Accountancy Advisory Group Meets to Discuss Job Market and Strategic Priorities, Brainstorm with Students

Left to right: Po-Chang Chen, Jon Pyzoha, Sara Potter, Nathan Schuster (Kirsch CPA Group), Chris Linck (Forvis Mazars), James Zhang, Olivia Dodd (Avient Corporation), Jenny Harves (Western & Southern), Robert Craycraft (retired, Cintas), Bob Woolman (Scotts Miracle-Gro), Megan Staley (Acclarity), Zachary Villeneuve, Reese Cordonnier, Jay Moeller (RSM), Donna Deye (BRS Outdoor Sports Holdings), Bob Guido (PwC), Anne Farrell, Craig Glazier (EY), Matt Phillippi (BDO), Daniel Perschke (E. W. Scripps), Maureen Westrick (AAA Club Alliance), Chrissy Walters (American Greetings), Dan Heitger, Jan Eighme, Beth Carlton (Progressive Insurance), Katie Tew.

The Accountancy Advisory Group (AAG) Fall 2025 Meeting, held on November 13–14, 2025, focused on departmental updates, strategic priorities, and a brainstorming session with students. The group welcomed several new members:

Two student representatives—Reese Cordonnier and Zach Villeneuve
Four early-career professionals – Cameron Cox, Dominik Del Ghingaro, Olivia Dodd, and Nathan Schuster
Chad Palmer, a new representative from Deloitte

Welcome Reception and Departmental Updates

The meeting began with a welcome from the AAG Executive Committee and remarks from Dean Jenny Darroch. Department updates included news on enrollment and admissions, noting that accountancy majors are up 70% from 2021–2022, and MAcc demand is high. New faculty members Matt Cobabe, Ted Polat, and Henry Wang were introduced, and two new open tenure-track positions were announced, to start in Fall 2026.

Department Chair Anne Farrell shared an outline of short-and medium term priorities that came out of a recent department retreat, with five committees formed around educational experience, external engagement, faculty excellence, finance, and student recruitment goals. Key initiatives include developing a compelling value proposition for the MAcc and developing a strategy to incorporate AI into the curriculum.

The rest of the discussion focused on updates on CPA legislation and CPA exam performance, as well as AAG members’ insights into the job market for accountancy graduates.

Student Brainstorming Session

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to brainstorming with students. The main prompts for discussion were:

Skills Gaps: What skills are early-career professionals missing, and what skills should be prioritized in the curriculum, including specific AI skills?
CPA Exam Preparation: Should the department do more to prepare students to pass the CPA exam while they are in school, and if so, how, without becoming a “CPA prep” program?
MAcc Value Proposition: How can we rework the messaging to better convey the value of the MAcc and a four-year college experience to both employers and students?