sixth-year-review-report-accounting-university-of-southern-indiana

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN INDIANA ROMAIN COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ACCOUNTING PROGRAM SIXTH YEAR REVIEW REPORT January 15, 2014 Table of Contents I.Introduction Concerns regarding the Assurance of Learning system for the Accounting Department’s undergraduate degree program Issues Identified Expectations for Resolution Concerns regarding the department’s criteria and process for AQ determination Issues Identified Expectations for Resolution Concerns regarding availability of student placement data Issues Identified Expectations for Resolution II.Responses to Issues Identified Concern #1: Concerns regarding the Assurance of Learning system for the Accounting Department’s undergraduate degree program A Concern #1a: There was limited discussion about learning outcomes for the accounting degree program Accounting Program Learning Goals and Associated Program Learning Objectives Learning Goal 1: Learning Goal 2: Learning Goal 3: Learning Goal 4: Learning Goal 5: Concern #1b: It appeared that the focus was on broader areas (such as general knowledge, management knowledge and skills) while attention to accounting knowledge was limited, and there was little discussion with respect to assessment of this area (but significant results and attention were provided on the broader learning outcome areas) 11 Learning Objectives focused on the development, measurement, analysis, validation, and communication of financial and other information 11 Learning Goal .11 Learning Goal .14 Learning Goal .16 Learning Goal .18 Learning Goal .21 Other Modifications of the Accounting and Professional Services program based on the assessment evidence 23 Concern #1c: It appeared that the department’s AOL system was not fully matured .25 Concern #2: Concerns regarding the department’s criteria and process for AQ determination 28 Academically Qualified (AQ) Faculty 29 Accounting Faculty Research and Research Quality 30 Professionally Qualified (PQ) Faculty 31 New Academically Qualified and Professionally Qualified Faculty Standards 33 Concern #3: Concerns regarding availability of student placement data .34 I Introduction As noted in letter from the Accounting Accreditation Committee, dated June 12, 2013, the Sixth Year Review period provides additional time to address a number of educational quality issues This section highlights the issued identified and expectations for resolution based on the relevant accreditation standards identified in the June 12, 2013 letter Concerns regarding the Assurance of Learning system for the Accounting Department’s undergraduate degree program Issues Identified a There was limited discussion about learning outcomes for the accounting degree program b It appeared that the focus was on broader areas (such as general knowledge, management knowledge and skills) while attention to accounting knowledge was limited, and there was little discussion with respect to assessment of this area (but significant results and attention were provided on the broader learning outcome areas) c It appeared that the department’s AOL system was not fully matured Expectations for Resolution a The department should clearly articulate all learning goals and associated learning objectives (Accounting Standard 39: Accounting Undergraduate Education Goals, Accounting Standard 40: Accounting Undergraduate Education Goals, Business Standard 16: Undergraduate Learning Goals) b The department should be prepared to expand on the learning objectives the department developed that focus on the development, measurement, analysis, validation and communication of financial and other information using the related Accounting Standard as a guideline (Accounting Standard 39: Accounting Undergraduate Education Goals) c The department should be prepared to demonstrate that it has an AOL system with congruent learning goals and objectives, a system of measurement and evaluation, and examples of closing the loop when measurement results reveal areas of weakness (Assurance of Learning Accounting Standards 39 and 40, Business Assurance of Learning Standards 15 and 16) Concerns regarding the department’s criteria and process for AQ determination Issues Identified a It appeared that one faculty member was inappropriately identified as AQ Expectations for Resolution a The Department should review the process for making the AQ determination of a faculty member and also incorporate appropriate quality criteria in the identification of acceptable PRJs (Accounting Standard 35: Faculty Intellectual Contributions, Business Standard 2: Intellectual Contributions and Business Standard 10: Faculty Qualifications) Concerns regarding availability of student placement data Issues Identified a It appeared that placement data or other evidence of graduate success through placement was not evident Expectations for Resolution b The department should provide evidence of student placement and a history of successful entry into the formalized practice of accounting (Accounting Standard 33: Accounting Student Placement and Accounting Standard 38: Accounting Entry Goals) II Responses to Issues Identified This section highlights the department’s responses to issues identified in the previous section Concern #1: Concerns regarding the Assurance of Learning system for the Accounting Department’s undergraduate degree program A Concern #1a: There was limited discussion about learning outcomes for the accounting degree program Prior to the Peer Review Team’s visit in February 2013, the Accounting Program focused primarily on assessment of learning skills outcomes related to five learning goals Based on the expectations for resolution, the accounting faculty members reviewed and approved the following “Accounting Program Learning Goals and Associated Program Learning Objectives” during the Fall 2013 semester (with approval at their November 21, 2013 accounting faculty meeting) Accounting Program Learning Goals and Associated Program Learning Objectives Learning Goal 1: - Accounting graduates will demonstrate a base of knowledge, skills, and professional orientation consonant with the accounting profession • Learning Objective 1: Students will demonstrate a general tax consciousness, including an understanding of the role of taxation in society and the development of skills related to the recognition of the tax problems • Learning Objective 2: Students will develop a foundation of tax knowledge, including the development of competence with respect to general concepts of taxation, procedural rules and their application, and tax planning • Learning Objective 3: Students will understand the traditional cost accounting concepts such as cost flows, product costing, variance analysis, budget