How can we continue to best prepare tomorrow’s accounting leaders for our evolving discipline? What does the future look like for accounting firms? Technology, new legislation and big data act as catalysts in increasing the speed of change for our field. In this issue of The Nebraska Ledger, you will hear how people like you are committed to helping us answer these questions with action. You – our supporters, alumni and business partners – propel our students to be ready to rise to these and future challenges through your support of the School of Accountancy.
 
Through these stories, I hope you will see how your support impacts our students and faculty. Your investments of time, talent or treasure benefited our students in three distinct ways:
 
Doing more from day one. Teaching assistantships for MPA students through this spring created a win-win for faculty and students. Students received fresh, relevant case studies in classes to further drive their critical thinking skills. With TAs helping to grade, faculty can focus on building and facilitating these real-world case studies that bring part of the profession into the course. Read our story about how TAs make a difference.
 
Finding their strengths and stretching them. Faculty improved how they teach data analytics to stretch students’ abilities in utilizing data to find and implement creative solutions to business problems. Focused on the future, students like Riley Linder found a new strength within analytics that will help keep them ahead of the curve.
 
Believing in the power of every person. With the focus on data analytics, your gifts provided RAM and software students need to excel. You helped push students to success by funding travel expenses for case competition teams like our Huskers who won the regional Deloitte FanTAXtic Competition. Furthermore, 125 undergraduates out of 591 received a scholarship (a total of $185,000) and every MPA out of 59 received a fellowship (a total of $75,000) because you believed in their ability to lead the future of business.
 
With your continued support, we grow flexible and strong minds while also building a premier accounting program. Together. That’s how we do big things.
 
Go Big Red!
 
Aaron D. Crabtree
Director, School of Accountancy Published: May 15, 2019