The Accounting EducatorThe Newsletter of the Teaching and Curriculum Section
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A Message from the ChairDonald E. Wygal, Rider University T&C Presence at the Annual Meeting As I noted in the last newsletter, the Executive Committee has worked to provide for a very strong T&C presence at the Annual Meeting in Atlanta. Many of our events are scheduled for the Saturday - Monday timeframe, serving in a real sense as a "T&C meeting" within the annual meeting framework. This may be viewed as a kind of "tryout" for a possible "pre-meeting meeting" of the Section in the future. To update the information I provided previously (please refer to the last newsletter for details on the many T&C CPE sessions scheduled for Saturday and Sunday), we have been successful in arranging for a T&C reception late Saturday afternoon. Specifically, the reception is scheduled from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 11 at the Garden Terrace of the Marriott. The reception will take place immediately after the Best Curriculum Practices CPE session that I will participate in along with Mike Moore (E&Y Foundation), Charlie Smith (Penn State), Fred Streuling (BYU) and Gary Sundem (U. of Washington). The reception is free to all who sign up for T&C-sponsored CPE sessions on Saturday or Sunday. Our hope is to provide another opportunity for community building among our members. Those who attend the Curriculum Practices session from 1 - 4 p.m. on Saturday will be able to compare notes and possibly engage in one-on-one dialogue with presenters. We hope also that those who are attending T&C workshops on Sunday (and arriving Saturday to take advantage of airline discounts) will join us also. Our T&C breakfast is scheduled for Monday morning prior to the first plenary session. The section is subsidizing the cost of the breakfast so that the charge for our members is $10 each. A major purpose for the breakfast is to provide again for community building and networking. We do not plan to have a featured speaker but will introduce and recognize officers (past and present), regional directors and committee chairs. I hope that you will make it a point to join us there. Our Business Meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Monday. Included will be committee reports, a review of recent activities, and the election of Section officers. In addition, our Webmaster, D.V. Rama, will lead a discussion on her efforts to develop/refine our website. She will demonstrate also how the website can keep us better connected to one another. When our paper and panel sessions are added to this mix, it is clear that there is a very real potential for T&C presence and identity at the meeting. The most important ingredient in the mix, though, is your participation. I really hope that you will participate in these activities. Salute to Outgoing Officers, Regional Leaders and Committee Chairs The Executive Committee will have many new members in the year ahead. The annual meeting will mark the departure of Sandy Byrd, Janet Cassagio and Bette Kozlowski. On behalf of the Section, I wish to thank all three for their tireless efforts. I hope that they will continue to be active in the section in the days ahead. I want to extend my thanks and best wishes also to our regional directors and associate directors. The directors have been very productive in planning for and implementing the regional meetings, ensuring a strong Section presence. By design, the associate directors were to be "in the loop" in these activities so that they will be prepared to assume the director role in the coming year. I am pleased in particular that the "Best Teaching and Curriculum Paper Award," established this year by the Executive Committee, was offered in several of the regions. I attended the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast meetings, where these awards were presented and I can attest to very positive feedback from attendees. I congratulate the recipients of the awards on their fine work this year. My hope is that the mechanism will be in place in the coming year so that each region will be able to similarly recognize the outstanding scholarship of our members. I also want to thank the Committee Chairs and all of those who served with them this year. I know that the rewards are few and far between, but please rest assured that the Executive Committee very much appreciates your efforts. I will be sure to recognize all those who have served in this capacity at our Business Meeting and will allocate time for committee reports. While space limitations prevent me here from singling out individual efforts, I hope to be able to convey my special thanks in person at the Business Meeting. Finally, let me recognize the efforts of Bill Schwartz, who served this year as Vice-Chair Academic. Bill has devoted a great deal of time and energy to working with regional leaders and planning for the year ahead. I wish him, and our members as a whole, well in the days ahead.
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