Walk this way: pathways commission considers accounting education's future.

• Position: Interview

Where is accounting education headed and how can we make sure it's headed in the right direction? The Pathways Commission is now in place to figure that out. California CPA interviewed three experts in the field to shed some light on this new analytical body.

Answers provided by Martha Doran, associate professor of the Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy at San Diego Slate University and member of Supply Chain #3 on the Pathways Commission (Note: Her views are her own and do not represent the views of The Pathways Commission); Sharon Lightner, William E. Cole Director of the Charles Lamden School of Accountancy, SDSU; and Chad A. Proell, assistant professor of the Charles Lamden School of Accountancy SDSU.

Q What is The Pathways Commission?

The U.S. Department of the Treasury Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession ACAP identified in i(s October 2008 report many contemporary forces aliening human capital requirements for the accounting profession. Among its findings, the committee also made several recommendations, including the importance for the American Accounting Association and the A1CPA lo form a commission to study the future structure and content of accounting education.

The Pathways Commission's purpose is to fulfill the goals of that recommendation and to consider the other four key ACAP human capital recommendations, which can be summarized as the need for the lour Ds:

Dynamic curricula;

* More diversity;

* A plan to handle the decline in the number of accounting faculty; and

* More data in terms of demographics about people and accounting programs in higher education.

Broadly, the commission will identify, explore and establish a national higher education strategy for the accounting profession. Its activities will be guided by the social purpose of accounting and will consider the information right of capital providers, particularly individuals who are the core source of properly at risk in the marketplace as well the economic purpose of accounting to provide timely information to those who arc the decision makers employing and directing the use of such resources.

Q Can you break down the commission's charge? What are the driving questions?

The commission selected a broad group of stakeholders and formed "supply chains" or working groups, designed to represent most every segment of the supply and demand aspects of the accounting profession. These groups first identified two key preliminary issues:

* Define a value proposition for the accounting profession who are we?--taken in a broad sense.

Determine the skills that future accounting professionals will need and the future markets for both accounting information and accounting professionals.

These issues will also serve as a context in answering:

* How to attract and retain enough high potential, diverse talent for the profession?

* How to provide optimum career pathways for both accountants and accounting educators?

* How lo eliminate structural impediments or better align existing systems?

Q The questions seem large in scope. What are some of the commission's key concerns?

While the scope of this project seems broad, the process being used allows the commission to gain considerable input from a multitude of stakeholders and then focus on the key issues. The concerns seem to mirror some of the issues raised in the ACAP hearings, such as the long-term market outlook, academic governance issues and. of course, funding and resources. From a curriculum perspective, there seems to be agreement across all three supply chains, or working groups, that accounting education needs to encompass technical knowledge: applied...