OCTOBER 2024
ACCY Update
From the Department Head
Dear Colleagues and Friends, When you received your last ACCY Update, our department was undergoing a formal reaccreditation process with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Our degree programs were also reviewed by external peers on behalf of the Office of the Provost at the University of Illinois. I’m delighted to report that both reviews were a success: The AACSB ratified the extension of accreditation for our programs over the summer, and we received substantive feedback that the Department of Accountancy at Illinois provides a quality and scope of research, curriculum, and academic programming that is unmatched by other institutions. That sentiment is something we’ve felt and touted internally for years, but it was extremely validating to have it endorsed through both the AACSB and Office of the Provost review processes. Those reviews were sweet enough victories themselves, but the triumphs didn’t stop there. Our department also received the top spot in two categories (described later in this issue) from Brigham Young University’s Accounting Rankings – a project that examines the quality, breadth,
“Your successes
propel us forward, and your support and collaboration help us thrive.
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and relevance of institutional research related to the accounting profession. What we’ve achieved in the last year is incredible – but we won’t rest on our laurels. I’m excited to keep delivering on our promise to lead the world in accountancy education and thought. And to do that, we’ll keep doing what we already do well, with a focus on bringing continued value to you, our esteemed alumni, faculty, staff, and friends. Your successes propel us forward, and your support and collaboration help us thrive. So we continue to work to find ways we can give back to you, whether through project collaborations, signature events, or simply telling your story. In the year to come, we hope to find even more ways to say thank you for all you’ve helped us achieve. Sincerely,
Michael Donohoe Head, Department of Accountancy Irwin Jecha Distinguished Professor in Accountancy
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