ACCOUNTING PROGRAM Academic Program Review

Transcription

1 ACCOUNTING PROGRAM Academic Program Review The Office of Instruction The Office of Institutional Planning, Research, and Assessment

2 ACCOUNTING PROGRAM Academic Program Review Committee Chair: Tommy Carter Committee Members: Tom Snavely Annette Fisher Elizabeth Winney Arnold Gray Elizabeth Dray Debra Fetty Robert O. Salmon, Executive Dean and Chief Academic Officer Barbara Wing, Dean of Instruction and Curriculum Dr. John W. Quinley, Director of Institutional Planning, Research, and Assessment

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. Overview and Scope 1 II. Historical Sketch and Environmental Scanning 1 1. Technology 1 2. Scope 2 III. Program Mission and Goals 2 IV. Community Benefits 3 V. Centrality to the College Mission 3 VI. Course Outlines and Content 4 VII. Facilities and Equipment 4 VIII. Budget 5 IX. Program Faculty, Staff and Support Services 6 X. Student Satisfaction and Success 7 Current Student Survey 7 Graduate Follow-Up Study 8 Instructor Evaluations 9 XI. Statistics and Trends 10 Enrollment Statistics/Trends 10 Student Profile 11 XII. Committee Recommendations 12

4 ACCOUNTING PROGRAM REVIEW I. Overview and Scope This review was initiated during the spring 2001 semester. Most of the data and input was derived from reports received from Institutional Research and focus groups brought together for the specific purpose of analyzing the program. Major areas reviewed included budget, curriculum, enrollments, facilities and instructional personnel. The review measured the adequacy of the program goals in relation to community needs and expectations. The committee included the division chair, two full-time faculty members, an advisor, a professional from the community and two current students. The committee was composed of the following persons: Mr. Tom Snavely Ms. Annette Fisher Ms. Elizabeth Winney Mr. Arnold Gray Ms. Elizabeth Dray Ms. Debra Fetty Mr. Tommy Carter Yavapai College Accounting Instructor, Prescott Campus Yavapai College Accounting Instructor, Verde Campus Yavapai College Counselor Vice-President, Stockman s Bank and Business and Computer Science Division Advisory Council Member Yavapai College Accounting Student Yavapai College Accounting Student Yavapai College Business & Computer Science Division Chair, Prescott Campus II. Historical Sketch and Environmental Scanning Technological change has been evident in society in recent years. For the accounting profession this meant increased demands for information to assist in financial decision making for all sectors of society, including government and the private sector. Within this context, some specific challenges have been faced in the accounting program over the past few years. 1. Technology. The personal computer, together with improved, more powerful software has become the key to accounting accuracy and productivity. Tax preparation software, for example, has become more common for usage at the individual level. Accounting software programs such as Peachtree and QuickBooks are now widely used. The PC has become the staple for preparation of individual and business tax returns as well as the tool of choice for all general bookkeeping and financial statement preparation. Accounting Page 1

5 2. Scope. Accounting education has broadened in approach into both traditional and user-based pedagogy. The traditional approach continues to teach general ledger bookkeeping as the basis of preparation. The user-based approach assumes that specifically trained accountants will be responsible for the preparation of accounting reports which are then delivered to personnel who have the responsibility of using and interpreting them in making managerial decisions. The training in a user-based environment is oriented more toward the potential manager rather than toward learning to prepare the reports themselves. The department responded to the user-based pedagogy by instituting a Uses of Financial Information course (ACC217) in In addition, other courses were added to the curriculum, which have increased the options available for accounting students. These include Governmental and Non-profit Accounting (ACC211), and an Accounting Lab (ACC150). Student needs have continued to be divided between those of traditional students working toward higher level degrees and those who wish to seek employment after one or two years of study. One change affecting both groups has been to make Introductory Accounting (ACC121) a prerequisite for Accounting I (ACC131). This change improved the retention level of ACC131 students across the board. III. Program Mission and Goals The Business and Computer Science Division is currently reviewing and rewriting its mission statement as part of the self-study process for the North Central Association. The mission of the accounting curriculum as currently perceived by the committee is to strive to provide an innovative and supportive environment for life-long learning within a framework of measurable outcomes. This mission includes the following goals: Provide an educational base for students desiring entry-level accounting positions in Yavapai County. Provide the first two years of a bachelor s degree program that can be articulated to any of the four Arizona state universities. Provide supportive classes for related degrees and certificates at Yavapai College. Provide continuing education classes that help keep Yavapai County residents up to date on changing accounting concepts and computer software for both home use and small business use. Accounting Page 2

