$50
Member / Non-Member Fee
8
CPE Credit Hours
Click here
to Register
The
ASCPA Educators’ Conference will provide a forum for accounting educators at
Arkansas
’ two and four-year colleges and universities, to meet with their peers to
hear discussion on current topics, future trends, teaching strategies and to
share ideas and concerns.
The
Educator’s Conference will be a great opportunity for educators as well as
accounting professionals in general, as it will serve as an information
exchange to gain a better understanding of accounting and business concepts
needed to succeed in the CPA profession.
Schedule of Events
8:00 a.m. - 8:55 a.m.
Registration & Continental Breakfast
8:55 a.m.
Welcome
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Writing Skills of Accounting Students as Assessed by Educators and
Practitioners
Dr. Stephanie F. Watson & Donna Smith
Assistant
Professors of Accounting
University of
Central Arkansas
Conway, AR
Recent comments
about the need to improve the writing skills of entry-level accountants led
to a research project in which writing assignments from junior and senior
accounting majors were assessed, using a seven-point writing-skills rubric.
The assessments of accounting faculty were compared to assessments by
practitioners to determine the degree to which educators and practitioners
agree. The purpose of this presentation is to share the findings of this
research project, and to discuss implications for an accounting curriculum.
10:00 a.m. -
11:00 a.m.
Maxwell and
Company: Staff Auditor Embezzlement at a Small Client
Dr. Constance
A. McKnight
Assistant
Professor of Accounting
Arkansas Tech
University
Russellville,
AR
Maxwell and
Company, a local accounting firm, discovers that one of its employees has
embezzled funds from a client. This case requires you to examine the
components of the fraud triangle and apply them to the facts of the case.
The case emphasizes the importance of quality control at accounting firms
and internal controls at small companies. The case provides an opportunity
to analyze the responsibilities of accountants, accounting firms, and
students.
11:00 a.m. –
11:10 a.m.
Break
11:10 a.m. -
12:10 p.m.
Program
Learning Assurance: Lessons Learned
Dr. Marinus J.
Bouwman
Walter B. Cole
Professor of Accounting
University of
Arkansas
Fayetteville,
AR
Philosophically, it is hard to disagree with program learning assurance.
Learning assurance provides the foundation for educational program
improvement and accountability, and who wouldn’t want that? It is an
entirely different matter, however, when faced with the task of actually
implementing learning assurance, i.e., measuring the specific outcomes of
learning. Lofty intentions quickly turn into a quagmire of measuring and
interpretation issues that suffocate all but the most persistent efforts.
Having experimented with a variety of learning assurance approaches over the
past decade, we have developed a system of learning assurance for the
Department of Accounting at the University of Arkansas that is workable and
sustainable. This presentation will review both the current system of
learning assurance, as well as the lessons learned during a decade of
“development.”
12:10 p.m. – 12:40 p.m.
Complimentary Catered Lunch
Provided by the Arkansas Society of CPAs
12:40 p.m. - 1:40 p.m.
Ladies and
Gentlemen, Kick-Start Your On-line Learning
Michele L. Kemp
Consultant/Adjunct Professor of Accounting
Little Rock, AR
This session is designed to introduce some of the general aspects of on-line
learning. The subtopics to be presented include: 1) shifting the focus of
the course from the educator to the subject; 2) creating an on-line
environment conducive to learning; and 3) some benefits and limitations of
e-learning experienced by the student and the professor. The discussion is
intended to provide useful teaching tips and to reveal avoidable pitfalls,
so that on-line learning can be a successful and rewarding experience for
both the student and the professor.
1:40 p.m. - 2:40 p.m.
Best Case
Exchange
Facilitated by:
Dr. Stephanie Watson
Assistant
Professor of Accounting
University of
Central Arkansas
Conway, AR
We all have our favorite cases (short or long) or other innovative learning
activity for the classes we teach. To help us all increase our collections,
please submit a copy of one or more of your favorites to be swapped. This
session will be a time for us to share cases or other learning activities.
This is a facilitated session, but its success depends on everyone bringing
their own best cases to share!
2:40 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
Break
2:50 p.m. - 3:40 p.m.
The Importance
of Relevant Practical Experience Among Accounting Faculty: An Empirical
Analysis of Students' Perceptions
Dr. Patricia H.
Mounce
Interim Chair
and Associate Professor of Accounting
University of
Central Arkansas
Conway, AR
AACSB International maintains a requirement that accounting faculty
demonstrate relevant professional experience for academic units seeking
separate accounting accreditation. This presentation covers a study of
student perceptions related to the importance of relevant practical
experience of accounting faculty. This presentation includes discussion of
the motivation for the study, the research methodology used, and the
results. Both accounting and non-accounting students enrolled in business
courses participated in the study. They were presented with a scenario
requiring them to evaluate an accounting professor. The criteria of
interest, relevant practical accounting experience, was manipulated by
indicating that the faculty member either possessed the experience or did
not. You will want to hear the interesting results of the study indicating
students’ perceptions.
3:40 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Roundtable Topics for Group Discussion and Idea Exchange
Facilitated by:
Dr. Stephanie Watson
Assistant
Professor of Accounting
University of
Central Arkansas
Conway, AR
This facilitated session will dive into some issues for discussion on
various topics including:
· Preventing and Catching Academic Dishonesty
· Encouraging Studying Without Increasing Grading
Have a burning question you would like to pose to your peers? Want to share
the idea of the century? Bring your thoughts to this session and share and
receive feedback at the idea exchange.
4:30 p.m.
Conference Adjourns
