I joined Ball State on July 1, 2022, because of the tremendous
accomplishments and potential I saw in the accounting faculty, students, and alums.
My expectations have been more than met. I am more excited today than I was a
year ago!
The Department’s dedicated and experienced faculty members are
engaged in various research projects, but their passion is in teaching first
and foremost. The faculty members deliver personal and better education than
their counterparts in Indiana. We are constantly pursuing
strategies to ensure excellence in everything we do. We ensure our programs are
relevant, innovative, and of the highest quality. In the MS Accounting program,
we have
- added two new courses, Sustainability Reporting and Financial
Analytics,
- created stand-alone CPA review courses in the Fall and Spring
semesters
- started to actively recruit non-accounting students to add
diversity to our student body,
- created 4+1 and 3+2 options to shorten the
time to the graduate degree and
- are exploring the possibility of launching
an online, STEM-certified MS program in the Fall of 2025. The faculty also decided to
offer the undergraduate program in an online format in addition to the
in-person program.
This fall, we are offering a dual-credit course at Fishers
High School and are working on developing and delivering additional dual-credit
courses at area high schools. But we don’t rest on our achievements. The
faculty, working with industry leaders, is adding more data analytics
and technology in their courses to prepare tomorrow’s accounting
leaders.
Our students are outstanding. They are intelligent and
hard-working. Every student completes at least one internship semester and
receives multiple public accounting firms or corporations offers. The successes
of our alumni are a testament to the quality of Ball State accounting students
(and programs). Our alums have reached the highest levels of achievements in
public accounting, corporations, and financial institutions. Two serve on Ball
State’s Board of Trustees.
The strongest testament to the quality of our programs, faculty,
and students is the exceptional support we receive from you – our alums. You
are actively involved as guest lecturers in our classes, speakers during
Dialogue Days, workshop leaders at student clubs and other activities, and as
advisors and mentors for our students. Your involvement in these areas provides
our students invaluable learning and networking opportunities. Your
contributions of funds allow us to support student and faculty development
activities. On behalf of the Department and our students, I sincerely thank you
for your continued support. And, our special thanks go out to all of you who
donated to our tremendously successful campaign in honor of longtime professor
and former Department Chair Paul W. Parkison, ’58 MA ’61.
Best,
Reza Espahbodi, Department Chairperson
Paul W. Parkison Department of Accounting
Ball State University