Meeting & Agendas

The meeting focused on reviewing and approving the minutes from past meetings. The minutes from April 12, 2019, were approved following a motion by Dr. Peoples and a second by Denise White. The minutes from January 15, 2020, and November 15, 2024, will be deferred to the December 5, 2025, meeting for reconsideration due to unavailable records.

For the minutes of April 28, 2023, Carol moved for approval, and JD seconded the motion. The minutes were approved, contingent on Larry clarifying the abbreviations used. 

The discussion then shifted to the minutes from April 11, 2025. Carol moved for approval, and Darryl seconded the motion, which was also approved pending Larry's clarification of the abbreviations.

Finally, the minutes from August 19, 2025, were approved. Kristy initiated the motion for approval, and Carol Hitzfelder seconded it. Additionally, for the minutes dated August 19, 2025, the wording "change completion rate by 70%" will be corrected to "completion rate to 70%."

- We established the committee several weeks ago in Workday. Full-time faculty should have received a notification regarding this matter. The posting closed on October 13, 2025. We are looking to hire two full-time faculty members, primarily for roles in the Accounting Technician Program and for high school outreach.

- During our final review of the candidates, four individuals were eliminated from consideration due to a lack of credentials. All candidates must hold at least a Bachelor's degree in Accounting, along with the required hours of experience or graduate coursework.

-Currently, we have a pool of 17 applicants in Workday under job reference R-8282. The committee will consist of the Dean, all full-time faculty, and a representative from Student Affairs, totaling 13 members. A spreadsheet will be provided for further details.

-In the pool of candidates, there are 3 internal candidates and 14 external candidates. As the committee reviews resumes, it is important to consider candidates' suitability for teaching younger students, specifically those in Kindergarten through 12th grade.

-The conversation concluded with questions, concerns, and suggestions regarding the hiring process for the Accounting Technician Program.

-The Dean has requested that Department Chairs evaluate and consider potential modifications. The focus will be on ACCT 2301 and ACCT 2302 (transfer courses) as well as certain ACNT courses that relate to the two upcoming faculty hires.

-To teach ACCT 2301 and ACCT 2302, instructors must possess either a Master’s Degree in Accounting or a Master’s Degree with 18 graduate hours in Accounting. 

-Larry raised concerns about who could be hired to teach these courses, suggesting that there may be fewer candidates with Master's degrees in Accounting. He emphasized the need to consider how we can adequately staff the department for these classes and suggested that broadening or slightly altering the requirements might help to create a larger pool of candidates in the future.

-Reed and others noted that past attempts to relax these requirements had been rejected by accrediting agencies, particularly SACS. The group agreed to consult with Misty regarding current accreditation requirements and their possible changes, given the uncertainty about whether SACS would continue as the accrediting agency. 

-The discussion also touched on the accreditation requirements for teaching accounting courses, specifically regarding candidates with master's degrees in business administration and CPA licenses. Reed explained that previous attempts to hire such candidates had been denied by accreditation agencies due to the necessity of having 18 graduate hours explicitly in accounting. 

-Larry reiterated concerns about the limited pool of qualified accounting faculty and recommended exploring alternative requirements, highlighting that many institutions face similar challenges. The discussion concluded with a commitment to consider future staffing and program success while recognizing the need to possibly advocate for changes to accreditation requirements.

- The AICPA Blueprint is undergoing some changes with the exam starting in January 2024.  
- Once accreditation is complete, a few committees will take a look at the Blueprints to make sure everything is covered in the curriculum. Larry mentioned that he wants to set up three different committees:  
   - **FAR Committee:** Darryl, Kelli, and Okera  
   - **Audit Committee:** Kimberly, May, and Larry  
   - **REG Committee:** Kristy, Jay, and Larry  
- Larry also wants to discuss updates for the Spring 2026 semester. 

- During yesterday's meeting with the TXCPA, we discussed the recent rule changes affecting candidates and students. 

- A new rule, posted by the Board and effective as of October 10, 2025, will apply to anyone who files their Application of Intent after this date and in July 2026. One significant change is that the Advanced Business Communications course is no longer required for testing; however, students can still take the course for business credit. Additionally, students must complete an Ethics course. While the Ethics course does not need to be taken for the exam, it will count toward business credit. This change aims to increase enrollment in ACNT 1335. 

