FSA ACTIVITIES
The Federation provides a wide range of activities for its members and affiliates, designed to benefit accounting students, professors, and programs and curricula:
- The APLG/FSA Joint Annual Meeting is held annually in February. The programs are varied and provide a forum for the interchange of ideas among participants from schools desiring to develop or improve professional five-year accounting programs. The annual meetings have also provided a time for major officials from the accounting profession, industry, and government to present and discuss their views and concerns for professional accounting education.
- The Deloitte/FSA Faculty Consortium is held annually in May. The objective of the program is to provide accounting faculty with a better understanding of business issues, and deliver best practice information that participants can incorporate into their institutions’ curricula. The program is delivered as a combination of presentations from regulators, standard setters, practice and experienced educators at leading accounting programs. Major funding for this program is being provided by the Deloitte Foundation. Full member schools and accredited affiliates are invited to nominate at least one faculty member to attend each year.
- The FSA Newsletter is published semi-annually to keep member and affiliated schools, FSA associates, and other interested individuals and groups informed of various FSA activities, events, and other items of interest, as well as news concerning advances and developments in accounting education.
- The FSA/Joseph A. Silvoso Faculty Merit Award annually honors an outstanding contribution by a faculty member in a post-baccalaureate professional program of an FSA member school. Funding for this award is provided by FSA Supporting Associate KPMG LLP.
- The FSA Practitioner Service Award annually honors a member of the practicing profession for distinguished service and contributions to the improvement of accounting education and relations with accounting educators.
- The FSA/Mark Chain Innovation in Graduate Teaching Award annually recognizes exceptional graduate accounting course practices.
- The FSA Student Award Program annually recognizes an outstanding student from each full member school who is enrolled in the fifth year of a program leading to a Master's degree with the word "Accounting" or "Accountancy" included in the degree designation. The award is in the form of a wood plaque. Each school has the option of adding a monetary or other award independently, if they wish. The name of the award recipient will be printed in the spring newsletter and posted to the FSA website following the award program.
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
Membership in the Federation, or affiliation with it, enables the academic institution or associate to actively participate in the improvement of both the profession and the academic discipline of accounting:
- includes an institution or a firm in a nationwide network of high-quality professional accounting programs
- enables faculty and practitioners to provide input into new and innovative courses, curricula, and degree programs
- provides access to the latest nationwide developments in accounting education
- brings practitioners and educators together on committees, programs, and activities for the exchange of ideas and experience
- makes available the results of many practitioner-educator committees focusing on issues of concern to accounting education and practice. FSA committees have studied such issues as:
- Oral and written communications skills in accounting programs
- Assessment of accounting programs
- Marketing of graduates of Schools of Accounting
- Cooperative learning in accounting education
- The impact of the 150-hour requirement on public accounting
- Critical thinking in accounting
- Ethics
- Testing
- provides data from surveys undertaken by FSA committees concerning capacity, graduate projections, demand, salaries, and student quality
- visibly identifies an academic institution, public accounting firm, state society, industrial company, or professional/academic organization as among the leaders in the improvement and advancement of professional accounting education.
In addition, FSA members, affiliates, and associates can be satisfied that they are participating directly in the effort to continue the development of high quality, professional accounting programs, and to help assure a future of well-educated professional accountants.
MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES
MEMBERSHIP
Full Member Schools
To qualify for membership, the accounting academic unit of an institution must be committed to pursuing the objectives of the Federation and have a graduate degree program in accounting separately accredited by an accrediting organization recognized by the Board of Directors of the Federation. The organization presently recognized by the Board is the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
While the FSA holds that a School (or College or Institute) of Accountancy is the preferable organizational form for the academic unit, it recognized that its objectives can be achieved by other forms of organization, such as an academic department. Therefore, all academic units that meet the membership requirements therefore are invited to join.
Private Enterprise Associates
This class of member includes private enterprise organizations, such as CPA firms and industrial/commercial companies, which are supportive of the objectives of the Federation. This class of membership does not hold general voting rights, but does have voting privileges in connection with their role on the Board of Directors.
Non-Profit Associates
This class of member includes non-profit organizations, such as accounting associations and state CPA societies, which are supportive of the objectives of the FSA. This class of membership does not hold general voting rights, but does have voting privileges in connection with their role on the Board of Directors.
AFFILIATION
Programs which do not hold or do not plan to secure accounting accreditation for their graduate programs, or which do not offer postbaccalaureate accounting programs, may wish to become affiliates of the FSA. The only criterion for affiliation is that the academic unit be committed to pursuing the objectives of the Federation. There are two categories of affiliates: Accredited Affiliates and Affiliates.
Accredited Affiliates
Program with an undergraduate degree program in accounting accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
Affiliates
Programs that have not received accreditation for any of their accounting programs by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
Both classes receive FSA publications and a special rate to attend the annual meeting. Accredited Affiliates may participate in FSA committee projects and attend the annual FSA faculty consortium on a rotating basis across this class of affiliation. The key benefit to FSA affiliation is the direct linkage it provides with some of the nation's best-known and most advanced accounting education programs.
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES
| Full Member |
$350 |
| Accredited Affiliate |
$300 |
| Affiliate |
$200 |
| Non-profit Organization |
$150 |
| Private Enterprise |
$1,500 |
WHO TO CONTACT
Mail application form and check to:
Michelle Phillips
Federation of Schools of Accountancy
Palladian I
220 Leigh Farm Road
Durham, NC 27707-8110
