The Department of Accounting supports the mission of the College of Business: The College of Business creates value and opportunity for our students by providing a high quality education at the Ellensburg campus and university centers in the Puget Sound and central regions of Washington state. Meaning of Our Mission Value • We create value by graduating students who possess foundation knowledge in accounting, economics, information systems, finance, marketing, and management. • We create value by graduating students who possess appropriate skills in the following areas: written communication, oral communication, teamwork, and critical thinking. • We create value by graduating students who are satisfied with their educational experience. Opportunity • We create opportunity by providing accessibility to students in Washington state through programs and courses delivered at the Ellensburg campus and at well-established University Centers co-located on dynamic community college campuses. • We create opportunity for a diverse student population. • We create opportunity by providing an affordable business education. Quality in Education • We provide quality in undergraduate education through quality teaching. • We provide quality in undergraduate education by delivering courses with an appropriate mix of academically/professionally-qualified and participating/supporting faculty. • We provide quality in undergraduate education through our faculty who research primarily in the area of contributions to practice and learning and pedagogical research and secondarily in discipline-based research. • We provide quality in undergraduate education through excellent physical facilities, distance education facilities, and library data-base resources. • We provide quality in undergraduate education through our linkages with the College of Business Advisory Board, alumni, and employers, as well as through professional service. The above proposed change to the Meaning of the Mission was discussed at the June 2, 2008 College of Business faculty meeting. It will likely be changed to the statement above during the the College of Business faculty meeting in the fall of 2008.
The Department of Accounting programs strive to strengthen an outstanding academic life on the Ellensburg Campus and at the university centers. We offer the accounting degree at the Ellensburg campus and at the Des Moines and Lynnwood centers. We also offer required accounting courses via distance education to the Wenatchee, Moses Lake, and Yakima Centers. The department manages, delivers, and evaluates instructional programs with the faculty actively participating in the development and delivery of the accounting degree programs at the Ellensburg, Des Moines, and Lynnwood sites.
During Fall quarter 2007, the Department of Accounting changed its goals for both the B.S. in Accounting and Master of Professional Accountancy degrees.
The new goals for the Master of Professional Accountancy degree are as follows:
1. We help our students enter the public accounting profession by developing the entry-level knowledge and skills expected by the profession in the areas of auditing and attestation, financial accounting and reporting, regulation, business environment and concepts, and writing.
2. Recruit and admit students into the MPA Program who are capable of developing the entry-level knowledge and skills expected by the public accounting profession.
3. Recruit, develop, and maintain a graduate accounting faculty to accomplish the Master of Professional Accountancy Program goals and the College of Business mission with respect to instruction, intellectual contributions (faculty scholarship) and service.
4. Accounting department will strengthen relationships within the university and partnerships with the accounting profession, industry, other higher education institutions, alumni, and government entities.
The new goals for the B.S in Accounting degree are as follows:
1. We help our students learn foundation knowledge and skills in accounting and business that will aid them in private, government, or non-profit careers or prepare them for additional education for public accounting careers.
2. Recruit and admit students into the Bachelor of Science in Accounting Program who are capable of learning the foundation knowledge and skills in accounting and business.
3. Recruit, develop, and maintain an accounting faculty to accomplish the Bachelor of Science in Accounting Program goals and the College of Business mission with respect to instruction, intellectual contributions (faculty scholarship) and service.
