An International Meeting of
the American Accounting Association

2005 Annual Meeting

August 7–10, 2005
San Francisco, California

Come to the City by the Bay!

CPE Session 30: Sunday, August 7, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Accounting Advisory Boards: Current and Best Practices

Description/Objectives:
Are you using your Advisory Board as effectively as possible? Does your Board provide resources to the department? Does it assist students in obtaining internship or staff positions? Does it participate in program review and curriculum development? Does the Board help faculty in conducting their research? This workshop will examine these and other questions regarding the nature, role, structure, and activities of Accounting Advisory Boards.

Three Accounting Department Chairs designed and distributed a web survey to Department Chairs in the fall of 2004. They received responses from 145 Chairs and followed up with telephone interviews to 40 of them who described their Board and its practices in more detail. The T&C and APLG sections of the American Accounting Association co-sponsored this project and both sections endorsed the web survey.

The researchers will present quantitative and qualitative findings and discuss some of the best practices they uncovered. In addition, the workshop will include a one-hour panel comprised of three or four Department Chairs who will describe their experiences, discuss their innovative Board practices, and provide recommendations for Chairs seeking to improve the effectiveness of their Advisory Boards.

Format/Structure:
The workshop has two distinct sections. In the first part (CPE credit: 1 ¾ hours), the researchers will present the results of their web survey and follow up telephone interviews. Handouts will include a summary of the quantitative and qualitative results, and selected Advisory Board bylaws and constitutions.

The second part (CPE credit: 1 hour) will include a panel discussion with questions and answers. The panel will be comprised of three or four Accounting Department Chairs who will discuss their experiences and relationship with their Board. They will discuss best practices as well as pitfalls they would now avoid.

Intended Audience:
The primary audience is Accounting Department Chairs and other Accounting faculty members who are responsible for selecting Advisory Board members, establishing Board practices, and organizing Board meetings and activities. Deans and Associate Deans should also be interested since the results and best practices could also assist persons responsible for establishing and administering Advisory Boards at the Business School level.

Presenters:
Thomas Tyson, St. John Fisher College
Julia Karcher, University of Louisville
C. Richard Baker, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Robert Keith, University of South Florida
Frank Messina, University of Alabama-Birmingham
Ray Stephens, Ohio University
Susan Weihrich, Seattle University

Sponsors:
Teaching and Curriculum and Accounting Program Leadership Group Sections

* Denotes special requirements or prerequisite