6 IV. Community Benefits The Graduate Follow-up Study in the Accounting Degree Program indicates that there is close to an even split of goals between immediate employment and preparation to continue work on an upper-level degree at a university. Of those transferring to other institutions, almost all indicated satisfaction with their Yavapai College experience. Many employers and small business owners have their employees take the Introductory Accounting and Computer Accounting classes in order to be more effective on the job. There are numerous organizations in Yavapai County with the need for individuals with training and skills in bookkeeping and accounting. The program not only serves the business community but also governmental agencies and non-profit groups. The courses and programs are critical to helping the community to meet its current needs as well as attracting employer groups looking for professional employees. Currently, the Business and Computer Science Division Advisory Council has one accountant as part of its membership. This council is charged with reviewing new course recommendations, suggesting changes to enhance the curriculum offerings and checking the relevance of the curriculum to local needs. A separate advisory committee for accounting would increase the amount of input into the program as to the changing environment of the accounting profession. V. Centrality to the College Mission The Accounting Degree Program meets the goal of the college to provide high quality, convenient and cost-effective learning opportunities by allowing students to complete the first two years of a bachelor s program in accounting at a lower cost than at a university and allows students to remain in our community. Those who use the program as a terminal degree are better prepared to obtain gainful employment and contribute to the community. Courses are offered at convenient times for students where possible. Many courses are offered in both day and evening times and on Prescott, Verde and the Community Campuses. The advanced courses are scheduled when possible in the interactive television classrooms in order to accommodate students on both campuses. The variety of classes offered, the flexibility of class times and the extensive experience of the faculty are in line with this mission. Much of the curriculum planning occurs during division meeting times and within subcommittees that are organized to address specific issues. Accounting courses are required in many of the Business and Computer Science majors. Therefore, one of the major goals of the program is to support other degrees in the division. Accounting Page 3

7 The program provides both traditional lecture classes as well as computer-assisted learning opportunities. By continuously updating the content and software, these classes help keep students up to date in their field of study. VI. Course Outlines and Content Course outlines are created and reviewed on an on-going basis for each course. Copies of current and past syllabi are maintained in the Business and Computer Science Division Office. Efforts are made to ensure that courses taught by different instructors and/or at different locations produce similar learning outcomes. Procedures are maintained to allow division chairs and full-time faculty the opportunity to review all new courses being proposed as well as changes to course content in current course offerings. A major revision of the Accounting Degree occurred during the academic year which resulted in the following courses being added or changed significantly: ACC 121 Introductory Accounting (Was made a prerequisite for ACC 131, Principles of Accounting I, which has significantly improved retention in that course) ACC 161 Computer Accounting Practice (Changed to QuickBooks Pro) ACC 211 Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting (Added) ACC 217 Uses of Financial Information (Added) After reviewing our degrees and certificates with full-time and adjunct faculty, some changes have been recommended. These are outlined in the Recommendations sections of this report. VII. Facilities and Equipment Courses are conducted in general-purpose classrooms all across the district. Most are taught on the campus, but some are offered at local high schools in the evening. On the Prescott and Verde campuses, an effort is made to schedule classes in rooms that are furnished with tables instead of armchairs. When possible, classes are scheduled in the multimedia classroom, where there is access to a computer and video equipment. Otherwise, on the Prescott campus, there is access to a laptop computer, which may be reserved from the division office. None of the current classrooms where accounting classes are scheduled have computer access for the students. This is a major drawback to preparing the student for accounting positions. Bookkeeping and accounting is almost completely computerized. Students should be taught both the accounting principles as well as the practical aspects of accounting. Accounting Page 4

