Encouraging Colleagues to Incorporate Accounting Software throughout the Accounting Curriculum Joann Segovia, Minnesota State University Moorhead Susan Crosson, Santa Fe Community College

Objectives Provide information Academic Alliances –Microsoft –Rivet—Dragon Tag (XBRL) Share results of survey –Demographical Information –Curriculum Discuss integrating software across the curriculum –Visions –Other information of interest

Academic Alliance Microsoft –Academic Alliance –Microsoft Convergence Conference –Free training –Data sets for distribution, service, and non-profit – Rivet—Dragon Tag (XBRL) –Interactive Financial Report Viewer delivered to the SEC –Free product downloads –

What we do now Survey: Present and past Convergence attendeesPresent and past Convergence attendees AIS Educators Conference attendeesAIS Educators Conference attendees N=20N=20

Where do you teach?

What department do you teach in?

How many years have you taught?

What courses do you teach? Accounting Professors (n=14)

What software does your college and courses emphasize? N=14 AIS; 6 IS

Software Taught Wide variety of accounting software taught by AIS profs –Small Business: GP, Peachtree, QuickBooks, Office Accounting –Medium-Sized Business: GP –Large Business: SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, Oracle More commonly taught by IS rather than AIS

Use of Academic Alliance Data Sets

Integration of Software? Key observations: Three out of six IS instructors integrate across courses. Only one out of fourteen AIS instructors integrate across courses and was database software; not accounting software.

Examples of how software is integrated Accounting: one doctorate university includes Java, Unix, shell scripting in systems analysis and design, enterprise applications, S-plus for stats and data mining, Oracle and Access database course IS: three (one doctorate, two 4-year): Access, Visio, Project, MS Excel, SPSS, MS Dynamics-GP in Operations Management & Supply Chain

What new instructional materials are needed? Instructional materials for courses other than AIS Accounting projects rather than transaction processing –Flowcharting business process –Designing and implementing systems for the process –Internal control and security issues Projects for use with datasets (audit, non-profit) Projects that integrate software (GP, Access, Excel) »Source AIS/IS survey

What resources would you need to incorporate accounting software across the curriculum?

Why integrate software across the curriculum? Business/Financial Literacy Accounting Literacy Because it is how business and accounting are actually done….

Accounting Applications Basic Business Processes: …buy, sell, build, track Acquisition/Payment Sale/Collection Conversion Human Resource Financing

Popular Accounting software

Software Educational CostRetail Cost Peachtree by Sage FREE to schools nal_partnerships.cfm $ $ QuickBooks by Intuit Educational pricing: $ $ Or 30 day FREE Online Edition $99.95 to $3, Online: $ /mo. Office Accounting 2007 by Microsoft Two versions: Express or Professional Office Accounting Express 2007: Office Accounting Professional 2007: ily=officeaccounting&culture=en-US Express FREE download or part of Office Small Business, Professional, or Ultimate Suites Professional: FREE limited use or $149 new or $99 upgrade Dynamics-GP by Microsoft Academic Alliance FREE to schools or 120 day educational version mic_alliance.mspx $15, Peachtree; QuickBooks; Office Accounting 2007; Dynamics-GP

Accounting Software Perspectives and Assumptions Doing Focus –Principles of Accounting, Tax, Audit, Government –Focus on Data entry and Bookkeeping –Practice sets to learn accounting processes Using Focus –Separate Computer literacy & AIS Courses teach the basics –Focus on computer-based stand-alone programs –Accounting done by accountants in accounting department –Practice analyzing sample company data or data sets from Financial/Managerial/Tax/Auditor perspective Business Process Focus –Technology integrated across curricula & desktop –Focus on analyzing Information accessible from anywhere –Accounting generated by accountants and non-accountants –Practice queries and searches of databases –Explore Internal/External Controls and Risks of Systems –Driven by User Interface

Types of Finance Departments

User Roles

Basic Accounting Tasks/Processes

Publisher Designed GL, Peachtree; QuickBooks; Office Accounting 2007 Peachtree Dynamics-GP Financial/ Principles I Managerial/ Principles II IntermediateCost Excel Access Computer Accounting AISTax Excel Dynamics-GP Tax Software Accounting Course Sequence Audit ACL

Questions? Joann Segovia, Minnesota State University Moorhead Susan Crosson, Santa Fe Community College