Teaching Ethical Reasoning to Accountants

Description

College of Business Associate Dean Molly Brown, a member of the accounting faculty, has found ways to weave the 8 Key Questions into the work she does teaching professional ethics to practicing accountants. In December, as an ethics instructor for the Virginia Society of CPAs, she conducted a workshop at Navy Federal Credit Union's headquarters in Vienna, Virginia using the Narcan scenario from this year's It's Complicated program (you can find the Overdose video here). CPAs must complete continuing education programs each year, and this two-hour workshop fulfilled a requirement for Maryland and DC licensees in the Navy Federal office. Molly found that the workshop participants brought different perspectives to the exercise than the JMU freshmen she had worked with in August. In addition to the scenario itself, the accountants discussed ways that they might use the 8 Key Questions to solve ethical dilemmas that they face in their profession, such as issues involving fair presentation of accounting information and treatment of confidential information. Feedback from the workshop was overwhelmingly positive. Molly will be conducting a similar workshop next June at the Institute of Management Accountants' annual meeting in Atlanta as part of their professional ethics track. She enjoys sharing this part of the JMU culture with her fellow accounting professionals.

Involvement

Involves Faculty, Involves Students, Involves Participants External to JMU

Scope

National Scope

Date

December, 2019

Frequency

Ongoing (Currently in existence, year round)

Existing Center/Institute/Program

yes

Type of Partner

Nonprofit Agency; Professional Association

Primary Focus of Program

Business and Industrial development

Begin Date

12-2019

Areas of Engagement

Community Engagement, Engaged Learning

Format

Program, Research, Class/Coursework

On/Off campus

Off campus