4. Accounting department will strengthen relationships within the university and partnerships with the accounting profession, industry, other higher education institutions, alumni, and government entities.The Department of Accounting faculty use assessment results and observations to change its curriculum. During September 2007, the Department of Accounting faculty reviewed the results for our graduates on the Uniform Certified Public Accounting examination. The trend data indicated that our students were not improving on the examination. Based partly on CPA exam results, the MPA Program curriculum was realigned to focus on helping students improve their performance on the CPA exam. The program now uses CPA exam results as a learning outcome for outcomes assessment. The faculty also observed that the pre-admission requirements for the B.S. in Business Administration degree included a minimum GPA in the pre-admission core to be 2.5 or higher. The accounting faculty discussed this matter and decided that our standards should meet or exceed the business administration standard. The faculty decided to increase the pre-admission GPA from 2.25 to 2.50 for both pre-admission courses and overall grade point average. The faculty also observed that many of our accounting students at the centers were approaching graduation but had not finished their general education requirements. Since CWU does not offer general education at the centers, these students had to go back to community colleges to complete these requirements. The vast majority of our accounting majors are at the centers. The accounting faculty decided that the general education requirements needed to be completed to apply for the accounting program, which would make students complete their direct transfer degree before enrolling in our accounting program.
The department had improved the quality of its faculty over time; however, the accounting department still has a very difficult time attracting doctorally qualified faculty because of the low salaries we pay in relation to comparable schools. This situation was slightly improved with the new collective bargaining agreement. However, we were only successful in hiring for one of the three open positions for the 2008-2009 academic year. Because one of our faculty resigned at the same location as the hire for a $25,000 increase in pay at a neighboring institution, we are still three doctorally qualified faculty members short at the Westside centers.
During July 2003, our external reviewer stated two pressing issues that needed to be addressed. The first issue was support for faculty development. The reviewer recommended freeing up faculty time for scholarship by focusing the MPA curriculum and offering fewer MPA courses. During Fall 2007, the accounting faculty addressed this issue by changing the MPA curriculum to remove 6 courses and add 4 courses, one of which is a course cross-listed with an undergraduate course. The second issue was to develop key student learning goals for each of the programs and to implement a process to assess student development for these goals. During Fall 2007, the faculty developed Student Outcome Assessment Plans for both programs.
The faculty completed major changes to the Master of Professional Accountancy program so that the curriculum aligns more closely with the Uniform CPA Examination. We successfully recruited five academically-qualified faculty, although three later resigned. Academically-qualified faculty according to AACSB International accreditation standards possess a doctorate and maintain the currency of their qualifications through scholarship. Quality of the accounting graduates have increased in the past three years, due to better entering students as well as the hard work of the faculty and staff. Faculty scholarship has increased with increased productivity in the area of faculty research. Faculty service has increased significantly.
The key challenge facing the department is the recruitment, hiring, and retention of terminally qualified faculty. The primary obstacle is the inadequate salary structure of the university. Besides salary, the hiring of faculty at the main campus and Westside Centers is difficult for two different reasons. Ellensburg offers few opportunities to the spouse of a professional couple. In the Seattle area, the high cost of living represents a relocation problem for potential faculty. The ability to attract faculty from a declining pool of recent PhD graduates will be sorely tested. The department does not control the necessary resources to meet the challenge of hiring new faculty.
The Department of Accounting programs strive to strengthen an outstanding academic life on the Ellensburg Campus and at the university centers. Our accounting program also has achieved regional prominence for the university.
The Department of Accounting offers a Master of Professional Accountancy degree. We help our students enter the public accounting profession by developing the entry-level knowledge and skills expected by the profession in the areas of auditing and attestation, financial accounting and reporting, regulation, business environment and concepts, and writing. The revised curriculum focuses on the entry-level knowledge and skills expected by the CPA profession. Specific courses cover content assesses by the Uniform CPA Examination. The Department of Accounting offers a B.S. in Accounting degree. We help our students learn foundation knowledge and skills in accounting and business that will aid them in private, government, or non-profit careers or prepare them for additional education for public accounting careers. The major requires 5 upper-division courses providing depth of accounting knowledge in the basic areas of financial accounting, auditing, cost accounting, and taxation. Our program also requires a core of business courses that provide students with breadth of understanding of busines processes. Most courses require admission to the major. Courses requiring prerequisite knowledge have stated prerequisite courses.
