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Crews School of Accountancy

Crews School of Accountancy Strategic Plan | 2025-2030

Overview

The Crews School of Accountancy (CSOA) Strategic Plan for 2025-2030 sets out the school鈥檚 mission, vision and core values and six strategic goals with supporting objectives. The plan was developed by the CSOA Strategic Planning Committee in collaboration with the Director of CSOA, the CSOA Advisory Board, the AACSB Accounting Accreditation Committee and faculty, students, alumni and employer partners. It aligns with the Fogelman College of Business and Economics (FCBE) strategic plan and the University of 榴莲视频 Ascend strategic plan.

Mission

The Crews School of Accountancy provides opportunities for student success across undergraduate, STEM-designated master鈥檚 and PhD programs and advances global impact through rigorous, innovative accounting education and high-quality faculty scholarship, as evidenced by graduation rates above the university average, increased examination performance rates and timely, relevant employment or graduate school placement.

Vision

To be an internationally recognized leader in accounting education and impactful faculty scholarship, graduating increasing numbers of ethical, technologically skilled professionals who advance the accounting profession and serve society locally and globally through innovation and professional engagement.

 

Core Values

CSOA is guided by four core values that shape decisions on hiring, curriculum, partnerships and resource allocation.

  • Rigorous and relevant teaching. Curricula grounded in accounting theory and current professional practice, integrating professional speakers, applied cases and current technology.
  • Mission-aligned scholarship. Faculty scholarship across discipline-based research, applied research, policy and practice contributions and pedagogical scholarship that supports the school鈥檚 teaching mission and the accounting profession.
  • Active engagement. Sustained relationships with the Advisory Board, accounting firms, corporate accounting functions, government and nonprofit employers, alumni and the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants.
  • Forward-looking curriculum. Curriculum that integrates data analytics, generative AI and emerging audit and tax technologies, reviewed annually with input from employers and the Advisory Board.

Expected Outcomes

The mission is operationalized through five expected outcomes. Each outcome is supported by one or more of the strategic goals below.

  • Outcome 1. Graduates demonstrate the analytical, technical and communication competencies expected of entry-level accounting professionals and achieve successful placement in accounting and related fields within six months of graduation. Operationalized through Goals 2 and 5.
  • Outcome 2. Students are prepared for professional certification, with measurable progress on CPA Examination pass rates relative to NASBA national norms. Operationalized through Goals 2 and 4.
  • Outcome 3. Faculty produce mission-aligned scholarship that advances accounting practice, education, regulation and policy. Operationalized through Goals 1 and 6.
  • Outcome 4. CSOA maintains active engagement with industry, alumni and community stakeholders that supports curriculum, student opportunities and the profession. Operationalized through Goals 5 and 6.
  • Outcome 5. Curriculum remains current with evolving professional standards, technology and the redesigned CPA Examination, supported by faculty development in data analytics, AI and emerging accounting technologies. Operationalized through Goals 1, 3 and 4.

Strategic Goals and Objectives

CSOA's strategy is organized around six goals. Each goal is presented with a brief rationale and its objectives.

Advance Academic Excellence and Intellectual Engagement

rationale

CSOA鈥檚 teaching and scholarship missions are interdependent. Faculty intellectual contributions inform curricula, support the profession and contribute to the discipline. Goal 1 commits the school to a portfolio of mission-aligned scholarship and an academically rigorous, professionally relevant curriculum that prepares students for licensure, advanced study and entry-level practice.

objectives

  • Objective 1.1. Sustain a portfolio of mission-aligned faculty scholarship across accounting subdisciplines (including financial, managerial, audit, tax, accounting information systems, behavioral and accounting education), measured against a CSOA-defined journal portfolio approved by the faculty.
  • Objective 1.2. Maintain curriculum currency through annual review cycles informed by employer and Advisory Board input, alumni feedback, labor market data and CPA Examination performance.
  • Objective 1.3. Strengthen experiential, case-based and simulation-driven instruction across the BBA and MS programs, including industry-sponsored projects and applied learning experiences.
  • Objective 1.4. Expand opportunities for students to engage with faculty research, including PhD student and master鈥檚 student co-authorships and research workshop attendance.