process, decision making performance analysis, and responsibility accounting • Learning Objective 4: Students will be able to use the results of analytical procedures to identify “red flags” of audit risk • Learning Objective 5: Students will be able to apply critical-thinking, decision-making, and analytical problem-solving skills in an accounting environment Learning Goal 2: - Accounting graduates will develop effective communication and interpersonal skills • Learning Objective 1: Students will be able to demonstrate techniques and formats for writing and speaking in a business environment • Learning Objective 2: Students will be able to prepare and deliver effective written business communication • Learning Objective 3: Students will develop teamwork and interpersonal skills Learning Goal 3: - Accounting graduates will demonstrate an understanding of general knowledge, organizational and business knowledge, and specialized accounting knowledge • Learning Objective 1: Students will demonstrate a general understanding of the fundamental areas of business • Learning Objective 2: Students will demonstrate an understanding of accounting's role in business and its information customers • Learning Objective 3: Students will be able to promote technical competencies in accounting standards and application • Learning Objective 4: Students will be able to recognize economic transactions that must be recorded and reported in financial statements • Learning Objective 5: Students will be able to analyze, record, and report economic transactions affecting financial statements • Learning Objective 6: Students will be able to apply analytical procedures to comparative financial statements Learning Goal 4: - Accounting graduates demonstrate an understanding of ethical considerations inherent in the profession • Learning Objective 1: Students will be able to explain the concept of “independence” as it applies to CPAs • Learning Objective 2: Students will be able to determine appropriate professional behavior in various situations using both the IMA Statement of Ethical Professional Practice and the AICPA’s Code of Professional Conduct • Learning Objective 3: Students will be able to analyze an ethics case and identify ethical issues/problems, incorporate evaluation of relevant stakeholders, evaluate implications of alternative courses of action, and develop logical conclusions from prior analysis Learning Goal 5: - Accounting graduates will be able to work effectively in the increasingly complex and diversified technological, international, and competitive environments of today's organizations • Learning Objective 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding of information technologies' capabilities • Learning Objective 2: Students will be able to analyze and design database systems • Learning Objective 3: Students will demonstrate a general consciousness of International Financial Reporting Standards • Learning Objective 4: Students will be able to apply current cost management techniques, such as accounting for the cost of quality, variance analysis, performance measures for critical success factors, and international issues The following table (Table 1) provides the Accounting Program’s Learning Goals Each of these five learning goals was divided into specific learning objectives that are measured using either external direct assessments (such as the ETS field test) or internally developed direct assessments (such as with course-embedded assessments) The table also provides the courses where the learning objectives are introduced (I), reinforced (R), and assessed (A) Table - Accounting Program’s Learning Goals and Learning Objectives Business Core Accounting Core USI Accounting Program ACCT ACCT ASBE CIS ECON MNGT ACCT ACCT ACCT A.CCT ACCT ACCT Learning Goals and Learning Objectives 201 202 231 261 265 452 303 304 311 315 413 415 Goal 1: Accounting graduates will demonstrate a base of knowledge, skills, and professional orientation consonant with the accounting profession • • Objective 1: Students will demonstrate a general tax consciousness, including an understanding of the role of taxation in society and the development of skills related to the recognition of the tax problems Objective 2: Students will develop a foundation of tax knowledge, including the development of competence with respect to general concepts of taxation, procedural rules and I R, A I R, A • • • their application, and tax planning Objective 3: Students will understand the traditional cost accounting concepts such as cost flows, product costing, variance analysis, budget process, decision making performance analysis, and responsibility accounting I R, A Objective 4: Students will be able to use the results of analytical procedures to identify “red flags” of audit risk I Objective 5: Students will be able to apply critical-thinking, decision-making, and analytical problem-solving skills in an accounting environment R, A I R A Goal 2: Accounting graduates will develop effective communication and interpersonal skills • • • Objective 1: Students will be able to demonstrate techniques and formats for writing and speaking in a business environment Objective 2: Students will be able to prepare and deliver effective written business communication Objective 3: Students will develop teamwork and interpersonal skills I R, A I R, A I R, A Goal 3: Accounting graduates will demonstrate an understanding of general knowledge, organizational and business knowledge, and specialized accounting knowledge • • • • • Objective 1: Students will demonstrate a general understanding of the fundamental areas of business * Objective 2: Students will demonstrate an understanding of accounting's role in business and its information customers Objective 3: Students will be able to promote technical competencies in accounting standards and application Objective 4: Students will be able to recognize economic transactions that must be recorded and reported in the financial statements Objective 5: Students will be able to analyze, record, and report economic transactions A I R, A I R, A I R A I R A • affecting the financial statements Objective 6: Students will be able to apply analytical procedures to comparative financial statements I R, A Goal 4: Accounting graduates demonstrate an understanding of ethical considerations inherent in the profession • • • Objective 1: Students will be able to explain the concept of “independence” as it applies to CPAs I Objective 2: Students will be able to determine appropriate professional behavior in various situations using both the IMA Statement of Ethical Professional Practice and the AICPA’s Code of Professional Conduct Objective 3: Students will be able to analyze an ethics case and identify ethical issues/problems, incorporate evaluation of relevant