8 On the Prescott campus, the students go to the Business and Computer Science computer lab to complete the lab assignments associated with the class or, in some cases, the class is scheduled in the one dedicated classroom that is equipped with computers. Because of the heavy utilization of that classroom, it is sometimes difficult to schedule sections when they are needed. There are multiple sections of the Introductory Accounting class offered each semester and many times there are wait lists because of classroom size and availability. It would be beneficial to have additional classrooms that are properly equipped to accommodate more than students. The ideal classroom would allow for multiple methods to deliver instruction. For example: White board work Computer projection for excel and computer applications Tables for individual and group work Computers for students to perform individual and group work VIII. Budget The budget for the department is adequate. Suggestions as stated in the recommendations portion of this report relate to improvements in facilities and support services. Based on the budget information, the Accounting Department had a total budget of: $60,809 Prescott Campus $43,341 Verde Campus Of this amount, approximately 95% of the budget is assigned for faculty salaries and benefits. These figures do not reflect money designated for adjunct salaries. Average expenditures for adjunct faculty are $46,000 per year for all campuses. In addition to salaries and benefits, the only major expenditure for this department is the cost of keeping the accounting software up to date. This expenditure absorbs most of the supply budget. Adjunct instructors have expressed a need to have the software for the classes they teach available on their home computers. This would make it more convenient for them to prepare for their class. Another enhancement that would allow better communication between instructors and students would be the development of web page links from the college web site to individual instructor web pages and publisher web pages. Accounting Page 5

9 IX. Program Faculty, Staff and Support Services The Accounting Department has two full-time faculty, one assigned to each of the Prescott and Verde campuses. Both of these faculty possess a CPA license. In addition, there are approximately six adjunct faculty on the Prescott Campus and six on the Verde Campus. This number varies each semester and some adjuncts teach several sections each semester. In hiring adjuncts to teach accounting classes, there is a major effort to ensure that these adjuncts possess extensive experience in the specific area of accounting that they are teaching as well as an appropriate educational background. The program is supported by an Instructional Specialist on each campus, who is responsible for helping the students in the lab as well as administering the Accounting Lab (ACC150) class. This person also supports other Business and Computer Science programs. The Division Administrative Assistant provides clerical support as needed. Library resources are adequate for this program. There is a shortage of qualified tutors to assist students. Accounting Page 6

10 X. Student Satisfaction and Success Several methods were used to evaluate the satisfaction and success of students. They were: 1. Current Student Survey 2. Graduate Follow-up Study 3. Instructor Evaluations The following is selected information on the Level of Satisfaction portions of these reports. Current Student Survey Instructional Items Percent of Satisfaction Class Offerings 87.3% Quality of Instruction 98.4% Availability of Instructors 93.6% Classrooms 93.5% Labs 77.5% Computer Access 89.5% Support Services Percent of Satisfaction General Support Services 70.8% (Parking and Mail Center were lowest) Academic Advising 75.4% Financial Aid 55.1% Registration (In Person) 82.6% Accounting Page 7

11 Graduate Follow-Up Study There were six responses to the questionnaire for graduates of the program. Two were preparing for transfer to a four-year college; one to acquire/improve skills; two to prepare for a different job/career; and one for career exploration. Of the six, four were working full-time and two part-time. The following are responses to questions directly related to satisfaction with Yavapai College. PRIMARY SHORT TERM GOAL Valid Prepare for transfer to a four-year college Acquire/improve skills for present job Prepare for a different job/career Explore academic or career areas Valid Cumulative Frequency Percent Percent Percent HAVE YOU ATTENDED SCHOOL SINCE GRADUATING FROM YC? Valid Missing NO YES X Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent CURRENT WORK STATUS Valid Work part-time less than 20 hours per week Work part-time 20 to 29 hours per week Work full-time 30 hours per week or more Valid Cumulative Frequency Percent Percent Percent IS YOUR PRESENT JOB RELATED TO YOUR YC PROGRAM? Valid Directly Somewhat Not at all Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Accounting Page 8

12 OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH ACADEMIC PROGRAM Valid Good Very good Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Instructor Evaluations Survey results from student evaluation of instructors indicate that they are satisfied or very satisfied with the instruction aspects of the program. Factors considered were: Quality of instruction 94% Availability to students 97% Adequate knowledge of subject 98% Helpfulness of instructors 90% Accounting Page 9

13 XI. Statistics and Trends Below is a summary of statistical information. There are no major indicators of growth in the program, yet there is stability in the enrollment numbers. Attrition is comparable to other classes with similar content. The student profile indicates comparable trends to college-wide statistics. There is a slight increase in full-time vs. part-time students and also in male vs. female enrollments. Enrollment Statistics/Trends Year Course Number Credit Number of Assess. Date Final Date FTSE Sections Ave. Enrollment Ave. Enrollment 96/97 ACC /98 ACC /99 ACC /00 ACC /97 ACC /98 ACC /99 ACC /00 ACC /97 ACC /98 ACC /99 ACC /00 ACC /97 ACC /98 ACC /99 ACC /00 ACC /97 ACC /98 ACC /99 ACC /00 ACC /97 ACC /98 ACC /99 ACC /00 ACC /98 ACC160/ /99 ACC160/ /00 ACC160/ / Level / Level / Level / Level Accounting Page 10