The accounting discipline and curriculum need to adapt to changes in the business environment in which accounting professionals practice. The accounting faculty believe that the foundations for these changes can be delivered in the context and content of the five core accounting courses that all undergraduate accounting students must take:
Intermediate Accounting I & II
Cost Accounting
Individual Income Tax
Auditing
The content of these courses (and all other accounting courses) changes on a timely basis to reflect external environmental influences and demands. For example, the recent failures in corporate financial reporting will promote changes in the auditing course with greater emphasis on fraud.
The faculty regularly review course content to maintain the program’s currency and believe that currency in the common body of accounting knowledge is being maintained at Central Washington University.
The Department of Accounting follows the policies and procedures of Central Washington University and the College of Business in assessing student perceptions of instructional effectiveness. The Student Evaluation of Instruction is administered in every section of every accounting course taught during the academic year. The accounting faculty believe that accounting students should be exposed to a variety of traditional and innovative teaching methods, as dictated by the skills and needs of both students and faculty. Thus, the use of innovative instructional methods is dispersed across the curriculum, but not universal. Accounting students trhough required or elective courses are exposed to the use of teams (ACCT 305, Cost Accounting), presentations and writing (ACCT 484, Professional Writing and Speaking for the Accountant), service learning (ACCT 492, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance), and projects (ACCT 455, Accounting Information Systems), as a means of mastering course content.
Done
To Do.
Assessment results are communicated to faculty in department meetings and via email.
The accounting faculty made major changes to the accounting curriculum based partly on their review of the CPA exam results. The faculty decided to focus the MPA Program on preparing students for public accounting careers and the success on the entry level professional examination which is the CPA exam. The admission GPA was increased from 2.25 to 2.50 to improve the success of students admitted to the program. It also made the accounting GPA consistent with the business administration major and stopped business administration majors from declaring as an accounting major because of lower requirements.
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
The goals for the Master of Professional Accountancy degree are as follows:
1. We help our students enter the public accounting profession by developing the entry-level knowledge and skills expected by the profession in the areas of auditing and attestation, financial accounting and reporting, regulation, business environment and concepts, and writing.
2. Recruit and admit students into the MPA Program who are capable of developing the entry-level knowledge and skills expected by the public accounting profession.
3. Recruit, develop, and maintain a graduate accounting faculty to accomplish the Master of Professional Accountancy Program goals and the College of Business mission with respect to instruction, intellectual contributions (faculty scholarship) and service.
4. Accounting department will strengthen relationships within the university and partnerships with the accounting profession, industry, other higher education institutions, alumni, and government entities.
Graduate accounting students are required to complete a core of accounting and business courses to prepare them for additional study in the graduate program. Graduate students are required to evaluate cases and simulations that are geared toward graduate students.
MPA Program
Comprehensive Exam
Fall 2007
You must return this exam when you submit your answers.
1. You must answer all three (3) questions from the required core courses: ACCT 510, ACCT 570, and ACCT 585. You must answer one (1) question from the elective courses that you took: ACCT 535, ACCT 540, and ACCT 565.
2. Each question will be graded on the following scale. Any grade other than F (Fail) constitutes a passing grade.
a. High Pass (P+)
b. Pass (P)
c. Low Pass (P-)
d. Fail (F)
3. To pass the comprehensive examination, you must have a passing grade on at least three of the four questions that you answer.
4. If you do not pass this written comprehensive examination you will have one opportunity to pass an oral examination. The oral examination will cover the courses associated with the question(s) on which you earned a failing (F) grade and it will be administered by the instructor who wrote the question and your committee chair. You will be responsible for arranging a mutually convenient time with the instructor and the committee chair.
5. Absolutely no mobile phones or PDAs can be used for any purpose during the examination period. Turn off your mobile phones before the exam begins. If your mobile phone rings and disrupts your classmates during the testing period, your exam will be confiscated and you will fail the exam.
