From its early days as a department to its evolution into a nationally ranked program, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln School of Accountancy celebrates 45 years this fall. The milestone highlights a legacy of leadership, strong alumni support and record growth in student enrollment, while looking ahead to continued success.
"It's a special time for the School of Accountancy," said Jimmy Downes, director of the School of Accountancy. "Looking back, our accomplishments today would not have been possible without the foundation built by faculty such as Ray Dein, Jack Goebel, Tom Balke, Nancy Stara, Jim Brown and more recent faculty including Paul Shoemaker, Janice Lawrence and Linda Ruchala."
The College of Business welcomed a record 4,398 students this fall, including a 12% increase in undergraduate accounting majors. Enrollment in the major reached 611 students, with first-year accounting students up 10% as part of the largest freshman class in the college’s history.
“This growth isn’t by accident,” said Kathy Farrell, James Jr. and Susan Stuart Endowed Dean of the College of Business. “It’s a direct result of the dedication of our staff, the expertise of our faculty, the encouragement of our alumni and the unwavering support of our partners. Our students are not just filling seats in the classroom. They are preparing to lead the future.”
The School of Accountancy consistently leads in career placement, with 97% of accounting graduates employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation. In 2024, its CPA exam pass rate ranked 13th among 204 large universities nationwide and third in the Big Ten, ahead of peers like Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota.
“We continue to create new opportunities for freshmen students to engage with accounting professionals through the creation of a Student Success Academy. This opportunity allows first-year accounting students to interact directly with accounting professionals across industries and learn about the wide range of career paths an accounting degree provides,” Downes said.
The school’s Beta Alpha Psi chapter also supports peers and the community by tutoring students in introductory accounting courses, consulting with local small businesses and introducing rural high school students to careers in accounting and finance.
Farrell emphasized the role of faculty in shaping the school's reputation for excellence through their programs and courses.
“Our accounting curriculum has been repeatedly recognized for its excellence, relevance and rigor, and this is something we owe to our amazing faculty who continue to push boundaries, innovate and stay ahead of the ever-evolving landscape of accounting," Farrell said. "A perfect example is the introduction of the communications and research class that brought improv into the classroom. This course was so valuable that it is now a required course for all our students in the new undergraduate core curriculum, and the School of Accountancy faculty led the way.”
Jill Trucke, associate professor of practice in accountancy, reflected on how clothing styles, college student lingo and technology have changed since the late '70s but said the fundamentals stayed the same.
“Thankfully, we still have debits and credits, balance sheets still balance, Intermediate Accounting II is still hard, and, most importantly, we continue to benefit from the generous support from alumni, employers and friends to support our students, whether that be through time or financial means,” Trucke said.
This fall, the college awarded a record $1.65 million in scholarships to business students, including more than $300,000 for nearly 200 undergraduate accounting students and $150,000 for 70 master’s students.
“Our current students greatly appreciate the scholarships they’ve received and want to pay it forward,” Trucke said. “They see firsthand the support of our alumni and friends when they visit classrooms or attend events. Generosity breeds generosity, and they are now investing in the next generation of accountants.”
Trucke noted how accounting majors assist with outreach efforts for the college and helped host 120 Millard middle school students and 40 seniors from Lincoln Public Schools interested in accounting.
The school will continue its 45-year celebration at the Business Alumni Tailgate on Saturday, Nov. 1, before the Nebraska vs. USC game. Alumni can RSVP at https://go.unl.edu/alumnitailgate.
