Cedarville Magazine, Spring 2020

Our faculty members have years of experience to enhance their teaching and they truly care about student success. Q Where are some of our accounting graduates working? Our accounting graduates are employed at national, regional, and local CPA firms including Ernst &Young, Grant Thornton, and Plante Moran. Those who are interested in corporate accounting are employed at companies including Marathon, Allegion, Nationwide, and JPMorgan Chase. Our graduates also find challenging work in various government positions at the Office of the Inspector General, the Defense Financial Accounting Services, the FBI, the FDIC, and the Ohio Auditor of State. These employers provide excellent internships to guide students in making informed career choices. Q How do our accounting alumni give back to today's students? There are many ways that our accounting alumni contribute to the accounting program and to the business school. Our accounting alumni give back by contributing to student scholarships and to student business organizations. They represent their firms at our accounting “Meet the Firms” career fair during the fall semester and network with our current students, guiding them through the employment process. We especially appreciate our alumni who let us know when they will be on campus and offer to speak in accounting classes. Their experience is a challenge and encouragement to our current students. Q What do you anticipate for the future of the program? The market for accountants and auditors has been very strong and is expected to grow in response to increasing tax and regulatory demands, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the auditing functions of accounting have changed to keep pace with developing information technology, growth areas such as business analytics and forensic accounting, have added to the constant demand for accountants. Q What sets Cedarville’s accounting degree program apart from other universities? It is our desire in the accounting department to challenge our students to consider how to bring their faith to work, to bring glory to God as accounting professionals. The Bible minor and biblical integration give our students knowledge in Bible study methods and help them to evaluate business knowledge from a biblical perspective. We have a solid general business foundation, as evidenced by our students’ strong scores on the Business Environment and Concepts portion of the CPA exam. We are always looking for ways to improve the accounting program and respond to emerging business practices. In accounting classes, our students are using Tableau data visualization software, Sage 50 accounting system software, and other computerized applications that merge their academic knowledge with real-world practices of accounting. Q What are some of the program’s biggest successes over the past several years? Our graduates who are serving the Lord in businesses and accounting firms are our greatest measure of success. Our graduates also have an excellent pass rate on the CPA exam and have a solid record of both placement and advancement in the accounting profession. In six of the past eight years, our first-time pass rate was the first- or second-highest among Ohio universities and received national ranking as well. In each of those years, the overall first-time pass rate was greater than 70%, compared to a national pass rate averaging about 55%. Q To what do you attribute this remarkable record of success? Our graduates would probably say that they prayed a lot! As faculty, we have the opportunity to work with a high- quality group of students, who arrive on campus with a diligent work ethic. We provide a solid slate of courses within an innovative School of Business Administration. Beloved accounting professor Sarah (Harriman) Smith ’75 went home to be with the Lord on November 12, 2018. She faithfully served Cedarville University and the School of Business Administration (SBA) for 37 years, retiring in 2018. Dr. Smith was an instrumental part of the SBA and its widely acclaimed accounting program. She helped establish the accounting major, pioneered online classes within the business school, and successfully led the effort at both the initial school accreditation in 2005 and the reaffirmation in 2015. Gifts may be made to the Dr. Sarah H. Smith Memorial Award at cedarville.edu/smithscholarship to provide scholarships for accounting students. 18 | Cedarville Magazine