Teaching Global Accounting Concepts to 'Local' Students

• In Event: Reception with ELS Posters

Abstract

The purpose of this Panel Proposal is to discuss the challenges and opportunities small colleges and universities face in providing global accounting education to students who bring limited exposure to economic, business, and political systems. Many of these students are first generation college students who also have weak communication, analytical, and computer skills. The panelists will present several innovative programs and strategies that the respective colleges are using and urge the audience to share their own successful strategies.
Small colleges and universities have attractive features like small class sizes, low faculty to student ratios, and a close knit, generally nurturing environment. However, there are also drawbacks. The profile of the students attending the small colleges and universities lends itself to some challenges for faculty, staff, and administration to overcome.
The participants will present programs that they have established to help students successfully complete their college education. We will also discuss several success stories of graduates originally with ‘local’ perspectives that were able to master global accounting concepts and enter the international business world. Also, an important part of the panel discussion will be discussion and sharing with session attendees of best practices and advice for the future. We think that our presentation will not only inform the conference participants about successful models of providing global accounting education to students with a ‘local’ perspective, but also will generate a constructive dialogue on critical issues.

Authors

• Tara Honea Saracina, Claflin University

• Michele McGowan, Kings College

• Earl H. Godfrey, Gardner-Webb University