Advance Opportunities for Student Success

rationale

Student success at CSOA is the operational expression of the FCBE 鈥渃ollege of opportunity鈥� mission. Goal 2 commits the school to graduation, retention, certification readiness, placement, and engagement outcomes that exceed FCBE averages and support CSOA鈥檚 continuous-improvement priorities for student learning and professional success.

objectives

  • Objective 2.1. Improve BBA Accounting graduation, retention and progression rates relative to the FCBE average and relative to a defined CSOA baseline.
  • Objective 2.2. Improve CPA Examination first-time and cumulative pass rates against NASBA national norms across the three Core sections (AUD, FAR, REG) and across all three Discipline sections (BAR, ISC and TCP).
  • Objective 2.3. Strengthen post-graduation outcomes, measured using the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) First-Destination Survey methodology (employed, continuing education, military or other outcome reported within six months of graduation), with year-over-year improvement against a CSOA reference value.
  • Objective 2.4. Strengthen mentorship, professional engagement and career-readiness opportunities, including expansion of Beta Alpha Psi participation, the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants student membership and the Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program.
  • Objective 2.5. Accelerate pathways to degree completion through existing and new programs, including Experiential Learning Credit and Prior Learning Assessment, CLEP, Credit by Examination and Course Validation, which provide opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery of content at significantly reduced cost and in a shorter period of time, the Peer Power Institute partnership for peer-to-peer mentoring, a three-year degree plan and the Accelerated Bachelor鈥檚-Master鈥檚 degree program.

Financial Sustainability and Strategic Investments

rationale

Delivering on CSOA's mission depends on stable, well-planned resources. Goal 3 treats philanthropy, faculty headcount, staff capacity, scholarship dollars, physical and digital infrastructure and the school's share of the Fogelman Business Complex renovation as a single resource portfolio in service of the mission.

objectives

  • Objective 3.1. Expand philanthropic support of CSOA aligned with the Fogelman Business Complex campaign, including named scholarships, endowed faculty positions, completion scholarships and CPA Examination support funds.
  • Objective 3.2. Sustain a tenure-track faculty headcount and qualification mix sufficient to meet AACSB sufficiency thresholds across all subdisciplines (financial, managerial, audit, tax, AIS).
  • Objective 3.3. Work with FCBE to build dedicated CSOA staff capacity in administration, advising and recruiting consistent with FCBE Goal 7 staffing commitments.
  • Objective 3.4. Coordinate with the Fogelman Business Complex renovation to secure CSOA-allocated instructional, research and student-engagement space and the digital infrastructure needed for teaching and research.
  • Objective 3.5. Provide research and faculty-development support sufficient to retain SA-qualified faculty, develop early-career faculty and maintain currency in AI, analytics and emerging accounting technologies.
  • Objective 3.6. Expand scholarship dollars distributed to CSOA students, including completion scholarships and CPA Examination support.

Develop a Future-Focused School

rationale

Accounting practice increasingly relies on data analytics, AI and emerging technologies. Goal 4 commits CSOA to a sustained program of curriculum integration, faculty development and evidence collection on digital agility competencies, building on recent course launches in data analytics (ACCT 3320), systems assurance and advisory (ACCT 4030/6030), emerging attestations (ACCT 7232), advanced auditing technology (ACCT 7242), accounting data analytics II (ACCT 7312) and business sustainability (ACCT 7050).

objectives

  • Objective 4.1. Embed substantive data analytics and AI content across required BBA Accounting and MS Accounting Analytics courses, with documented coverage in syllabi and direct assessment of digital agility competencies.
  • Objective 4.2. Sustain faculty currency through professional development in AI, analytics, audit and tax technologies and emerging accounting technologies.
  • Objective 4.3. Strengthen the MS Accounting Analytics program through enrollment growth, alignment with the BAR section of the redesigned CPA Examination and continued international student recruitment leveraging STEM designation.
  • Objective 4.4. Maintain a forward-looking faculty workforce plan that anticipates retirements, voluntary departures, evolving curricular needs and AACSB faculty sufficiency requirements.

Build Long-Lasting Ties with External Communities

rationale

Strong relationships with employers, alumni and the profession keep CSOA鈥檚 programs relevant and create opportunities for students. Goal 5 commits CSOA to deeper, documented engagement with the Advisory Board, employer partners, alumni, the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants and the broader Mid-South business community.

objectives

  • Objective 5.1. Strengthen Advisory Board engagement, including sustained meeting attendance, documented Advisory Board recommendations implemented and balanced board composition across public accounting, corporate accounting, government, nonprofit and alumni representation.
  • Objective 5.2. Expand structured employer partnerships supporting internships, applied projects, guest speakers and recruiting access.
  • Objective 5.3. Deepen alumni engagement using the four-mode CASE engagement framework (philanthropic, experiential, volunteer, communications).
  • Objective 5.4. Sustain and grow community-facing programs, including dual-enrollment partnerships with Mid-South high schools and outreach with community college accounting programs.

