About
Mission
The mission of the Department of Accountancy is to provide a challenging educational environment that prepares students for careers in accounting; encourages faculty to develop professionally and intellectually; and promotes participation in activities that support the profession, the University and the community.
Fast Facts
Statistics
Enrollment, Spring 2010
Undergraduate 452
Graduate 45
Degrees Awarded 2009-10
BBA 158
MSA 32
Staff, Spring 2010
Faculty 17
Staff 2
- Beta Alpha Psi: WMU’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi recently earned “superior status” (the highest ranking award) at the national Beta Alpha Psi conference in Chicago. The WMU chapter has received the “superior” rating in 27 of the last 32 years. Accomplishments for this past year include providing tutoring services for the two Accounting principles courses, participating in Relay for Life and participating in other fundraising for social concerns. The annual spring 2010 Banquet was held on April 22, 2010 at the Kalamazoo County Club. The organization had 28 active members, of which were 15 other new members. Thirty two students were honored for high academic achievement with scholarships provided by endowments and various accounting firms. Congratulations were extended to 12 of the organization’s students who graduated in April 2010.
- Professor of the Day: Richard Reahm of Jansen Valk Thompson and Reahm PC and Alan Andrews of the Kellogg Company were our two featured professionals for the Professor of the Day Program. Richard Reahm, BBA ’73, is a current shareholder and Principal in Jansen Valk Thompson & Reahm. He is the firm’s director of accounting and auditing practice. Vice President and Corporate Controller at Kellogg Company, Alan Andrews holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and is a registered certified public accountant. He has held numerous positions internationally with Kellogg.
- 2010 Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA) High School Student Leaders Conference: The Department of Accountancy co-hosted the 2010 MACPA High School Leaders Conference, on April 21, 2010. Area high school juniors and seniors learned what the accountancy profession entails, how to save money effectively, and took part in hands-on activities. Approximately 120 high school students and their teachers participated in this event. Professor Ola Smith coordinated this event with the MACPA.
- Academy of Outstanding Alumni: Robert Herr was the recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award. This award was established to provide public recognition of outstanding professional accomplishments, contributions, recognition and service of distinguished graduates. Robert Herr was recognized for his induction into the academy at the Beta Alpha Psi Spring Banquet on April 22. Mr. Herr received his BBA in 1967 and retired from his position of managing partner at Crowe Horwath LLP in 2007. Mr. Herr is member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants. He has served the Grand Rapids community through a number of boards. He has served the Western Michigan University community though his involvement on the Haworth College of Business Advisory council, the WMU Alumni Association, and the WMU President’s Circle Keystone Society.
- PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) x ACT Case Competition: The PWC x ACT Case Competition was held at the Fetzer Center on Wednesday, October 21, 2009. Students took advantage of this opportunity to network with PWC professionals, learn about high level accounting issues and work in a group setting to develop a solution to a case prepared by PWC. This year’s winning team was “Blackhawk” whose members were: Morgan Barrons, Sheila Lenz, Brittany Mead, Lindsey Truitt and Miles Smith.
- Two Faculty Positions Filled: During the fall 2009 semester, the department welcomed Paul San Miguel as an instructor. He is working on finishing his doctorate from the University of Texas. Dr. Jagjit Saini joined the faculty in spring 2010. He recently completed his doctorate from Oklahoma State University.
