Department of Accounting

From the beginning of their collegiate studies in business, to their first steps into the professional world, students at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville are benefiting from the Business Transitions Program. The goal of the program is to give SIUE students a competitive edge in the professional workforce by helping mold them into successful business leaders during their college career.

“Our primary objective is to enhance their professionalism,” said Dr. Tim Schoenecker, associate professor of management in the SIUE School of Business. “Anything we can do to better prepare them for their transition to business professionals is beneficial.”

Read more about the Business Transitions Program

The Business Transitions Program is the School of Business’ current High Impact Campaign. The School is working to raise $250,000 in the next 18 months for the program. Contribute today!

Our Beta Alpha Psi Chapter has continued its success. In 2012 and 2013, the Chapter achieved Superior status and in 2014, they achieved Distinguished status. Francis Bennett, last year’s Beta Alpha Psi president, represented our chapter by participating on the winning team in Project Run With It at the Annual Beta Alpha Psi meeting. Each year, the CPA firm of Moss Adams sponsors the competition which gives teams of students the opportunity to work on a real-world consulting project. Francis was one of only 72 students out of more than 1,200 meeting attendees who were selected to participate, so just being chosen was an honor. His team won the competition and he brought home a plaque and $1,000 prize!  While our students have been selected to participate in Project Run With It in the past, this is the first time that we’ve had a participant on the winning team.

For the last two years, SIUE accounting majors have been selected by the Illinois CPA Society to participate in the Mary T. Washington Wylie Internship Preparation Program in Chicago. This is a three-day, intensive program in downtown Chicago that aims to prepare up to 25 students for life in the accounting profession. The third day of the program provides the participants with the opportunity to interview for paid internship slots with some of the most prestigious accounting firms and companies in Chicago. In 2013, Angela Jordan was our first-ever nominee and participant. In 2014, Brandi Jackson was selected.   

Many of you know that our Beta Alpha Psi Chapter sponsors a very successful Meet the Firms event each year prior to on-campus interviews. This past year, 21 employers and two CPA review providers attended. Both students and employers report that contacts made at Meet the Firms have led to job offers.

Some of our students participated in the annual School of Business Scholarship and Awards Luncheon on April 21, where the following awards were presented:

• Denise Suhrenbrock Award - Jessica Winkler
• Stuart White Award - Jonathan Bettis & Kristen Drainer
• Rosner Award - Ashley Bass
• Phoenix Award - Richelle Gonzalez
• Anders Award - Claire Rogers
• BKD Award - Connor Zelasko
• Accounting Alumni Award - Jordan Mendez & Wen Lian
• Accounting Service Award - Patrick Meyer
• BAP Scholarship - Patrick Meyer

Beta Alpha Psi continues to sponsor its annual golf outing, with proceeds going to charity. During the past three years, the Chapter has donated more than $5,800 to Relay for Life. This year’s outing was April 24 at Oak Brook in Edwardsville, with proceeds once again being donated to Relay for Life. 

This semester, Dr. Susan Murray is offering the first sustainability course in our graduate programs. Experts from Nestle-Purina, AB InBev, Madison County, Midwest Coalition of Sustainable Investment, the St. Louis Rams and Express Scripts have met with our students to discuss their organizations’ approaches to sustainability.

We have recently received approval to offer a set of online transition courses aimed at getting MSA applicants with non-accounting undergraduate degrees into the MSA program. The courses, based on a grant written by Greg Sierra, will allow applicants to acquire the necessary accounting skills in just three eight-week sessions. If you know someone with a non-accounting undergraduate degree who would like to start the MSA, have them contact Mike Costigan (mcostig@siue.edu).

An SIUE alumna who was able to quickly move to the top of her career field, Kelly Malson, BSA '93, has certainly compiled an impressive career in accountancy. Malson currently serves as auditing chair on Conn's, Inc. board of directors. Prior to joining Conn's, Inc., Malson spent 11 years in public accounting and served as a financial compliance manager. In March 2006, World Acceptance offered her a job as vice president of internal audit before quickly promoting her to chief financial officer, a position she held until December 2013. A native of Alton, Ill., Malson is now retired from the corporate world and living in Anderson, S.C.  Read more

Brandi Jackson is scheduled to graduate from SIUE with her BSA in fall 2015. It’s been a long trip. Although her Army family is originally from St. Louis, she lived in Texas and Georgia and, most notably, Germany. In fact, she attended and graduated from a Department of Defense Dependent School in Germany before coming to SIUE. 

“The quality of instruction is very high at SIUE, but what stands out is the great support from faculty that goes way beyond just the academics,” said Jackson.

She said the faculty has been instrumental in her enthusiasm for a public accounting career. For example, the faculty helped direct her to the Mary T. Washington Wylie Internship Preparation Program (MTWW), a multi-day program for students interested in accounting careers. Read more

Many of you will remember Professor Linda Lovata from accounting information systems or cost accounting. For the last two years, she has taken on responsibility for reinvigorating our Senior Assignment. Over this time period, the assignment has evolved to be a more comprehensive project. The primary innovation with the senior assignment is to bring you, the alumni, on board to help evaluate the students’ projects. We reserve the new Cougar Business Resource Center and have students present their results to teams of alumni and faculty. Student comments: 

• “The whole process was an advantage. ‘Creating’ and following through to the end helps complete understanding.”
• “Presenting the project in front of people like we would for an actual business meeting was a great part of the process.”
• “All the pieces finally fit together. The revenue recognition methods and the codification were finally easy to understand.”

Given these comments, the participation of alumni in the presentations contributes immeasurably to our students' education. It is clear this new senior assignment process is a culminating experience which develops life-long learning skills for our students. If you would like to participate in the presentations or have suggested topics for the senior assignments, contact Linda at llovata@siue.edu.

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