Dear Accounting Longhorns:
I am composing this letter on the day of the spring BBA commencement and the day before MPA commencement. The faculty, newly minted graduates, and I take this opportunity to thank all our alumni for generously supporting our MPA and BBA programs and building a legacy of excellence in accounting for the past 104 years.
Big changes are underway in the MPA Program Office. After ten years as Senior Director of the MPA Program, Steve Limberg is assuming a new role as the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs with primary responsibility for the MBA program. Under Steve’s leadership, the accomplishments of the MPA team have been impressive. The caliber of both incoming iMPA and tMPA students has improved. Superb academic advising has been a big factor in MPAs’ high satisfaction ratings for the program. Working with the faculty, important reforms in curriculum content and configuration have been instituted. The range and quantity of prospective employers has increased significantly, resulting in a large percentage of our students finding a position before graduation. Steve sums up the key to the last decade’s successes as, “Recognizing the formidable talents of the MPA team then standing aside as they worked their magic. The support and privilege of working with The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business faculty, the MPA team, and Program alumni and friends could not have been more gratifying.” When you next visit campus, please join me in thanking Steve for his tremendous service over the past decade and congratulating him on his appointment to Associate Dean.
Looking forward, I am pleased to announce that Steve Smith will assume the duties of Senior Director of the MPA Program effective June 1, 2016. Steve joined our faculty in January 2007 and has established an outstanding record as an instructor in several financial accounting courses, including Introductory Financial Accounting for BBAs and Financial Statement Analysis for MPAs. In addition to his duties as Senior Director, Steve will continue to teach financial accounting courses and will serve as the coordinator of the MPA Distinguished Speaker Lyceum. Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from North Carolina State University and an MS in accounting from the University of Virginia. He also has over 13 years of experience in various finance and accounting positions at Arthur Andersen, PwC, and most recently at Dell Inc. We welcome Steve to his new role as Senior Director of the MPA Program.
It’s official! The AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) has unconditionally extended the McCombs School’s accreditation in both business and accounting for the next five years. During this process, the School and Department demonstrated their commitment to 15 quality standards relating to strategic management and innovation, faculty and professional staff quality and qualification, student learning and engagement, commitment to continuous improvement, and achievement of learning goals. Today, only 183 schools hold AACSB accreditation in both business and accounting. McCombs was in the group of 16 business schools invited to become AACSB members in 1916. Thanks to our faculty, staff, and students for the hard work that went into our re-accreditation review!