- Currently, students are required to complete 21 upper-level accounting hours: 12 hours in Category 1 and 9 hours in electives. Starting August 1, 2026, the requirement will increase by 3 hours in electives and an additional class for certification, raising the total from 21 to 24 hours. The 12 required courses for Category 1 will remain unchanged.

- Depending on their chosen pathway, students completing either 150 or 120 credit hours may or may not have to take the Research Writing course. 

- The state will accept up to 6 hours of internship credit. Although this internship credit cannot be applied toward upper-level accounting, it will count as business credit and contribute toward the 150 credit hours requirement. For the Spring 2026 semester, a separate Internship class (ACNT 2388) will be available for students in the Professional Accountant Program, while Accounting Technician students will enroll in ACNT 2386. Students pursuing Advanced Technical Certificates who wish to earn internship credits are encouraged to apply through the ACC Vita Program, although there are other employment opportunities available as well. We are currently identifying employers and seeking to expand our list of internship options.

- The Board also made changes regarding the business hours requirement. The previous limit of 6 hours in any particular discipline has been removed. For instance, if a student has accumulated numerous hours in Economics, Management, Marketing, or Finance, all those hours will now count as upper-division hours.

- If students have filed the Application of Intent and are seeking certification under the new pathway for 120 hours and 2 years of work experience, they will need to complete an election sheet form. Alternatively, they can consult with Larry for assistance in selecting the pathway that best suits their needs.

-There was a rule change posted and effective that the Board has posted as of October 10, 2025, and those rules are now in effect for anyone who files their Application of Intent after October 10, 2025, and July 2026. Changes that were made were that the Advanced Business Communications course is no longer required to test. Students can still take the course for business credit. Another change is that students have to take an Ethics course; it does not have to be taken for the exam, but the Ethics course will count as a Business credit. This will help with the enrollment for ACNT 1335. Currently, students will have to have 21 upper-level accounting 12 hours in category 1 and 9 in electives. Starting August 1, 2026. 3 hours are being added to electives and an additional class for certification, so it will go from 21 to 24. It will remain the same 12 required courses for category one.

-Depending on which pathway, if students are completing the 150 or 120 credit hours, they may or may not have to take the Research Writing course.

-The state will accept up to 6 hours of internship credit, which cannot be used towards upper-level accounting, but counts as a business credit and towards their 150 hours. For the Spring 2026 Semester, a separate Internship class (ACNT 2388) will be available for students who are in the Professional Accountant Program, and the Accounting Technician students are in the ACNT 2386 course. Students in the Advanced Technical Certificates who want to complete the Internship credits are being encouraged to go through the process to get hired through the ACC Vita Program as an opportunity for students, but it’s not limited to that, since there are other opportunities to work with. There have been some identified employers, and we are looking to expand the list of internships.  

-The Board also changed in the business hours area; there was a limit of 6 hours of any particular discipline that has been removed. For example, if a student has a lot of hours in either Economics, Management, Marketing, or Finance will count all those as upper-division hours.

-If students have filed the Application of Intent and get certified under the new pathway for 120 hours and 2 years of work experience, there is an election sheet form they will need to complete, or they can be referred to Larry to help guide them on which pathway will be better for them to select.

We are unable to offer CPA review courses that exceed 6 hours. These courses will not count as upper-division accounting credits but can be utilized by students on the 150-hour pathway. Although CPA review courses can help fulfill the 150-hour requirement, they cannot be applied if a student is following the 120-hour pathway.

During discussions with the faculty about the possibility of adding CPA review courses to the curriculum, several thoughts and suggestions were shared. One suggestion was to expand the curriculum or to form a partnership with a review provider to offer enhanced support for students preparing for the exam. The idea of developing our own review course was also mentioned, with Becker identified as a potential choice for CPA course review. The faculty discussed the costs associated with implementing CPA review courses at a more affordable price and considered modifications to the Program Maps or Curriculum for students working towards the 150 credits.

A key question raised during the discussion was regarding interest in adding CPA review courses to the schedule. The envisioned structure would involve an 8-week course leading up to sitting for a section of the exam, with students taking the exam within 30 days after the course concludes. Faculty suggested researching how other institutions, such as the University of Texas, offer CPA review courses, along with collecting data on student pass and fail rates. It is required for anyone teaching these CPA review courses to hold a valid CPA license.

As for the plan of action, faculty discussed focusing on the three core sections and potentially offering reviews for these courses, instead of providing reviews for all disciplines. This proposal could be considered for inclusion in the Fall 2026 Catalog.

