American Accounting Association 2006 Midwest Region Meeting March 30 – April 1 Chicago, Illinois

Friday, March 31, 10:20 a.m.-12:00 noon
Concurrent session 2F - Curriculum and Assessment Issues (Teaching and Curriculum)

Title: Who Will Teach Tomorrow’s Accountants?

Gadis J. Dillon Oakland University

ABSTRACT: This manuscript provides another perspective on the anticipated shortage of accounting faculty in the near future. It reports the results of compiling all current faculty members at United States universities by year of terminal degree. The results show the magnitude of anticipated retirements in the near future. Based on the review of year of terminal degree, and assuming receipt of terminal degree at age 30, an estimated 519 accounting faculty (of whom 269 are doctorally qualified) are already at the traditional retirement age of 65. Within the next 5 years, an additional 637 faculty members (of whom 466 are doctorally qualified) will reach 65. Thus, by 2010 some 1256 faculty members (735 doctorally qualified) will reach traditional retirement age. At the current level of output, the supply of new doctorally qualified faculty members will not provide adequate replacements. The situation becomes significantly worse in the following decade.

The manuscript also provides suggestions for initiating discussion of ways to ameliorate the anticipated shortage. These include: Shorten Doctoral Programs; Redefine AACSB Standards for Academically Qualified Accounting Faculty; A New Degree - Doctor of Pedagogy (PeD); and AICPA and Large CPA Firms Explicitly Support Teaching Activity.

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