Barriers to Entry as a CPA The time is right for the accounting profession to rethink the pathways to licensure as a CPA. A growing number of critics have argued that the 150-credit hour education requirement can no longer be sustained because of pipeline problems that have led to a steep decline in the number of accounting graduates and first-time CPA Exam takers. Some critics contend that the traditional bachelor’s degree program that includes 120 credit-hours is sufficient to produce a qualified graduate. One of the reasons for the pipeline problem is the cost of the 30 extra hours of educ ..read more

28TH ANNUAL ETHICS RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM Call for Papers Date Extended to 2/15/2024 In conjunction with the Public Interest Section, colleagues across the AAA who are engaged and interested in research and teaching related to Ethics are invited to submit papers, cases, and panel session proposals for presentation at the 28th Annual Ethics Research Symposium. The Symposium will be held in person in Washington, DC on Sunday, August 11th before the 2024 AAA Annual Meeting. The Symposium is a full day event including both breakfast and the annual Accounting Exemplar award lunch.  You do not nee ..read more

Awarded by the Public Interest Section of the American Accounting Association The intent of the Excellence in Accounting Ethics Education Award is to recognize new pedagogy for teaching ethics to accounting students.  A monetary award of $1,000 and a plaque will be presented at the annual Ethics Symposium to an individual (or individuals) who has (have) developed and implemented an innovative technique/method for incorporating ethics into undergraduate or graduate accounting courses. Applicants should explain how they shared their pedagogical innovation with the public. Also, applicants ..read more

NCAA Proposal Addresses “the Elephant in the Room” Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh was recently quoted as saying: “What I don’t understand…is how the NCAA, television networks, conferences, universities and coaches can continue to pull in millions—and in some cases billions—of dollars of revenue off the efforts of college student-athletes across the country without providing enough opportunity to share in the ever-increasing revenues.” Harbaugh has repeatedly called for football players and other college athletes to receive a portion of sports-related revenue they help universities gener ..read more

It’s Time for State Boards of Accountancy to Move to the 120/150 Educational Requirement for Licensure Tearing Down Barriers to Entry The most talked about issue in accounting education today is whether the 150-hour requirement to qualify for a CPA license that has existed for many years creates a barrier to entry that should be revisited. I have blogged about this issue before and expand the discussion by addressing the costs and benefits of the 120/150 educational system to be a licensed CPA. 120/150 Educational System Recent changes in the laws in many states have moved to a bifurcated sys ..read more

A Decision Making Model I have taught ethics for almost 30 years. One device I use is an ethical decision-making model. It tends to provide a sound mechanism for students to evaluate the key ethical issues when conflicts exist and then choosing the best action (most ethical) decision. Dealing with ethical issues can be perplexing. How, exactly, should we think through the alternative courses of action? What questions should we ask? What factors should we consider? Classic ethical reasoning methods suggest that once we have ascertained the facts, we should ask ourselves seven questions when tr ..read more

Give Credit Where Credit is Due I’m always on the lookout for articles about the use of ChatGPT, especially as it pertains to ethical behavior. I recently read an instructive piece on the Educate Wiser website. In it, the author points out some of the limitations of ChatGPT that include: Generating inaccurate or unreliable information. Reflecting biases that are present in the text it has been trained on. Lacking the ability to understand context or nuance. For example, a student using ChatGPT to write a research paper on the Vietnam war may generate a response that contains incorrect dates ..read more

Ethical Risks It seems as if virtually everyone is talking about “ChatGPT.” It’s a potential game-changer for the way students research and write papers. It can help with homework, writing skills, and provide feedback. Some claim it is just another learning tool and should be viewed as an additional resource for students. Others believe it is just another way to cheat the system, albeit through AI. There is a real risk of plagiarism as well. Moreover, it can stifle critical thinking and original thought. Survey results reported by Best Colleges on March 27, 2023, “Half of College Student ..read more

Stakeholder Responses ChatGPT, a chatbot software launched by the AI company OpenAI in November 2022, synthesizes online data and communicates it in a conversational way. The chatbot generates articulate and nuanced text in response to short prompts, with people using it in a variety of ways including their schoolwork. ChatGPT could be a useful tool to prepare students for the real world where critical thinking is more important than rote memorization. However, it can also be used as a cheating tool because of its ability to provide answers to questions on take home assignments and exams. Wit ..read more

Is it a Truth or Fallacy? It has been said that “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” This was said by George Bernard Shaw in his 1905 stage play Man and Superman. Over a century later, and the derogatory phrase often thrown at educators in a disparaging way stubbornly persists. In the event the phrase itself isn’t self-evident, the meaning carried is that teaching is first and foremost a role filled by individuals who fail to find adequate footing in their chosen vocation. However, there are several reasons this simply doesn’t hold water. Today, I’d like to debunk that fallacy. I ..read more