6. Please save each one of your answers to a separate file on the 3.5” diskette provided for the exam. Name each file with the course number and your last name. For example, Tidd’s answer to the ACCT 510 question would be in a file named, 510Tidd.doc. Also, please print out your answers at the end of the exam and give to the proctor.
ACCT 510, Information Systems Security, Control and Audit – Fall 2007 – Dr. Leong
The consulting partner at your accounting firm has asked you to create a payroll system for use by a new client. In discussion with the partner you learn the following:
• The client currently performs payroll manually in various payroll ledgers, but is having a difficult time keeping track of these records.
• The client’s business is situated in Washington State.
• The client plans to maintain approximately 5-7 employees.
• All employees submit handwritten time sheets to the client.
• All employees are paid on an hourly basis.
• Wages vary from minimum wage up to $25 an hour.
• The client pays their employees on a semimonthly basis.
• The client has some basic skills in electronic spreadsheets, but no knowledge of databases.
Prepare a response that addresses the following:
1. Describe physical internal control issues that could be present in the current situation.
2. Conceptualize a computerized payroll system you believe will meet the client’s needs and will mitigate the physical internal control issues you described.
ACCT 570 - Foundations of Taxation – Fall 2006 – Dr. Tidd
Harold and Maude are married, cash basis, calendar year taxpayers who file
their U.S. income tax returns jointly. Both are executives in small
corporations and have significant income from salaries and investments. They
also have very strong retirement plans from their employers.
2005
2006
2007
Salaries
$200,000
$210,000
$225,000
Interest & Dividends
$15,000
$15,500
$14,000
Marginal tax rate
40%
35.5%
35%
They have two children, who:
* Attend 4-year undergraduate colleges
* Work part-time to earn spending money while at college (15% marginal tax rate).
Harold and Maude pay tuition and room and board for both.
a) Briefly explain the general tax planning concepts that you must consider when advising any client about effective tax planning. Restrict your answer to planning concepts that are appropriate for all taxes and all taxpayers.
b) Briefly explain the income tax planning strategies that you must consider when deciding which option any taxpayer should use. Restrict your answer to planning strategies that are appropriate for income taxes.
c) Briefly describe any suggestions that you have for Harold and Maude to help them fulfill their tax planning goals, while still fulfilling their parental obligations to their children. Explicitly state any concerns that you have or that you believe they should consider in implementing your plan.
ACCT 585 – Seminar in Professional Accountancy – Spring 2007 - Dr. Larson
The Enron debacle has had a profound impact on the accounting profession. One related outcome was the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
A. What is the Sarbanes-Oxley Act?
B. Identify (list) and then discuss at least 3 significant ways how this legislation has impacted the accounting profession.
ACCT 535 – Database Management Systems – Winter 2007 - Dr. Sullivan
Put yourself in the position of Data Administrator for the organization that you were involved with for your database project. Describe:
1) Your role/responsibility to top, middle, lower-level decision makers as they need
the database applications that you developed as a Database Administrator.
2) Describe your role/responsibilities with respect to data security for employees,
customers, and suppliers/vendors.
3) Describe your role/responsibility with respect to contingency planning and disaster
recovery efforts.
ACCT 540 – eCommerce – Winter 2006 – Dr. Tidd
A potential client has approached you about an e-commerce/e-business implementation to supplement her existing bricks-and mortar retail operations. Explain the concepts, factors, and options that you would consider and evaluate when helping her integrate the Internet/Web into her existing operations.
ACCT 565 - Emerging Issues in IT – Spring 2006 – Dr. Tidd
As a practicing CPA, you have just acquired a new client who is a physician. She chose you because you were highly recommended by her business colleagues who, like her, are self-employed small business owners. They all have computer networks (in various configurations) and appreciate the skills and knowledge that you have with information technologies and systems.
Unlike her colleagues, she has not yet entered the information age. She has one medical records/receptionist and one nurse working for her, and the three of them share one desktop and one laptop computer. These computers are not networked and any data that needs to be shared is shared by passing diskettes.