stakeholders, evaluate implications of alternative courses of action, and develop logical conclusions from prior analysis I I A R A R A R Goal 5: Accounting graduates will be able to work effectively in the increasingly complex and diversified technological, international, and competitive environments of today's organizations • • • • Objective 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding of information technologies' capabilities I R, A Objective 2: Students will be able to analyze and design database systems I R, A Objective 3: Students will demonstrate a general consciousness of International Financial Reporting Standards Objective 4: Students will be able to apply current cost management techniques, such as accounting for the cost of quality, variance analysis, performance measures for critical success factors, and international issues I = Introduced I R, A I R, A R = Reinforced A = Assessed * Introduced and reinforced in multiple business core courses, including FIN 305 (Business Finance), 10 revised The research requires an historical overview of prior principles and practices leading to the current modification The final assessment is to evaluate the assertions of the new GAAP promulgation and the expected result to users of the financial statements and any other stakeholders deemed materially affected This assignment requires citations to create a “paper trail” of the scope of the research work and finally a personal opinion supported by the evidence and citations presented This assignment is also targeted at the student’s ability to synthesize conflicting interests and views in accounting practice and write in a concise and organized manner In the second Intermediate Accounting (ACCT 304), a recent change was made in the course to introduce students to the FASB Codification website Students are given two general topics to research and, using their research skills, locate the correct answers related to the topics Through our university subscription, students have full access to all features including search and link functions In addition, changes were made to this course to include two ethics cases each semester (i.e., one at the beginning of the semester and one at the end) The class discusses the ethical decision making process and how to apply the process to each of the cases Additional examples include several changes that were made in the other upper-level accounting courses As stated previously, in the Cost Accounting (ACCT 315) course there is an increased focus on ethical decision-making as a result of assignments that include problems with an ethical component Current research topics have been added to the course syllabus for the required research paper, and the written communication rubric has been used for the research paper assessment In the Accounting Information Systems (ACCT 413), the instructor now utilizes a common assignment in all of the Accounting Information Systems classes that requires students to demonstrate issue identification, analysis and decision-making In addition, a new project was added to the course that requires students to review a case, use a spreadsheet program to develop a point-scoring matrix, and then use the new data determine which of three possible systems should be selected This is aimed at developing greater competency in providing a recommendation that follows from prior analysis The following table represents the coverage of the assessment of learning skills outcomes related to the five program learning goals prior to the Peer Review Team Visit in February 2013 Each of these five learning goals was divided into specific skill objectives that could be measured using either external direct assessments (such as the ETS field test) or internally developed rubrics used to evaluate skill development (such as with course-embedded assessments) Table - Accounting Program Learning Skills Outcomes prior to the Peer Review Team Visit USI Accounting Program Learning Skills Outcomes CIS ASBE MNGT ACCT ACCT ACCT A.CCT ACCT ACCT 261 231 452 303 304 311 315 413 415 Prepare accounting graduates to become professional accountants by providing a base of skills, knowledge, and professional orientation on which to build through continual learning Research skills X X Measurement/Reporting skills X X X 24 Provide accounting graduates with the communication and interpersonal skills necessary to communicate effectively and to work productively in groups Oral Communication skills X X Written Communication skills X X Teamwork/Leadership skills X X Provide accounting graduates with the general knowledge, organizational and business knowledge, and specialized accounting knowledge to begin productive careers as professional accountants X Critical-Thinking skills X X X Analytical Problem-Solving skills Decision-Making skills X X X X X X Provide accounting graduates with an understanding of ethical considerations inherent in the profession and an appreciation of the need to address the issues of integrity, objectivity, competence, and concern for the public interest X Ethical Awareness skills Prepare students to work effectively in the increasingly complex and diversified technological, international, and competitive environments of today's organizations Technological Environment skills International Environment skills Competitive Environment skills X X X X X X X As stated previously, Table provides the Accounting Program’s current Learning Goals and Learning Objectives (revised after the Peer Review Team’s Visit) Concern #1c: It appeared that the department’s AOL system was not fully matured Based on the expectation for resolution, that is, the department should be prepared to demonstrate that it has an AoL system with congruent learning goals and objectives, a system of measurement and evaluation, and examples of closing the loop when measurement results reveal areas of weakness, a number of steps were taken during the past ten months to address this concern Working with the Romain College of Business, the first step involved determination of the criteria for evaluating the maturity of the department’s Assurance of Learning system Based on discussions, a review of the relevant literature, and knowledge 25 sharing among faculty members, a five-step framework based on a presentation at the 2013 International Conference and Annual Meeting1, was utilized at a faculty retreat on April 16, 2013 to evaluate the department’s AOL system These activities helped to develop a common understanding and following working definition of a mature AOL system A mature AOL system is one whose components are well established and function effectively to assure sustainability of the system In particular, at the program level, there are clearly defined learning goals, with processes and activities that: (a) establish the extent