ACCOUNTING STUDENTS IN HIGH DEMAND FOR SKILLS AND CARING Engagement is key to student success, validated by decades of research on student retention and success. Engagement at all levels is now one of three key tenets that AACSB International, our accrediting body, has identified as critical for its members to retain accreditation. The Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics has long been recognized for its strong academic programs and faculty engagement with students. In particular, students and graduates of the Accounting program have been instrumental in filling internship and full-time positions at local public accounting firms, accounting departments, and not-for-profit organizations. Mr. Chris Bradford, partner at McGladrey LLP, and an alumnus of the Leighton School, strongly believes in this partnership. “McGladrey has been recruiting students from IU South Bend for over 20 years. We are very pleased with the quality of the students graduating from your business school. They are well prepared for the challenges of working in the fastpaced, business environment of public accounting.” Using the School’s Accounting Association as a conduit, a variety of professionals make presentations on opportunities in the field. Then, working with the University’s Career Services Office, three of the largest local public accounting firms interview and hire our students for internships and fulltime positions. During the spring 2013 semester, Leighton School students represented between 20 percent and 100 percent of all hires at these firms. “For many years, Crowe Horwath has turned to IU South Bend for recruiting top talent for our South Bend and Elkhart offices for both internships and full-time positions. In 2013, about 20 percent of our spring interns and 40 percent of our spring and fall full-time hires are students or graduates of IUSB. Of the students that we interviewed this past fall, two-thirds of the students that we interviewed received offers and 70 percent of those students accepted our offers for either internships or full-time positions. Given our success in recruiting top talent from IUSB, we look forward to continuing our relationship,” according to Jennifer Kary, partner at Crowe Horwath LLP and an alumna of the School.
Tyler Sims, Jennifer Purdy, Jason Barnes, Dawn Nicely, and Pat Herndon
In recent years, our students have played a leadership role in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program through the United Way of St. Joseph County. Student volunteers earn IRS certification and help taxpayers with a variety of issues related to their taxes. They also serve as a resource to other programs which help taxpayers to enhance their financial literacy. Students from the Leighton School have played the role of coordinator for the last few years and our campus has served as a tax preparation site as well. In 2013, IU South Bend accounted for almost six percent of all tax returns completed through the program. The far-reaching impact our School has had on the community is best captured by Kruggel, Lawton LLC director of human resource services, Mr. Terry Bush, who recently said, “Our firm benefits greatly from the ability, work ethic, and preparation IU South Bend Accounting graduates receive. Clients and co-workers appreciate their ability to learn and apply new knowledge and skills on top of an already-strong foundation they built at IU South Bend. The faculty and staff in the Leighton School of Business and Economics are world-class and also firmly grounded in the Michiana-area, and they are easy to relate to. We’re very fortunate to have this tremendous resource here in our community.”
STUDENTS CONTRIBUTE TO VITA PROGRAM The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program through the United Way of St. Joseph County has continued to win competitive grants allowing us to not only grow, but also equip the program to meet community needs. The grant is a very competitive process nationally and adds an even greater dimension to the work IUSB’s students step up to perform. They are not only doing tax prep as leaders, but they also are managing the outcomes
and tracking at sites for our grant reports. The last few years saw the software change and has been challenging at times. They have gained management skills and experience that will make them outstanding employees. I am extremely proud of them and IUSB should be too. I can’t finish without thanking IUSB and Dr. P.N. Saksena for their support of this program. The returns prepared with your support have helped thousands of hard working families,
and saved an estimated million dollars in preparation and loans fees over the years of our partnership. United Way and IUSB have truly partnered to make a measureable difference in lives in this community. Dawn Chapla, Director of Labor and Financial Stability United Way of St Joseph County
AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND RECOGNITIONS
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