Since her medical practice is growing, she plans on hiring additional personnel and perhaps admitting another physician. She is concerned about both her ability to manage a larger practice and her ability to properly
serve her patients. Her business colleagues have impressed upon her the value of computer networks for doing both. She is especially interested in the ability to network with:
* insurance companies for the purpose of settling medical insurance
claims more efficiently and
* pharmaceutical companies (and medical libraries) for the purpose of
acquiring information about the most current and effective treatments.
Required.
a) Explain the main concerns that you must consider before you design a computer network for her.
b) Briefly explain how you would configure a computer network that would help her address her concerns and interests. You must identify the main components of the system and how they will work together to assuage any of the concerns that you discussed in part a, above.
Two students took the exam. Both students passed the exam.
Distance technology using interactive video is used for all Master of Professional Accountancy courses. The courses are broadcast among Ellensburg, Des Moines, and Lynnwood. Many of the accounting undergraduate courses are also broadcast from Ellensburg to the Eastside centers of Wenatchee, Yakima, and Moses Lake. There is a diversity among the faculty in the use of information technologies. Clearly, the accessibility of the Internet has changed the way students learn and conduct class research. More and more faculty are setting up and maintaining their own course websites. As younger faculty are hired, the use of technology will be accelerated in the classroom.
Institutional research will provide.
Institutional research will provide.
The following courses used Blackboard technology: Des Moines: ACCT 535 Lynnwood: ACCT 351, ACCT 305, ACCT 460, ACCT 585 Des Moines: Internet Support used in ACCT 350, ACCT 455, ACCT 430, ACCT 455, ACCT 305, and ACCT 475. Ellensburg: ThomsonNow, is used in ACCT 251, 252, 350, and 351. Ellensburg: Custom web site used in ACCT 251, 252, 305, 350, 351, and 430. Ellensburg: Web Based courses - ACCT 455 and ACCT 510 One faculty member mentioned that he frequently receives comments that the learning environment is significantly enhanced by the use of technology.
Advantages:
It is better than no class for the off-site individuals.
Better than web only delivery.
Works well for lecture and class presentations.
Video recording of lectures allow students to listen to the class more than one time.
Adequate system for objective testing.
Disadvantages:
Usual audio and video problems. Equipment occassionally malfunctions.
Large combined class sizes.
Limitations of DE technology when there are multiple distant sites.
Cumbersome and time consuming to switch from one distant classroom to another during class.
Does not work well for class discussions, group work sessions.
Very impersonal.
Cannot pass out a test and collect it at the end of class.
Des Moines site computer labs close at 9 p.m., so computer labs cannot be used for testing.
The following teaching methods are not as effective in a DE environment:
Class based discussion (low fidelity of audio).
Demonstration of computerized systems (low fidelity of video).
Hands on computer time (no DE based computer labs).
Students at the centers tend to be commuters who are older, work full-time, and have families. Campus life has little or no meaning to them. Thus, the emphasis is on providing well-taught classes that fit into the students’ demanding schedules. The Department offers both day and night schedules at the Westside Centers. As resources permit, courses are offered by distance education to Yakima, Wenatchee, and Moses Lake.
Students are assigned to faculty advisors. Faculty advise students on career planning and accounting elective course choices.
The department chair considers course equivalency on a course by course basis. If the chair approves the course equivalency, the form is forwarded to the associate dean for approval.
Students are recruited through the university and College of Business web site. Faculty also attend the university recruiting function during fall quarter.
We have a tutoring lab for beginning accounting students. Faculty let students know about this service in their classes.
In Ellensburg students belong to Accounting Club and are actively trying to organize a Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi which is a student accounting organization recognized by AACSB. The Westside students belong to Society of Accounting Students and are active in organizing recruiting events for accounting majors.