of student learning; (b) serve as catalysts for curricula changes and other responses to learning outcomes evidence; and (c) sustain continuous improvements in curricula management and learning outcomes In addition, these interdependent components serve to maintain stability of the AOL system while adapting to change resulting from internal and external influences Subsequent steps involved activities geared towards clarifying and modifying the department’s AOL system, as well as implementation of the department’s AOL plan Issues identified during the Peer Review Team visit, such as the need to specify accounting-specific learning objectives, were also addressed in the process of clarifying the department’s AOL system The major outcomes from the steps taken during the past ten months are: • A reframing of the accounting program learning goals so that they reflect broad educational expectations for the program and the competencies the program aims to instill in its students Expectations • Elaboration of accounting-specific learning objectives associated with the accounting program learning goals • An updated curriculum map indicating where specific learning objectives are introduced, reinforced, and assessed • There is now a clearer delineation of responsibilities between the Accounting Program’s Curriculum Committee, the Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Committee (TLAC) and the Dean’s office with regard to the collection, storage, analysis, recommendations, and dissemination of assessment information as well as the coordination of curriculum changes based on assessment information Collection, compilation, and storage of assessment information for program learning goals are the responsibility of the Dean’s office The Accounting Program’s Curriculum Committee is responsible for analysis, dissemination, recommendations, and coordination of curriculum changes on the Accounting Program level, and the TLAC is responsible for analysis, dissemination, recommendations, and coordination of curriculum changes on the College level • The assessment plan has been modified so that assessment of all program learning goals is no longer conducted every semester Similar to the College’s assessment plan, the Accounting Recasting Assurance of Learning by Kathryn Martell and Tracy Taylor at the April 2013 International Conference and Annual Meeting, Chicago It was noted at the presentation that the framework was based on the 2007 (and subsequently updated in 2013) AACSB paper on Assurance of Learning Standards: An Interpretation 26 Program’s modified assessment plan requires two program goals to be assessed one year and three program goals to be assessed the following year on an alternating basis (the College’s modified assessment plan requires four program goals to be assessed every year) • Increased focus on reviewing the current program learning goals in the context of the themes of innovation, engagement, and impact with regard to continuous improvement contained in the 2013 accounting accreditation standards As indicated in Table 6, processes and activities associated with each of the identified components have been in place since 2007 and the connections among these components have been enhanced since the Peer Review Team’s visit The maturity of the AOL system is reflected in the systematic and ongoing manner in which assessment information and insights provided about student learning have impacted curriculum management In addition, the capacity of the AOL system to implement changes prompted by the Peer Review Team’s visit and most recently, begin the process for incorporating the 2013 accreditation standards is reflective of its stability and effectiveness Assessment reports of this process are disseminated each semester, typically during the designated University Assessment Day, and discussed with faculty and are also used as the basis for making program-level modifications For example, over the last four semesters during the maintenance reporting period, assessment retreats were held on: (1) April 19, 2011 - Spring 2011; (2) September 13, 2011 - Fall 2011 (1) April 17, 2012 - Spring 2012; and (4) September 11, 2012 - Fall 2012 In addition, during 2013 assessment retreats were held on April 16, 2013 (Spring 2013) and September 17, 2013 (Fall 2013) Further, it was recognized that better communication of the program-level assessment process is required so that faculty have a better shared understanding of the process To this end, and similar to the College, we have addressed AOL issues in additional faculty meetings beyond the designated assessment day meetings where faculty have been made aware of deficiencies and where faculty input has helped address deficiencies Specifically, topics related to learning goals and objectives, performance benchmarks, assessment data collection and scheduling, evaluation processes, and “closing the loop” topics have been addressed in spring and fall faculty meetings An important issue discussed in the Spring 2013 semester was the need to clarify roles and responsibilities in the AOL system Defining goals and objectives, aligning curriculum, identifying measures, and acting upon AOL outcomes and overall AOL communication will be coordinated by the Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Committee (TLAC) while the yearly collecting, analyzing, organizing, and disseminating results will be coordinated by the Dean’s office Since some membership changes yearly on the TLAC (based on faculty elections) for the sake of continuity, all assessment data will be housed in the Dean’s office In summary, our response is based on concerns noted in the Maintenance of Accreditation Committee letter as well as observations made by the Peer Review Team This section has focused on concerns related to the AOL system as it relates to the undergraduate Accounting Program Specific concerns addressed relate to the lack of clarity of the presentation of the program-level process The presentation of this information now conforms to standards with a specific focus on articulating learning goals and objectives clearly; there is also greater 27 understanding among faculty members about how program-level student performance is recorded and analyzed as well as how it initiates curriculum and AOL changes Table - AOL System for the Accounting Program Concern #2: determination Concerns regarding the department’s criteria and process for AQ In response to this concern faculty members reviewed the process of making the AQ determination and approved (during the May 1, 2013 Faculty Meeting) changes (effective Fall 2013) related to the designation of academically qualified and professionally qualified faculty members In addition, the program faculty reviewed the criteria used to identify acceptable PRJs The following