School of Economics and Political Science
Loreal Jiles, Vice President of Research and Thought Leadership, Institute of Management Accountants
Brian Vansant, C.G. Mills Fellow and Faculty Director of the Physicians Executive MBA, Auburn University Harbert College of Business
Ash Noah, Vice President of CGMA External Relations, American Institute of CPAs
Mandy Cheng, Professor of Accounting, University of New South Wales School of Accounting, Auditing and Taxation
Michael Williamson, A.C. Littleton Professor of Accountancy and AAA MAS President, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Bies College of Business
Annie Farrell, Interim Chair and PwC Professor of Accountancy, Miami University Department of Accountancy
Shane Dikolli, Bank of America Associate Professor of Business Administration, University of Virginia Darden School of Business
Monte Swain, Brigham Young University