Strengthen Reputation and Brand

rationale

Reputation is the cumulative result of educational quality, student outcomes, faculty scholarship and engagement. Goal 6 commits CSOA to evidence-based reputation building through external rankings that reflect mission-relevant outputs (NASBA pass rates, BYU Accounting Research Rankings in subdisciplines of CSOA strength, regional public accounting rankings), faculty visibility in professional and academic associations and structured communication of CSOA accomplishments to alumni, prospective students and employer partners.

objectives

  • Objective 6.1. Improve CSOA visibility in external rankings tied to mission-relevant outputs, including NASBA university CPA performance summaries, BYU Accounting Research Rankings (with emphasis on subdiscipline rankings of CSOA strength) and Public Accounting Report regional rankings.
  • Objective 6.2. Increase faculty visibility through editorial board service, American Accounting Association section leadership and professional association engagement.
  • Objective 6.3. Strengthen CSOA communications, including success stories, faculty research highlights, alumni profiles and event coverage, in coordination with FCBE marketing.
  • Objective 6.4. Promote distinctive program strengths in recruiting communications, including the STEM designation of the MS, the BBA-MS-PhD ladder, accounting analytics and audit technology curriculum and CSOA鈥檚 public-interest mission.

Societal Impact

CSOA contributes to the social and economic well-being of the Mid-South region by preparing accounting graduates for positions in the regional economy, preparing candidates for the CPA Examination and operating dual-enrollment partnerships with Shelby County and surrounding county high schools. Faculty scholarship also addresses questions of policy and practice relevance, including taxation, accounting regulation and reporting quality, audit quality, ethical decision-making in the accounting profession and the use of emerging technologies such as data analytics and AI in accounting practice.

In April 2026, the University of 榴莲视频 joined the University of Arkansas, the University of Mississippi and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in launching the Mid-South AI Research Consortium. CSOA will identify opportunities for accounting and accounting information systems research to contribute to the consortium鈥檚 priorities.

Plan Monitoring and Review

The CSOA Strategic Planning Committee oversees the plan in collaboration with the Director of CSOA, the CSOA Advisory Board and the FCBE Dean鈥檚 Office. The committee reviews progress each year, including risks to the plan, and the Director reports the results to faculty, the Advisory Board and the FCBE Dean. A comprehensive review takes place at mid-cycle, and the plan will be revised at the end of the cycle to align with the next University of 榴莲视频 strategic planning cycle.

Alignment with FCBE and University of 榴莲视频 Strategic Plans

This Strategic Plan is designed to advance the missions of the Fogelman College of Business and Economics and the University of 榴莲视频. Each CSOA goal supports one or more goals of the FCBE strategic plan and the University of 榴莲视频 Ascend strategic plan.

 
CSOA GOAL FCBE GOAL PRIMARY LINKAGE
Goal 1. Academic Excellence and Intellectual Engagement FCBE Goal 4. Strengthen Research Enterprise;
FCBE Goal 3. Outcome-Focused Academics		 Faculty scholarship of practice and policy relevance; rigorous, professionally relevant curriculum
Goal 2. Student Success FCBE Goal 3. Outcome-Focused Academics;
FCBE Goal 1. Aggressively Provide Access		 Graduation, retention, CPA and other professional certification outcomes, placement, internship participation
Goal 3. Financial Sustainability and Strategic Investments FCBE Goal 7. Generate and Steward Financial Resources;
FCBE Goal 5. Recruit, Retain, Reward and Recognize		 CSOA share of building campaign; faculty headcount; staff capacity; scholarships
Goal 4. Future-Focused School FCBE Goal 3. Outcome-Focused Academics;
FCBE Goal 4. Strengthen Research Enterprise		 Curriculum currency; AI and analytics integration; faculty development
Goal 5. External Community Ties FCBE Goal 1. Aggressively Provide Access;
FCBE Goal 2. Create Opportunities to Succeed		 Advisory Board; employer partnerships; alumni engagement; community outreach; Beta Alpha Psi Activities
Goal 6. Reputation and Brand FCBE Goal 6. Exemplify Operational Excellence External rankings; faculty visibility; communications
CSOA GOAL ASCEND GOAL PRIMARY LINKAGE
Goal 1. Academic Excellence and Intellectual Engagement Ascend Goal 4. Strengthen Research Enterprise;
Ascend Goal 3. Outcome-Focused Academics		 Mission-aligned scholarship; curriculum rigor
Goal 2. Student Success Ascend Goal 3. Outcome-Focused Academics;
Ascend Goal 1. Aggressively Provide Access		 Graduation, retention, certification, placement
Goal 3. Financial Sustainability and Strategic Investments Ascend Goal 7. Generate and Steward Financial Resources;
Ascend Goal 5. Recruit, Retain, Reward and Recognize Our People		 Resourcing for mission delivery
Goal 4. Future-Focused School Ascend Goal 3. Outcome-Focused Academics Curriculum innovation; faculty development
Goal 5. External Community Ties Ascend Goal 1. Aggressively Provide Access;
Ascend Goal 2. Create Opportunities to Succeed		 Engagement with external stakeholders
Goal 6. Reputation and Brand Ascend Goal 6. Exemplify Operational Excellence Reputation through outputs