paragraphs discuss changes in the AQ and PQ standards 28 Academically Qualified (AQ) Faculty At the time of our 2008-2012 maintenance report, in order to be considered Academically Qualified a faculty member had to meet the following standards: A faculty member will be considered AQ for the first three years after he/she becomes ABD or the first five years after completing his/her doctorate Evidence of scholarly activity will be expected during this time period Otherwise, to be AQ, a faculty member must: • Possess a doctorate (i.e., Ph.D., D.B.A., Ed.D.) in a related field • Produce at least three scholarly products over the last five years, three of which must be in peer-reviewed journals Examples of scholarly products other than peer reviewed journal articles include but are not limited to: o Conference presentations o Publications in conference proceedings o Books o Monographs o Non-peer reviewed journal articles Based on the review of the process for making AQ determination the following changes were made to the Academically Qualified standards: • (A faculty member must) produce at least three peer-reviewed journal articles over the last five years (it is highly recommended the peer-reviewed journal articles are not all published in the same journal) • If the journals are not listed in Cabell's Directory of Publishing Opportunities as being peer-reviewed, then written documentation must be provided that demonstrates they are in fact peer-reviewed journals • (A faculty member must) produce on average at least one scholarly product per year Examples of scholarly products other than peer reviewed journal articles include but are not limited to: (a) Conference presentations (b) Publications in conference proceedings (c) Books or chapters in a book (d) Monographs (e) Non-peer reviewed journal articles These changes were aimed at addressing the concern of the Peer Review Team that one of the Accounting program’s Academically Qualified faculty members had three peer-reviewed articles in the same journal, and since the journal was not listed in the Cabell's Directory of Publishing Opportunities, it was difficult to document whether in fact it was peer-reviewed In addition, while the faculty member had published three journal articles (one each year during the first three years) during the 2008-2012 five-year period, he had not published anything during the last two years Subsequent to the Peer Review Team’s visit, the faculty member in question has announced that he will retire at the end of the Spring 2014 Semester 29 Accounting Faculty Research and Research Quality The following table (“Target Journals - Accounting”) provides the list of “target journals” that were selected (and continue to be followed) by USI’s Accounting Faculty members Table - Accounting Target Journals Target Journals - Accounting Research Area Tax Education Systems Managerial Journals • Taxes The Magazine • Tax Advisor • Issues in Accounting Education • Advances in Accounting Education • Journal of Information Systems • International Journal of Accounting Information Systems • Journal of Cost Management • • Strategic Finance Management Accounting Quarterly • Journal of International Accounting, Auditing, and Taxation • International Journal of Accounting Education and Research • The CPA Journal • Fraud Magazine International Auditing During the previous reporting period (2003-2007), Accounting Faculty members published fourteen articles in this list of “target journals,” which represents 25% of the total articles published by Accounting Faculty members during this time period During the current reporting period (2008-2012), Accounting Faculty members published twenty articles in this list of “target journals,” which represents 49% of the total articles published by Accounting Faculty members during this time period The improvement in Faculty Research Quality is due in part to a concerted effort by the Accounting Faculty members to publish in these “target journals.” The Accounting Faculty members have continued to be active scholars during the five-year maintenance reporting period (2008-2012) For example, they have published a total of fortyone journal articles (excluding the one journal, and three articles, questioned by the Peer Review Team) in eighteen different peer-reviewed journals The following table (“Summary of PeerReviewed Journals and the Number of Publications in Each”) provides the list of the journal articles that were published during this time period In addition, Accounting Faculty members have made numerous presentations at regional, national and international academic and professional meetings, and they have also had several articles published in conference proceedings 30 Table - Peer-Reviewed Journals Summary of Peer-Reviewed Journals and the Number of Publications in Each (2008-2012) Publication Count Journals Accounting Faculty: Accounting Education: An International Journal CPA Journal (The) * Fortune Journal of International Management (The) International Business and Economics Research Journal International Journal of Managerial and Financial Accounting (The) Journal Of Business And Economic Perspectives Journal Of Cost Management * Journal Of Legal Studies Education Journal of Academic and Business Ethics Journal of Academy of Business and Economics Journal of Business and Economics Research Journal of Health Care Finance Journal of Performance Management (The) Management Accounting Quarterly * New England Journal of Entrepreneurship Review of Business Information Systems Strategic Finance * Tax Notes Accounting Totals: 1 1 2 2 12 41 * An Accounting Program "Target Journal" In addition, our faculty members have received other recognition for their research during the current reporting period, such as having “lead articles” in various academic journals and receiving a 2011 “Lybrand Certificate of Merit,” which is given by the Institute of Management Accountants for “excellence in contributing to the literature for the advancement of management accounting.” Professionally Qualified (PQ) Faculty A concern of the Peer Review Team was that while our Professionally Qualified faculty members might have met our PQ standards at the time of hire, they might not be meeting the requirements for maintenance of PQ status Specifically, one accounting faculty member was identified by the Peer Review Team as possibly not meeting the requirements for maintenance of PQ status because she only had current professional certification in field The team felt that current professional certification 31 in field by itself was not sufficient to maintain her PQ status Therefore, in order to address this concern, a change was made to our Professionally Qualified standards At the time of our 2008-2012 maintenance report, in order to be considered Professionally Qualified