SACSCOC Fifth Year Interim Report
| GOAL: Functional Competencies For Entry Into The Accounting Profession |
| Objective |
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Communicating the scope of work and findings or recommendations is an integral part of a professional service. An accounting professional in public practice might issue an audit or attestation report, recommendations for improved services, or tax or financial planning advice. An accounting professional in business, industry, or government might analyze operations or provide communications to the board of directors. Communicating clearly and objectively the work done and the resulting findings is critical to the value of the professional service. Some forms of communication are governed by professional standards (such as the form and content of the standard auditor's report or the required communications to audit committees) or law. Others are based on the service applied and the needs of those to whom the accounting professional reports. Elements (Sub-Objectives) include: - Prepares reports with objectivity, conciseness and clarity - Describes work performed and conclusions reached in a manner that enhances the reports' usefulness - Employs appropriate media in report preparation and presentation |
| Indicator |
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A mix of exam questions, projects, cases, and / or problem assignments, in multiple courses spread across the accounting curriculum, will be used to assess students' achievement on selected sub-objectives of the Reporting competency. The mix depends on the course in which the assessment is being made and the instructor’s choice of instrument and selected sub-objectives. The results from the various classes will be forwarded to the Departmental Assessment Committee. This committee will compile the results and present the findings to the departmental faculty. |
| Criterion |
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In each course, the instructor will determine a minimal acceptable score for each indicator used for assessment in that class. This minimal acceptable score may vary both across classes as well as inside a particular class. This variability is necessary due to the different type of indicators (exam questions, projects, cases, and / or problem assignments) used to assess students' achievement on selected sub-objectives of the Reporting competency. Once the assessment of Reporting is completed in the appropriate courses, the percentage of successful student attempts (number of students successfully completing the specific outcome predetermined success level divided by the total number of students attempting the specific outcome) will be reported for each class. The Departmental Assessment Committee will then compile the reports into an aggregated report that will show the success percentage by classification (junior, senior, and graduate). The Department of Accounting has set different target standards based on classification. The standards are 60% for junior-level classes, 70% for senior-level classes, and 75% for graduate-level classes. |
| Finding |
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Graduate Successes 182 Attempts 232 Success Ratio 78.4% Minimum Acceptable Rate 75% |
| Action |
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The success ratio exceeds the minimum acceptable level of 75% by about 3 percentage points. The faculty teaching courses where Reporting is an objective should continue to place emphasis on this competency, and perhaps evaluate if a change in pedagogy might improve student comprehension. |
| GOAL: Functional Competencies For Entry Into The Accounting Profession |
| Objective |
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Although accounting professionals need a foundation in standards and other relevant rules, such guidance is constantly evolving. Many accounting profession functions depend on obtaining information from within and outside of an entity. Accordingly, the individual preparing to enter the accounting profession needs to have strong research skills to access relevant guidance or other information, understand it, and apply it. Elements (Sub-Objectives) include: - Employs relevant research skills - Accesses relevant standards, rules, and other information - Evaluates different sources of information and reconciles conflicting or ambiguous data - Analogizes from existing rules to problems not explicitly described - Identifies relevant information such as industry trends, internal performance history, benchmarks, and best practices |
| Indicator |
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A mix of exam questions, projects, cases, and / or problem assignments, in multiple courses spread across the accounting curriculum, will be used to assess students' achievement on selected sub-objectives of the Research competency. The mix depends on the course in which the assessment is being made and the instructor’s choice of instrument and selected sub-objectives. The results from the various classes will be forwarded to the Departmental Assessment Committee. This committee will compile the results and present the findings to the departmental faculty. |
| Criterion |
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In each course, the instructor will determine a minimal acceptable score for each indicator used for assessment in that class. This minimal acceptable score may vary both across classes as well as inside a particular class. This variability is necessary due to the different type of indicators (exam questions, projects, cases, and / or problem assignments) used to assess students' achievement on selected sub-objectives of the Research competency. Once the assessment of Research is completed in the appropriate courses, the percentage of successful student attempts (number of students successfully completing the specific outcome predetermined success level divided by the total number of students attempting the specific outcome) will be reported for each class. The Departmental Assessment Committee will then compile the reports into an aggregated report that will show the success percentage by classification (junior, senior, and graduate). The Department of Accounting has set different target standards based on classification. The standards are 60% for junior-level classes, 70% for senior-level classes, and 75% for graduate-level classes. |
| Finding |
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Graduate Successes 654 Attempts 749 Success Ratio 87.3% Minimum Acceptable Rate 75% |