**A.I. in the Accounting Technician Program**

Larry mentioned that new hires should possess the skills to utilize AI and incorporate it into the classroom, as students will need these skills upon completing the program. 

The Advisory Committee Meeting is scheduled for Friday, November 21, 2025. The agenda will include discussions about the two new hires and the integration of AI into the curriculum. 

There is an opportunity to expand our course offerings by teaching new skills related to AI for bookkeeping. 

**Upcoming Events:**

- **November 15, 2025 – Meet the Firms:** Marketing materials have already been sent to students and employers. Faculty support is needed for a few hours during this event. 

- **December 5, 2025 – Accounting Task Force:** The Chancellor and Galen will join virtually to answer faculty questions. Larry has requested that faculty think about questions regarding how upcoming changes will impact our department, particularly concerning accreditation and SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools).

**Quality Matters Updates:**

We will review the final assessment results for the Summer 2025 courses in 2301 and 2302. A meeting has been scheduled with the instructional designer to discuss necessary updates for these courses. Assessment results will be shared next week, and an update will be provided to the Advisory Committee on November 21, 2025.

**ACBSP Updates:**

We need to complete the tables for the Accounting Department before Thanksgiving. All courses must be made 100% accessible by April 2026. Training will be provided for instructors to ensure their courses meet accessibility standards. There will be a table listing which courses are and are not accessible. It’s crucial for faculty trainings to achieve 100% participation, especially among new hires. The deadline for submitting everything is December 15, 2025. 

Larry emphasized the importance of uploading information to Faculty Evaluation Folders/Portfolios. Everything must be submitted by November 7, 2025.

**2-Year Bridge Symposium:**

We still need a faculty member from the San Antonio Office to participate in this event. Okera and John will be attending in Houston. Students will be included on the student panel, and final details will be confirmed next week.

**On-Campus Events:**

For AVANCE on November 3 and November 6, 2025, J.D. and Claudia will assist. Larry requested an approximate count of students reached out to for reporting to the state society, in recognition of November as Accounting Opportunities Month. 

Instructors should ensure their syllabi are posted for the Spring 2026 semester. Currently, 35 syllabi are still missing. For Fall 2025, we have over 1,600 students enrolled, and with a strong start, we anticipate approximately the same enrollment for Spring 2026.

Advisory Committee Meeting will be in 3 weeks Friday, November 21, 2025, and the 2 new hires and the topic of AI being incorporated will be discussed.

Having the right courses and skills can expand, because new skills will be taught using AI for Bookkeeping.

November 15, 2025- Meet the Firms, marketing materials have already gone out to Students and employers, needing some faculty support to help out for a few hours.

December 5, 2025 ( Accounting Task Force), The Chancellor and Galen will be joining virtually and will answer questions for the faculty. Larry has asked the faculty to think about questions they would need answered and how things are going to affect our Department, such as the change for accreditation and SACS.

Updates on Quality Matters for 2301 and 2302, final assessment results for the Summer 2025 courses. There has been a time scheduled to speak with the instructional designer and what needs to be done for 2301 and 2302.  Assessment results will be sent out next week, update will need to be provided to the Advisory Committee on November 21, 2025.

ACBSP, getting the tables completed for the Accounting Department will need to be completed before Thanksgiving. It was mentioned that all courses will need to be 100% accessible by April 2026. There will be training for instructors to make their courses accessible. There is a table on which courses will be accessible and not accessible. Faculty Trainings will need to be at 100%, especially for new hires. The deadline is December 15, 2025, to have everything submitted.

Larry mentioned that if any faculty have not finished uploading information for your Faculty Evaluation Folders/ Portfolios, it is important that everything is submitted before November 7, 2025.

2-year Bridge Symposium, they still need a faculty member for the San Antonio Office to participate in the event. Okera and John will be participating in the event in the Houston location. Students can be used for the student panel. Everything will be finalized next week.

On Campus Events, AVANCE, November 3, 2025, and November 6, 2025, J.D. and Claudia will be helping. Larry has asked to get an approximate count of students that we reach out to, so it can be reported to the state society, because November is Accounting Opportunities month.

Larry has asked instructors to make sure their Syllabi are posted for the Spring 2026 Semester. 35 Syllabi are still missing. For Fall 2025, we have over 1600 students enrolled for the Fall 2025 Semester.  Accounting has a strong start for enrollment for the Spring 2026 Semester, will probably be about 1600 students enrolled for the Spring 2026 Semester.