a faculty member had to meet the following standards: To be PQ a faculty member must, at the time the faculty member is hired: • Possess a Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field; and (a) Have a record of significant relevant professional experience in three of the last five years, or (b) Possess one of the following: o Professional certification in field o Two scholarly products over the last five years (see above examples) o Record of professional engagement Examples of professional engagement include:  Consulting  Faculty internships  Continuing professional education (including completion of graduate courses in a relevant discipline)  Meaningful service in a professional association  Participation in teaching improvement activities The above standards for PQ apply at the time the faculty member is hired To maintain PQ status, the faculty member must possess one of the following: o Current professional certification in field o Two scholarly products over the last five years (see above examples) o Recent record of professional engagement Examples of professional engagement include:  Consulting  Faculty internships  Continuing professional education (including completion of graduate courses in a relevant discipline)  Meaningful service in a professional association  Participation in teaching improvement activities The change approved to the PQ standards is the following: To maintain PQ status, the faculty member must possess two of the following: o Current professional certification in field o Two scholarly products over the last five years (see above examples) o Recent record of professional engagement Examples of professional engagement include:  Consulting  Faculty internships  Continuing professional education (including completion of graduate courses in a relevant discipline) 32   Meaningful service in a professional association Participation in teaching improvement activities Given the change in our Professionally Qualified standards, the faculty member in question has subsequently confirmed a Faculty internship in her field for the Summer 2014 Semester In addition, she continues to have meaningful service in a professional association New Academically Qualified and Professionally Qualified Faculty Standards As stated above, in part due to the recommendations of both the Business and Accounting Peer Review Teams, we reviewed the criteria for determining both Academically Qualified faculty (for Accounting) and Professionally Qualified faculty (for business) Based on our review, we developed the following revised standards for Academically Qualified (AQ) and Professionally Qualified (PQ) faculty status These new standards were subsequently approved by the Romain College of Business faculty members at their May 1, 2013 Meeting The new standards for determining Academically Qualified (AQ) and Professionally Qualified (PQ) faculty status in the Romain College of Business at the University of Southern Indiana are as follows: Exhibit 8: New Standards for Determining AQ and PQ Faculty Status Academically Qualified (AQ) A faculty member will be considered AQ for the first three years after he/she becomes ABD or the first five years after completing his/her doctorate Evidence of scholarly activity will be expected during this time period Otherwise, to be AQ, a faculty member must: • • Possess a doctorate (i.e., Ph.D., D.B.A., Ed.D.) in a related field • Produce on average at least one scholarly product per year Examples of scholarly products other than peer reviewed journal articles include but are not limited to: (a) Conference presentations (b) Publications in conference proceedings (c) Books or chapters in a book (d) Monographs (e) Non-peer reviewed journal articles Produce at least three peer-reviewed journal articles over the last five years (it is highly recommended the peer-reviewed journal articles are not all published in the same journal) If the journals are not listed in Cabell's Directory of Publishing Opportunities as being peer-reviewed, then written documentation must be provided that demonstrates they are in fact peer-reviewed journals Professionally Qualified (PQ) To be PQ a faculty member must, at the time the faculty member is hired: • Possess a Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field; and (a) Have a record of relevant professional experience in three of the last five years, or (b) Possess one of the following: o Professional certification in field o Two scholarly products over the last five years (see above examples) o Record of relevant professional engagement Examples of professional engagement include:  Consulting  Faculty internships  Completion of graduate courses in a relevant discipline  Meaningful service in a professional association  Participation in teaching improvement activities The above standards for PQ apply at the time the faculty member is hired To maintain PQ status, the faculty member must possess two of the following: • Current professional certification in field 33 • • Two scholarly products over the last five years (see above examples) Recent record of relevant professional engagement Examples of professional engagement include: (a) Consulting (b) Faculty internships (c) Completion of graduate courses in a relevant discipline (d) Meaningful service in a professional association (e) Participation in teaching improvement activities Concern #3: Concerns regarding availability of student placement data A number of steps were taken during the past ten months to address this concern First, while placement data was historically accumulated for Accounting Program Graduates, it was a compiled in a number of different departments Therefore, in order to prepare a complete document containing current student placement data, the Accounting Faculty worked with both USI’s Career Services and Internships Office and USI’s Alumni and Volunteer Services Office to gather as much data as possible regarding USI’s accounting graduates Based on these efforts, the following table was prepared related to USI’s Accounting Program Graduate Placement from 2008 to the present The information in Table indicates that 77 percent of accounting graduates are employed fulltime and 85 percent are employed within their major Overall, the evidence indicates a history of successful entry of graduates into the formalized practice of accounting Table 9: Accounting Program Graduate Placement (2008 - Present) Accounting Program Graduate Placement 2008 - Present Employer Name ID Name 000448294 Chelsea M Adams '12 SS&C Technologies Position Title Fund Accountant 000459121 Shola M Ajiboye '11 DuCharme, McMillen & Associates Compliance Analyst 000444133 Tabatha K Alford '12 Harding Shymanski & Company, PSC Staff Accountant 000442402 Clayton B Allen '13 Dauby O'Connor & Zaleski, LLC Auditor 000126233 