School of Accountancy utilizes unique active learning approach, bridges career and education

The Ohio University School of Accountancy is in the business of breaking industry stereotypes. Some may be under the impression that accounting is merely “math,” and accountants are simply “scorekeepers,”  but School of Accountancy Director Dr. David Stott has been working his entire adult life to change this perception of accountancy.

“I stopped telling students I want to turn them into an accountant—that has a lot of negative connotations to it—people picture green eye shades and pocket protectors and sitting in a cubicle,” explained Stott. “I’ve now been playing in this space for 34 years, and I have never sat in a cubicle in my life, I’ve never stared at a piece of paper and just added up numbers, that’s not the job. I don’t tell people I want to turn them into an accountant, I tell them I want to turn them into a business professional with accounting knowledge.”

Accounting is the bedrock of nearly every industry, according to Stott. It is the language of business and what all businesspeople use to communicate. Accountants turn data into information and provide that information to organizations so they can make informed decisions. Whether it’s a for-profit, nonprofit or governmental organization they all have some type of accounting function—someone must measure how the organization is performing and report that information.

“It’s about telling stories with numbers,” said Stott. “You have to actually see the numbers and see the patterns and then be able to sort through that and figure out which numbers are relevant to decision-making and which aren’t.”

At Ohio University, students interested in accounting are offered something at every educational level. Undergraduate students in OHIO’s accounting program are taught how to critically evaluate, communicate and are immersed in foundational hands-on work. As they advance through their degrees, students are taught the importance of integrity and their reputations as accounting professionals and provided resources beyond the classroom to succeed in their field. Graduate students working toward their Masters of Accountancy and Analytics degree are prepared for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam, should they choose to pursue it, and are given the opportunity to use their accounting knowledge to better organizations and society through monitoring environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors.

Both the Ohio University College of Business and School of Accountancy are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), a measurement of quality that less than one percent of institutions possess—AASCB accredited institutions undergo peer reviews that analyze universities’ curriculums, learning objectives, learning outcomes and interaction with the professional world.