Members in attendance:
Reed Peoples,
N/A,
N/A,
Kimberly Cameron,
Denise White,
Tracie Miller,
Jay Thibodeaux,
Larry Stephens,
Chris Noak,
Anthony Ross,
Donna Boykin
Members not in attendance:
May Wang,
Kelli Blount,
N/A,
Kristy McDermott,
Chase Insogna,
Kate Rhoden,
Joe Mader,
Connie Clark,
Gary Brown,
Lisa Sretenovic
1)
Minutes approval
Tony Ross
The December 2, 2011 minutes were approved.
2)
State of the Department
Dr. Reed Peoples
* Dr. Peoples discussed the CPA pass rates for the Professional Accountant program.
* 4 students received Fifth-year scholarships.
* The Department is preparing to hire a full-time faculty member this spring.
* The Department continues to need qualified adjuncts.
* Growth in the professional accountant program is driving the growth in the Department.
* ACC is opening a new campus in Elgin in the Fall. The Department will be offering ACCT 2301.
* Class size remains an issue. The Department would like to keep class size at 24 to assure rigor for the classes. Smaller class size allows for active learning, writing assignment and tests that are not exclusively multiple choice. The Committee approved a motion to recommend that class size be limited to 24 for upper level accounting classes.
3)
Changes to the Advisory Committee
Denise White
Tracie Nobles was approved as a member of the Committee
The Committee nominated and approved Anthony Ross as Chair, Tracie Nobles as Vice Chair and Jim Pumphret as Secretary.
4)
New Course Offering
Denise White
The Department is planning to offer a new course, ACNT 1325. This course is designed for students who have completed ACCT 2301 or its equivalent and need a refresher for graduate level courses and upper level accounting courses.
The committee had several questions which they requested be answered at the next meeting. The questions centered on the need for proctored exams.
The committee moved and approved the need for the course.
5)
Proposal for Full-time On-line Instructor
Dr. Reed Peoples
Dr. Peoples described the need and efficacy of having a dedicated professor for upper level distance learning course offerings.
The Committee made a motion to support the hiring of an additional full-time faculty member for on-line courses and the motion passed.
6)
Suggestions for Use of Technology in the Classroom
Dr. Reed Peoples
Dr. Peoples asked for the Committee's opinion on distance learning courses.
Mr. Ross and Mr. Noak felt that the use of distance learning depended on the course and the student. While the Ethics course lent itself to distance learning, they felt most skilled based courses should be classroom based. Rigor is the key.
The Committee motioned and approved that the department should examine the possibility of a workforce certificate (related to the Accounting Technician and Clerk programs) offered entirely on-line.
The Committee indicated support for various accounting software, including tax software, access to the Codification, and mid-range accounting software. The Committee approved the need for accounting software used by mid-size companies for inclusion in the Accounting Technician program.
7)
Certification, Reviews and Planning
Denise White
The Committee was briefed on the status of the SACS accreditation review.
The Committee was informed of the steps involved in the Institutional Program Review, with the required SWOT analysis occurring immediately after the Committee meeting.
The Committee was briefed on the new approach to the college's budgeting process: the Academic Master Plan. The Committee was informed of the department's tentative requests for additional resources.