In November 2005, Akiko Yata (Graduate Assistant) presented a research paper at the 36th Annual Decision Sciences Institute. She received $400 financial support from the Department. In May of 2007 4 MPA students presented research papers at IABPAD with financial assistance from the Department. Yeying Shan attended an organizational meeting for Beta Alpha Psi in Spokane with financial support of the Department. Over the past three academic years the Department of Accounting has awarded $21,450 in scholarships to accounting majors.
Faculty go to lunch with recruiters from public accounting firms when they come to campus for interviews. The department faculty also participate in annual recruiting events in Yakima and Seattle each fall quarter.
The department has an accounting club for students. It is very active in bringing in speakers. The department also offers a help lab for accounting students to help them understand difficult accounting concepts. The department cooperates with career services organizing recruiting events on both in Ellensburg and at the Westside centers. Individual firms also come to campus.
Class sizes have grown over the past few years. Many courses exceed College of Business targets for enrollment. The number of faculty needed to teach courses has not kept pace with enrollments. We will probably have several faculty members retire during the next five years.
The department provides faculty up to $2,000 per year to travel to conferences to present papers.
The department uses College of Business policies and procedures for faculty.
Faculty are expected to maintain their academic qualifications by meeting the College of Business scholarship standards.
SEOIs are primarily used to partially assess faculty effectiveness in the classroom. They are mainly use for reappointment, promotion, tenure, and post-tenure reviews.
Overall, the faculty are excellent teachers. Most of the faculty are performing adequately in scholarship. Due to retirements, the department needs to fill several tenure track faculty positions at the Lynnwood and Des Moines centers.
Data provided by Instructional Research and other appropriate offices.
Information in faculty vitaes.
Summarize information from Sedona.
Provided by testing and assessement services.
The online information resources are excellent, but it might be helpful to have more books available ... particularly at the Centers. It would be helpful to have Business History collections and some other reference books. The library has or has access to most of the materials needed by professors. When requests have involved materials housed at other locations, it has never taken more than a couple of days to get the materials.
Adequacy and accessibility for course work and research has been fine, but some professors access research university libraries like the University of Washington for some information.
Technologies in the classroom include use of our library's electronic databases. ABI Global is is one of the more important database. Students use library resources in order to make their research presentations. One faculty member regularly uses articles from the online version of the WSJ in classroom discussions, as well the library's subscription to the CCH Tax Research NetWork in the tax classes.
Faculty notify the department chair if they want the library to acquire additional holdings.
Not applicable.
The accounting faculty elect a chair who is approved by the dean. The department does not have committees. Curriculum changes are made by majority vote of the faculty.
Faculty discuss department issues at department meetings and college issues at college meetings. Curricular issues are approved by the faculty.
Department faculty are actively involved in university governance, serving on the Faculty Senate and the Graduate Council.
It is very difficult to attract accounting faculty because department faculty salaries are well below market, and there is a very limited number of individuals with accounting doctorates seeking employment.
The department chair attended the College of Business Advisory Board meetings, which has potential donors.
The physical facilities are excellent - very inviting overall. We are trying to get all the Gleim resources as well as the CFE preparation software on the network for instructional purposes, but it has been taking a while.
Not applicable.
Instructional technology is excellent compared to other schools. At the centers, we have fabulous multimedia teaching platforms - with Elmo, DVD, VCR, PC, etc. in every classroom. Our equipment works well (the computers in the Lynnwood library seem to run slower than our computers in Des Moines), and the technology is good. Given the aging professoriate and the presence of softer-speaking international students, the distance education classrooms are increasingly inadequate in the area of sound quality and volume. This has been brought to the attention of the appropriate parties and nothing has been done to make it easier for us to hear students asking questions. In other words, CWU is probably violating some federal law by not attending to educator needs in the classroom. Center libraries are small.
Faculty and staff are not involved in planning department's facilities.
We follow the College of Business ethical statement.
Not applicable.