| Action |
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The success ratio of 87.3% exceeds the minimum acceptable level of 75% by about 12 percentage points. The faculty teaching courses where Research is an objective should continue to place emphasis on this item, and perhaps evaluate if a change in pedagogy might improve student comprehension even more. |
| GOAL: Functional Competencies For Entry Into The Accounting Profession |
| Objective |
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Risk analysis and control is fundamental to professional service delivery. The identification and management of audit risk (that is, the risk that the auditor will fail to detect a misstatement, caused by inadvertent error or fraud, that is material to financial statements) is the basis for the conduct of a GAAS audit. The understanding of business risk (that is, the risk that an entity - either a client or the prospective accounting professionals employer - will fail to achieve its objectives) affects how business strategy is created and implemented. Elements (Sub-Objectives) include: - Identifies risks of negative outcomes (including fraud) - Evaluates controls that mitigate risk of negative outcomes through prevention or detection and correction - Assesses and controls unmitigated risks through, for example, designing and applying tests - Communicates the impact of identified risks and recommends corrective action |
| Indicator |
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A mix of exam questions, projects, cases, and / or problem assignments, in multiple courses spread across the accounting curriculum, will be used to assess students' achievement on selected sub-objectives of the Risk Analysis competency. The mix depends on the course in which the assessment is being made and the instructor’s choice of instrument and selected sub-objectives. The results from the various classes will be forwarded to the Departmental Assessment Committee. This committee will compile the results and present the findings to the departmental faculty. |
| Criterion |
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In each course, the instructor will determine a minimal acceptable score for each indicator used for assessment in that class. This minimal acceptable score may vary both across classes as well as inside a particular class. This variability is necessary due to the different type of indicators (exam questions, projects, cases, and / or problem assignments) used to assess students' achievement on selected sub-objectives of the Risk Analysis competency. Once the assessment of Risk Analysis is completed in the appropriate courses, the percentage of successful student attempts (number of students successfully completing the specific outcome predetermined success level divided by the total number of students attempting the specific outcome) will be reported for each class. The Departmental Assessment Committee will then compile the reports into an aggregated report that will show the success percentage by classification (junior, senior, and graduate). The Department of Accounting has set different target standards based on classification. The standards are 60% for junior-level classes, 70% for senior-level classes, and 75% for graduate-level classes. |
| Finding |
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Graduate Successes 254 Attempts 267 Success Ratio 95.1% Minimum Acceptable Rate 75% |
| Action |
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The success ratio of 95.1% exceeds the minimum acceptable level of 75% by about 20 percentage points. The faculty teaching courses where Risk Analysis is an objective should continue to place emphasis on this item, and perhaps evaluate if a change in pedagogy might improve student comprehension even more. |
| GOAL: Functional Competencies For Entry Into The Accounting Profession |
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Technology is pervasive in the accounting profession. Individuals entering the accounting profession must acquire the necessary skills to use technology tools effectively and efficiently. These technology tools can be used both to develop and apply other functional competencies. Elements (Sub-Objectives) include: - Accesses appropriate electronic databases to obtain decision-supporting information - Assesses the risk of technology and automated business processes - Uses technology assisted tools to assess and control risk and document work performed - Builds appropriate models and simulations using electronic spreadsheets and other software |
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A mix of exam questions, projects, cases, and / or problem assignments, in multiple courses spread across the accounting curriculum, will be used to assess students' achievement on selected sub-objectives of the Leveraging Technology competency. The mix depends on the course in which the assessment is being made and the instructor’s choice of instrument and selected sub-objectives. The results from the various classes will be forwarded to the Departmental Assessment Committee. This committee will compile the results and present the findings to the departmental faculty. |
| Criterion |
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In each course, the instructor will determine a minimal acceptable score for each indicator used for assessment in that class. This minimal acceptable score may vary both across classes as well as inside a particular class. This variability is necessary due to the different type of indicators (exam questions, projects, cases, and / or problem assignments) used to assess students' achievement on selected sub-objectives of the Leveraging Technology competency. Once the assessment of Leveraging Technoloy is completed in the appropriate courses, the percentage of successful student attempts (number of students successfully completing the specific outcome predetermined success level divided by the total number of students attempting the specific outcome) will be reported for each class. The Departmental Assessment Committee will then compile the reports into an aggregated report that will show the success percentage by classification (junior, senior, and graduate). The Department of Accounting has set different target standards based on classification. The standards are 60% for junior-level classes, 70% for senior-level classes, and 75% for graduate-level classes. |
| Finding |