14 Student Profile Origin2 ASIAN, PACIFIC ISLANDER BLACK WHITE, NON-HISPANIC NATIVE AMERICAN HISPANIC OTHER 1995 FALL 1996 FALL 1997 FALL 1998 FALL 1999 FALL 5 4.0% 2 1.7% 2 1.8% 0.0% 2 1.8% % 0.0% 1.9% 0.0% 1 1.0% 0.0% 2.4% % % % % % % 3 2.4% 3 2.6% 6 5.3% 7 6.9% 5 4.5% % 7 5.6% 9 7.8% 8 7.1% 6 5.9% 5 4.5% % 2 1.6% 0.0% 1.9% 4 4.0% 3 2.7% % % % % % % % Male/Female FEMALE MALE 1995 FALL 1996 FALL 1997 FALL 1998 FALL 1999 FALL % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % Full-time/Part-time PART-TIME FULL-TIME 1995 FALL 1996 FALL 1997 FALL 1998 FALL 1999 FALL % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % Age 16 AND UNDER 17 TO TO TO AND OVER 1995 FALL 1996 FALL 1997 FALL 1998 FALL 1999 FALL 1.8% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1.2% % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % 1.8% 2 1.7% 1.9% 0.0% 2 1.8% 6 1.1% % % % % % % Accounting Page 11

15 Place of Residence OTHER AZ COUNTY YAVAPAI COUNTY OUT-OF-STATE OUT-OF-COUN TRY 1995 FALL 1996 FALL 1997 FALL 1998 FALL 1999 FALL 6 4.8% 3 2.6% 4 3.5% 2 2.0% 2 1.8% % % % % % % % 4 3.2% 5 4.3% 3 2.7% 4 4.0% 3 2.7% % 2 1.6% 1.9% 0.0% 1 1.0% 1.9% 5.9% % % % % % % XII. Committee Recommendations The Accounting program is meeting the needs of the college and the community and should be continued. Because of changes in technology and the number of adjunct instructors that are necessary in order to offer an adequate number and range of classes, the committee would like to make the following recommendations for improvement in the program. Curriculum Changes Associate of Applied Science Degree in Accounting 1. Delete ACC160, Computerized Accounting Using Peachtree for Windows from the course bank. 2. Replace ACC160 with ACC162, Utilizing Excel in an Accounting and Financial Environment. 3. Remove CSA137, Lotus Change CSA172, Microsoft Windows to CSA101, Windows Essentials Accounting Clerk Certificate Program Delete this certificate from the program. Because of changes in technology requirements, this certificate no longer prepares students for employability. Accounting Assistant Certificate Program 1. Delete ACC160, Computerized Accounting Using Peachtree for Windows from the course bank. 2. Replace ACC160 with ACC162, Utilizing Excel in an Accounting and Financial Environment. 3. Remove CSA137, Lotus Change CSA172, Microsoft Windows to CSA101, Windows Essentials Accounting Page 12

16 Technology 1. Provide access to a computer and data projector in all classrooms where accounting classes are taught. This would allow PowerPoint and spreadsheet presentations as part of the instructor lectures. Currently a laptop projector and data projector may be checked out, but it is not always available because of other instructors needing access also. 2. Internet access in all classrooms. Many of the authors have websites with current applications and information to support chapter materials in their texts. 3. Additional computer classrooms where every student has access to a computer equipped with internet access, spreadsheet applications and custom accounting programs. 4. Develop a web site that would provide links to instructor web pages and publisher web pages. Support for the Program 1. Provide the software to adjunct instructors that relates to the classes they are teaching. Most adjuncts are not on campus except when they teach classes and this makes preparation difficult when they must use software that they do not have on their computers at home. 2. Expand the number of tutors available to assist students and the range of days and times that they are available. 3. Develop a separate Advisory Council for the accounting program that includes representatives from both the Prescott and Verde campuses. 4. Develop a brochure to market the strengths of the program to prospective students. Accounting Page 13