Sara B Altstadt '09 Hinderliter Construction Accounting 000487579 Taylor J Atkins '13 Harding Shymanski & Company, PSC Staff Accountant 000429364 Shane M Bates '11 SS&C Technologies Associate Partnership Accountant 000542427 Jessica D Beaman '13 Vincennes University and Applebee's Student/Waitress 000452797 Jacob W Beavin '13 Schnuck's Stocking Clerk 000145995 Amanda N Becker '09 M.T Publishing Company Publishing Representative 000165501 Daniel J Berry '08 Harding Shymanski & Company, PSC Staff Accountant 000410222 Emily M Bigham '10 GAF Materials Corporation Plant Accountant 000464440 Amanda L Bingemer '13 Pettinga Financial Advisors Accounting and Operations 000426141 Emily G Blankenbeker '11 First Robinson Savings Bank, N.A Trust Assistant 000510454 Benjamin D Boesing '13 Ernst & Young Staff Accountant 000209351 Nicole R Bojanowski '08 - - 000222873 Ryan K Botsch '09 Botsch Technology Consulting, LLC I.T Consultant 000118338 Joyce A Bratton '10 Concrete Supply, LLC Administrative Assistant 000426773 Shelby N Brock '11 Citadel Plastics Pricing Specialist 000442420 Brett L Bueltel '12 Indiana University School of Law J.D Candidate 000466276 Kasey D Byrley '10 Berry Plastics Corporation Accounting 000425580 Bradley C Cadden '10 SS&C Technologies Fund Accountant 34 000152270 Angela L Caldwell '10 Denny's Management 000166611 Cameron M Carey '10 Texas Roadhouse Server 000465376 Kathleen E Cassin '13 Old National Bank Loss Share Analyst 000210269 Mallory K Chaffin '12 Legence Bank Accounting Assistant 000409349 Benjamin L Chandley '13 Offers at DOZ & Masterbrand TBD 000215429 Kyle S Chase '08 MasterBrand Cabinets Senior Supervisor 000145460 Mandy R Chinn '09 Regency Commercial Associates LLC Senior Accountant 000219272 Jacob R Clawson '09 Dauby O'Connor and Zaleski LLC Tax Manager 000165085 Cynthia M Cole '10 Belmont Freight Corp General Accountant 000218081 Aaron J Conklin '09 Neikirk Engineering LLC Cost Accountant 000039034 Amber M Conville '05 Audubon Metals LLC Staff Accountant 000458540 Matthew D Cooper '12 Indiana Army National Guard Supply Specialist 000135953 Jacob G Cottingham '08 YourEncore Project administrator/accountant 000407087 Travis J Cross '10 Folz Real Estate Consultants, LLC Certified Tax Representative 000138637 Jennifer R Crow '10 M'13 Berry Plastics Pricing Analyst-Flexible Packaging 000221687 Rebecca A Crummley '08 SABIC Cost Accountant 000454898 Lexa M Cummins '13 LaRoy Tax Services Staff Accountant 000205555 Bridgitte E Danhauer '08 Mead Johnson Nutrition Financial Analyst, US Finance 000161300 Jarod R Daniel '12 Subway Management 000449263 Justin H Dartt '13 Botsch & Associates, CPA's LLC Accountant 000142070 Andrea J Davis '13 P & I Supply TDM Staff Associate 000148401 Joshua M Davis '08 Old National Bank Staff Accountant 000193615 Charles L Decker '08 Katz, Sapper & Miller Staff Accountant 000149805 Geena M Denning '09 Sanders Accounting PC Tax & Accounting Services 000407453 Melissa A Mindrup '08 SABIC Senior Analyst 000207485 Ryan A Dillman '11 Accuride Corporation Cost Accountant 000482474 Corey J Dillon '13 Blue & Co., LLC Staff Accountant 000222031 Tyler J Ditch '08 Kemper CPA Group LLP Accounting 000149122 Gabrielle D Divine '09 Energy Systems Group Project Accountant 000425573 Markay Doane '09 Berry Plastics Corporation Regional Controller 000196757 Anthony P Domizio '10 Culver's Restaurant Assistant Manager 000452803 Celeste K Drew '12 BKD CPAs & Advisors Audit Staff 000528296 Steven T Eblen '13 Kemper CPA Group Accounting 000195491 Chase J Emge '08 BKD CPAs & Advisors Senior Accountant 000473990 Janet Escobar '11 Flander's Electric International Accountant Assistant 000465757 Chuying Feng '13 The Walt Disney Company Merchandiser 000113269 Nicholas A Ficklin '09 Blue and Company Senior Accountant 000177720 Aaron J Field '11 BKD CPAs & Advisors Associate 000468146 Jonathon M Fox '12 Masterbrand Cabinets Financial Analyst 000209233 Matthew S Frantz '10 Tom's Lawn and Landscape Bookkeeper/Tax/Manager 000213187 Kyle D Frick '08 Kirkston Mortgage Lending LLC Accountant 000167291 Jelaine S Garrett '08 Renewable Energy Group, Inc Accounting Specialist 000145356 Matthew M Garza '09 State Board of Accounts Filed Examiner 000201412 Michele R Graham '09 Harding Shymanski and Company Staff Accountant 000406959 Samuel B Greene '08 JSA Healthcare (Saint Petersburg, FL) Healthcare Accounting 35 000421039 Ryan E Gries '11 Kemper CPA Staff Accountant II 000110790 Amber D Richardson '10 MasterBrand Cabinets, Inc Financial Analyst II 000141983 Matthew L Halbig '08 Masterbrand Cabinets, Inc Accounting 000103551 Ashley M Schultz Harding Shymanski and Company Staff Accountant 000146500 Brandon J Harshman '09 Dauby O'Connor and Zaleski LLC Audit Senior 000107294 Jacob A Hatton '10 Sunham Home Fashions Production Development Coordinator 000189721 G John Hayden '08 Vectren Corporation Senior Tax Analyst 000212388 Aaron M Healy '10 Kimball International, Inc Financial Analyst 000113534 Shay M Helfrich '09 Helfrich Realty Co Inc Sales Associate 000192051 J Robert Helms '08 J.R Helms & Associates, P.C Director of Firm Operations 000198295 Jamie M Hempfling '08 Welborn Health Plans Accounting 000182156 Lauren C Henry '12 The Walt Disney Company Management 000104184 Titus B Herring '10 Flander's Electric Inventory Cost Analyst 000195461 Anthony D Hiatt '09 United Leasing, Inc Accounting 000526497 Richard B Hill '13 Parson and Son CPA Staff Accountant 000421046 Casey J Himsel '11 Crane Military 000197599 Hieu T Ho '09 Old National Bank Accounting 000104897 XiaoLi Hu '08 Infosys Consulting, Inc Senior Associate 000461290 Nicole D Hunsaker '10 GAF Materials Corp Cost Accounting 000471028 Mervin R Ice '12 Kemper CPA Accounting 000195690 Lauren N Ingle '08 Gibco Motor Express, LLC Controller 000165903 Aaron M Johnson '10 SS&C Technologies Associate Partnership Accountant 000028734 Amber R Jones '03 RCR Technology Production Support Analyst 000200073 Tammy R Jones '10 SMG Evansville Accounting 000195609 Amie M (Joyal) Coyle '09 ATTC Accounting Specialist 000171622 Gretchen F Keller '11 Evansville Super Bike Shop Management 000226219 Kristi M Kemper '10 Jasper Group Human Resource Coordinator 000208624 Audrey E Kempf '08 Shetler Moving and Storage Management 000051569 Jamie L Kennedy '08 - - 000454938 Amber N Key '12 Harding, Shymanski, & Company Staff Accountant 000531340 Shanta M Khatri '13 United Leasing Inc Voucher Analyst 000489987 Clay L Kik '10 Bed Wood and Parts CPA 000103986 Kyle A Kinder '08 Lewis Bakeries Corporate Accountant 000207477 Jessica S Knepp '12 Wathen & Sellars, CPAs Accountant 000153240 Eric M Knight '08 Umbach & Associates LLC Client Accounting Services 000194097 David M Knust '08 MasterBrand Cabinets Finance Manager 000166563 Bradley R Koenig '09 Kemper CPA Accounting 000461978 Kelsey S Kreke '12 Brown, Smith & Settle CPAs Staff Accountant 000101486 Mark W Kurvach '09 AT&T Mobility Customer Service Representative 000116121 Brandon J Ladley '06 Tropicana Evansville Accounting Manager 000127154 John G Lambert '08 Evansville Courier & Press Accounting 000156978 Jonathon R Lawson '09 Tyler Technologies Accounting 000220038 Joshua E Leach '11 Uniseal Inc General Accountant 000449670 Elizabeth M Lee '11 BKD, LLP Associate Accountant 000194949 Kayla L Leffler '09 BKD, LLP Staff Accountant 36 000131716 Richard A Lewis '08 French Lick Resort and Casino General Accountant 000482450 YeNan Li '13 Tulane University Master of Accounting Student 000103854 Cory B Like '12 University of Southern Indiana Data Manager, Student Financial Asst 000211115 Whitney L Litkenhus '11 Superior, AG General Accountant 000156382 Lindsey J Logan '08 Martin and Bayley Staff Accountant 000440576 Amanda L Lollar '12 First Federal Savings Bank Float Teller 000214625 Kristin D Love '09 Qwest Financial Services Intern 000216077 Craig A Luebbehusen '08 OFS Brands Cost Analyst 000136135 Tyler Lutterbach '09 MasterBrand Cabinets Financial Supervisor 000111198 Tristan E Macon '11 Accuride Credit Analysis 000197737 Jacob M Maddox '09 Springleaf Financial Services General Accountant 000129859 Amjad J Manna '09 Manna Mediterranean Grill Management 000153538 Stacy Manwaring '08 Harding Shymanski Staff Accountant 000138468 Brian J Marchino '09 Harding Shymanski and Company Staff Accountant 000410307 Christina N Marshall '13 Cross Point Polymer Technologies, LLC Cost Accountant 000432785 Joseph R Martin '12 InsureMax Insurance Company Accounting Assistant 000222610 Shanda R Martin '09 USI Business Office Accounting 000021256 Quentin C Masterson '12 Premiere Tan/Mercer Video Inc General Manager 000478339 Jeff A Mattingly '10 Wabash Foodservice Accounting Dept 000148829 Traye P Mattingly '10 Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor 000493674 Eseniya Matvelieva '11 ALG Worldwide Logistics Logistics Consultant-Staff Accountant 000472113 Brittany J McCrary '13 Shoe Carnival, Inc Assistant Lease Administrator 000204245 Kara L McDaniel '08 St Mary's Accounting 000129333 Andrew T McGuire '08 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Senior Associate 000025862 Hugh A McKinney '02 ComScore ARS Project Leader 000002979 Courtney L McNett '08 Vectren Treasury Analyst 000128334 Wendy L McWilliams '09 South Western Communications Assistant Controller 000205539 Andrew T Menner '10 Dauby O'Connor Zaleski Staff Accountant 000181720 Danielle M Metzger '11 St Mary's Medical Center Reimbursement Specialist 000192401 Eric M Michalski '08 MC Building and Remodeling General Accountant 000195051 Angela M King Miller '08 M'10 Harding Shymanski and Company Staff Accountant - General Services 000214182 Melissa A Miller '13 University of Southern Indiana Senior Administrative Asst - Registrar 000407453 Melissa A Mindrup '08 Rexam Closures Cost Accountant 000210396 Amy L Mings '08 Harding Shymanski and Company Senior Advisor 000159104 Matthew W Mitchell '12 Deloitte & Touche, LLP Staff Accountant 000423452 Brayton T Moore '08 Nontex & Co CPA Staff Accountant 000109283 Jeremy W Morris '09 Sterling Boiler and Mechanical, Inc General Accountant 000452546 Christin B Morse '11 Energy Systems Group, LLC General Accountant 000459775 Steven M Muehlbauer '10 Springleaf Financial Services Senior Financial Analyst 000473530 Nicole A Tolbert '13 (Nicholson) Daviess Community Hospital Healthcare Accountant 000425541 Alex R Nicoll '11 Pivotal Retail Group General Accountant 000116843 Emily M Nurrenbern '09 Sazerac Company Senior General Ledger Accountant 000126477 Andrew J Ofer '10 SS&C GlobeOp Fund Accountant 000210396 Amy L Mings Harding Shymanski Staff Accountant 000122350 Heather A Ottilie '08 EVSC Substitute Teacher 37 000128415 Cynthia A Palmer '08 Sage Health Services of Indiana Payroll Manager 000113501 Stephanie M Parola '09 Laroy Tax Service Tax Analyst 000429172 Zane E Parrott '11 Parrott Real Estate and Auction Accounting 000178891 Aimee E Parsons '11 Harding Shymanski Staff Accountant 000487786 Emmily A Patterson '13 Methodist Hospital System Clerk 000202005 Callie E Paul '10 YMCA Accounting 000451954 Denise R Perry '11 Old National Bank Accounting 000444738 Jamie M Perry '11 SS&C GlobeOp Associate Partnership 000211763 Rachel D Petersen '10 Shoe Carnival Inc Cost Accountant 000219319 Lucas A Pettigrew '08 Peabody Midwest Mining Accountant 000222556 Krista S Pichon '08 Claire's Accounting 000206940 Phillip A Powers '09 Toyota Motor Manufacturing Cost Accountant 000138370 Micah A Prellwitz '08 Harding Shymanski and Company Staff Accountant 000179152 Meghan R Price '10 Consolidated Grain & Barge Co Accountant 000037119 Charles W Pride '04 Indiana State Board of Accounts Field Examiner II 000481467 Vivian R Purnell '12 Justice Benefits Management 000217415 Clay M Ranard '10 Berry Plastics Corporate Accounting Intern 000470916 Jordan E Reese '12 MasterBrand Cabinets Cost Accountant 000120309 Cory B Reffett '08 Harding Shymanski Staff Accountant 000484935 Bradley A Reibold '11 SS&C GlobeOp Fund Accountant 000428873 Eric M Rexing '08 Harding Shymanski and Company Staff Accountant 000403602 Keith O Rexing '08 Vectren Corporation Treasury Analyst 000196775 Brandon M Richardt '09 St Mary's Healthcare Accountant 000406951 Airam D Rico '08 Accountemps Salaried Professional Accounting Temp 000430386 John M Ringwall '11 SS&C GlobeOp Fund Accountant 000481598 Brittni D Roark '13 Kemper CPA Group Accounting 000429734 Bethanie R Roberts '10 City of Owensboro General Accountant 000129484 Kiersten M Roberts '10 SRG Global Financial Analyst 000166023 Scott W Roberts '09 Old National Bancorp Underwriter 000003883 Michelle A Roy '09 M'11 Mead Johnson Nutrition SAP Coordinator 000452468 Stephen C Saligram '11 Graybar Electric Accounting 000116620 Mallory B Schenk '10 DSM Engineering Staff Accountant 000119509 Marie E Schiff '09 University of Southern Indiana Admin Assoc / Student Affairs 000116065 Danielle R Schleter '09 Springleaf Financial Services Inc Tax Analyst 000495091 Emily C Schminke '12 University of Southern Indiana Staff Accountant/Business Office 000471928 Kayla G Schmitt '13 Pro4mance Fire & Water Restoration Accounting 000442616 Patrick B Schroeder '11 Harding, Shymanski & Company, PSC Staff Accountant 000103551 Ashley M (Hancock) Schultz '10 Harding Shymanski & Company, PSC Auditor 000423963 Mary B Schwambach '12 BKD Staff Accountant 000194159 Chris G Schwenk '09 Harding Shymanski & Company, PSC Staff Accountant 000119497 Alaina C Scott '10 KCARC Accounting 000192769 Ashley M Scott '08 BKD CPAs & Advisors Audit Staff 000451392 Sarah A Scott '12 BKD Accountant 000412135 Zachary C Scott '12 BC Marketing Manufacturer Sales Representative 000471149 Kendall G Scouten '09 Stevens & Co LLC Accountant 38