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Graduate Successes 477 Attempts 549 Success Ratio 86.9% Minimum Acceptable Rate 75% |
| Action |
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The success ratio of 86.9.1% exceeds the minimum acceptable level of 75% by about 12 percentage points. The faculty teaching courses where Leveraging Technology is an objective should continue to place emphasis on this item, and perhaps evaluate if a change in pedagogy might improve student comprehension even more. |
| GOAL: Functional Competencies For Entry Into The Accounting Profession |
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Measures used should be both relevant (that is, bear on the decision to be made) and reliable (consistently measure what they purport to measure). Various measurement and disclosure criteria used by accounting professionals - such as GAAP, OCBOA (Other Comprehensive Basis of Accounting) and tax reporting - have been codified to some degree. Other performance measures (such as Economic Value Added) or stated criteria (for example, investment performance) are used for special purposes. Some measurement criteria (such as effectiveness of internal control) are measured qualitatively, rather than quantitatively. Elements (Sub-Objectives) include: - Identifies what needs to be measured - Determines an appropriate, relevant and reliable measure for the intended use - Measures items using appropriate methods of measurement - Presents the measurement results objectively using applicable standards of disclosure or reporting - Resolves ambiguities when estimates are required |
| Indicator |
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A mix of exam questions, projects, cases, and / or problem assignments, in multiple courses spread across the accounting curriculum, will be used to assess students' achievement on selected sub-objectives of the Measurement competency. The mix depends on the course in which the assessment is being made and the instructor’s choice of instrument and selected sub-objectives. The results from the various classes will be forwarded to the Departmental Assessment Committee. This committee will compile the results and present the findings to the departmental faculty. |
| Criterion |
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In each course, the instructor will determine a minimal acceptable score for each indicator used for assessment in that class. This minimal acceptable score may vary both across classes as well as inside a particular class. This variability is necessary due to the different type of indicators (exam questions, projects, cases, and / or problem assignments) used to assess students' achievement on selected sub-objectives of the Measurement competency. Once the assessment of Measurement is completed in the appropriate courses, the percentage of successful student attempts (number of students successfully completing the specific outcome predetermined success level divided by the total number of students attempting the specific outcome) will be reported for each class. The Departmental Assessment Committee will then compile the reports into an aggregated report that will show the success percentage by classification (junior, senior, and graduate). The Department of Accounting has set different target standards based on classification. The standards are 60% for junior-level classes, 70% for senior-level classes, and 75% for graduate-level classes. |
| Finding |
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Graduate Successes 334 Attempts 456 Success Ratio 73.2% Minimum Acceptable Rate 75% |
| Action |
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The success ratio is 73.2%; the minimum acceptable level is 75%. The faculty teaching courses where Measurement is an objective should place additional emphasis on this competency and perhaps evaluate if a change in pedagogy might improve student comprehension. |
| Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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At the request of the Department of Accounting Chair, the department faculty met on April 11, 2012, to discuss assessment findings for 2011.
The Department Assessment Committee provided the faculty with copies of the 2011 assessment results [findings] and reviewed those results with the faculty. For the combined [spring and fall] results, all competencies met or exceeded their target minimums [criterion]. The faculty agreed that future efforts address and emphasize those areas that had the lower scores, even though those scores were passing, in an effort to improve in those areas. Higher scores will also be evaluated for potential improvement and to prevent backsliding. Though the AICPA Core Competencies are assessed at specific points in the curriculum [i.e., in specific courses], the Competencies are in fact "taught" in many courses throughout the curriculum. Consequently, Closing the Loop involves effort in more than just the courses where assessment occurs. Therefore, when assessment results indicate improvement is desired, faculty of courses where that Core Competency is taught [thought not necessarily assessed] will emphasize that competency more in future semesters. That future emphasis could consist of modifying the depth and/or scope of the objective, changing the pedagogy used, or other items as determined by faculty judgment. Of course, even objectives with high assessment scores will be subjected to faculty scrutiny to both 1) determine how student learning could be improved, and 2) to prevent future learning deterioration. Subsequent to the meeting, the action items for each objective, as discussed in the meeting and indicated in this report, were shared with the accounting faculty. |
| Update on Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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Faculty continued to emphasize all objectives in Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 semesters.
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| Plan for Continuous Improvement |
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Faculty teaching courses where Measurement is a course objective will place additional emphasis on this objective in the Fall 2013 semester and the Spring 2014 semester. That future emphasis could consist of modifying the depth and/or scope of the objective, changing the pedagogy used, or other items as determined by faculty judgment.
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