Chair's corner.

• Author: Voynich, Scott

As I reflect on the challenges and opportunities facing our profession, one issue in particular comes to mind. We have an important responsibility to find and develop the next generation of CPAs and the next generation of those who will teach them. Our future rests in those we train to take our place.

Student recruitment continues to be one of our most pressing concerns. We are now in our third year of the student recruitment campaign and impressive results are reported with regularity [see page 4]. In fact, enrollment in accounting majors is up more than 7%. Students are motivated to join our ranks and make a difference.

Just as I have counseled countless students over the years, I told my own children that if they have an interest in business, they should major in accounting. It provides the most choices and offers a host of opportunities. Cap off that great education with an important credential, the CPA. Armed with an accounting major and the CPA credential, the future is bright and opportunities are wide open. I am doing my part to favorably skew the enrollment numbers since two of my three children are accounting majors. We want your children, too.

Getting students to major in accounting and complete the CPA exam is only the beginning of the journey. We also must help them make the transition from student to fellow professional. All too often in the academic environment, students have taken the path of least resistance. Having spent their academic careers practicing how to satisfy their professors, the student's goal has been to maximize their grade point average while minimizing their own pain by avoiding conflict. Go along to get along. Yet...