Accounting Professors Receive High Marks from Students

They’re the ones who hand out the grades. They teach everything from the basics of accounting to management, but it’s how they teach and, more importantly, who they are that makes them good accounting professors. Over the last several months, The Trusted Professional asked accounting students at three universities what they admire most about their favorite teachers.

Delivery

Several students said the ability to communicate is key to their definition of a good accounting professor. Students appreciate good verbal skills, especially in courses where the material is very complex.

Gina Worman, who graduated in spring 2001 from Montclair State University in New Jersey, said Frank J. Aquilino was among her favorite professors.

“He has great delivery, a lot of experience in public speaking,” Worman said. “He has this way of imparting his knowledge like—Boom! Here it is.”

Paul Velasquez, a senior at Montclair, said thorough coverage of the material is extremely helpful. He said one professor in particular consistently covers all the bases.

“Wing Poon (a professor) doesn’t breeze through a chapter, he doesn’t surprise you,” Velasquez said.

Availability

Students overwhelmingly indicated that they are always grateful when a professor demonstrates a willingness to help.

Velasquez said Poon maintains good office hours, but also “makes time to see whether you need help.” Adolfo Alvarado, who graduated in spring 2001 from Montclair, and David Piperno, a graduate student in the MBA program at Montclair, also admire Poon’s willingness to help students.

“Poon was the one professor who was available for every single thing I needed,” Piperno said. “He was there—he even helped me with questions about other classes.”

Covering the material is only one of many ways well-respected professors help their students succeed. Worman indicated that Aquilino is dedicated to helping students find jobs.

“He works extremely hard for the student,” she said. “He wants students to get jobs—that’s really important to him.” She said Aquilino, treasurer of the New York State Society of CPAs and the chair of the accounting department at Montclair, is responsible for bringing lots of firms to campus recruiting events and speakers to Accounting Society meetings.

Knowledge Base

Unsurprisingly, an accounting professor’s command of the subject matter is greatly valued by students. According to Antonios Prassos, a junior at Long Island University Brooklyn, a good accounting teacher “knows everything.” Prassos said he respects Professor Ben Lee because he “seems so smart.”

Broad-based knowledge is also appreciated by Alvarado, who said Poon “knows his material like no other, and can help you with other professors’ course material too.”

Denise Murillo, who graduated in spring 2001 from SUNY Buffalo, admires Professor Ann Burstein Cohen’s firsthand knowledge of the material.

Character

In addition to the concrete aspects of teaching, students readily perceive and appreciate good character. Michael Violette, a graduate student in the MBA program at Montclair, named Joseph Lipari as his favorite accounting professor.

“He takes the time to make sure everyone understands before he moves on,” Violette said. “He’s really understanding, and he communicates well.”

Murillo said Cohen, president-elect of the NYSSCPA Buffalo Chapter, “was very organized and fair, her assignments and tests were challenging, and she respected the rules.”

Do you have a favorite accounting professor? The Trusted Professional would like to hear about him or her. Please contact editor Jay Dismukes at jdismukes@nysscpa.org or The Trusted Professional, NYSSCPA, Fifth Floor, 530 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10036.