Research and Communication in Accounting (ACCT 455) merges the worlds of business and theater with the goal of preparing future accountants to adapt to an ever-changing industry. Ultimately, it prepares students to communicate effectively in the workplace during even the most unpredictable situations.
Students are encouraged to get out of their comfort zones when they practice different improv techniques in class.
Amanda Gonzales, associate professor of practice in accountancy, and Julie Uribe, ’84, lecturer at the Johnny Carson School of Theater and Film, both developed the course and teach it through two separate five-week sessions.
Gonzales focuses on strengthening students’ written communication while Uribe uses her improv training from the Groundlings School in Los Angeles, with notable alumni like Will Ferrell and Melissa McCarthy, and more than 25 years of experience in the television industry to expand verbal communication.
While students might feel familiar with the traditional setting of Gonzales’ classroom, Uribe takes students outside of their comfort zone through improv exercises and principles. Drew Minard, '21, accounting graduate and current MPA student who accepted a job as tax associate at RSM in Omaha, Nebraska, may have felt uncomfortable at times, but he never felt unsupported.
“We were all in it together, and it helped knowing I was in a supportive environment. These principles encouraged me to take risks and push myself,” said the Bartley, Nebraska, native.
The tools Minard and other students learn help set them apart from peers as they transition into the workplace. Minard is already seeing the benefits from this experience in his current internship.
“I have such a wide variety of tasks that I show up to work every day not sure what to expect, so I often find myself engaging in the improv principle, ‘Yes, and,’” he said. With plans to work in public accounting, Minard feels better prepared due to the communication tools he learned.
“I anticipate using these skills in every aspect of my career. Communication skills can be the difference between an applicant who gets hired and one that doesn’t, or acquiring and retaining a client or not,” he said.
To learn more about the accounting major, visit: https://business.unl.edu/accountingmajor.