This report by the Undergraduate Accounting Working Group is …universityrelations.ok.ubc.ca/mgmt/awg_report_oct2014.pdf · 2014-10-21 · MGMT 404 Advanced Financial Accounting

PREFACE from the Office of the Dean

This report by the Undergraduate Accounting Working Group is provided for comment.

Comment via email: [email protected]

Attend the open house: Thursday, October 30, 2014 2:30 to 4 p.m. Innovative Learning Centre (EME 1123) Engineering, Management, Education Building UBC Okanagan

PREFACE Page 1

mailto:[email protected]


Faculty of Management Accounting Working Group Terms of Reference (Complete terms of reference are provided in Appendix A) Preamble: The faculty is committed to enabling students to be able to study the CPA pre-requisites for credit towards their UBC Bachelor of Management program. It is the intention of the Faculty to build on the experiences and successes of its history in these and other areas to date, including the accounting area. The faculty is also committed to particular strategic aims and cognizant of key constraints. These include: the development of programs focused on leading and managing fast changing organizations, with relevance to globally connected regions around the world; the delivery of accounting courses for those not planning careers as professional accountants; and the development of programs within budget and labour market constraints (i.e. constraints on the availability of suitably qualified instructors).

Terms of reference: The Accounting Working Group is responsible for identifying and exploring options for the ongoing and sustainable delivery (2015-16 academic year and onward) of the CPA pre-requisites for credit towards the UBC Bachelor of Management program (see CPA-BC https://www.gocpabc.ca/cpa-prerequisites/ for an overview of the pre-requisite requirements). Structure-Process:

The Accounting Working Group will be chaired by the Faculty of Management’s Academic Lead for Undergraduate Studies, given the expertise and ability to enact report outcomes, and will draw on the support of the Faculty Administrator in carrying out its activities. The Group also comprises members who contribute on a voluntary basis and who will be drawn on from the following areas:

1. Up to 2 faculty members specializing in the accounting area. 2. Up to 2 faculty members elected from non-accounting areas. 3. Up to 2 Management undergraduate students (if possible, 1 accounting student and 1

non- accounting student, and with representation from two different years). 4. Up to 2 alumni (if possible, 1 in accounting, and 1 from another area)

5. Up to 2 members from CPA training organizations 6. Up to 2 Canadian Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) who work in industry and

are members in good standing with CPA-BC and CPA-Canada. 7. Up to 1 representative employed with the Chartered Professional Accountants Association – BC

or from CPA-Canada. Elected members will need to put their names forward soon, with a voting process to follow. Expressions of interest for non-voting positions will be sought from across these different areas. Should expressions of interest for these non-voting positions exceed the positions available, random selection by draw will take place.

PREFACE Page 2

https://www.gocpabc.ca/cpa-prerequisites/



In carrying out its activities the Accounting Working Group is encouraged to consult through its Chair as it sees fit with other interested parties, both within UBC and more widely, e.g. with other post-secondary institutions, with CPA and with the community. This may include discussions where absent from the WG membership, with representatives from CPA-BC and CPA-Canada. So as to encourage openness and the sharing of information, meetings of the Accounting Working Group are conducted under the Chatham House Rule, meaning that participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed outside of the Accounting Working Group itself.

MEMBERS

• Chair – Dr. Barb Marcolin, Academic Lead for Undergraduate Studies • Support – Carol Zuckerman, Faculty Administrator • Tamara Ebl, CPA, CA – Faculty Member, accounting area • Dr. John Burton – Faculty Member, non-accounting area • Mercedes Marleau – 4th Year Management undergraduate – accounting focus • Andy Le – 1st Year Management undergraduate • Dustyn Baulkham, BMgt – Alumni, non-accounting • Brett Terrilon, BMgt – Alumni, accounting • Tim Dekker, CPA, CA - MNP – CPA training organization • Daniel Healey, CPA, CA - KPMG – CPA training organization • Hang Tran, CPA – professional in industry • Meryle Corbett, CPA – professional in industry • Simone Leonard, CPA – Director, Student Services – CGA BC

PREFACE Page 3

Page 1 of 10 Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Faculty of Management (FOM) Undergraduate (UG) Accounting Working Group (AWG) REPORT - October 15, 2014

In late August, an Accounting Working Group (AWG) was created with a specific mandate to be “… responsible for identifying and exploring alternatives for the ongoing and sustainable delivery (2015-16 academic year and onward) of the CPA pre-requisites for credit towards the UBC [Faculty of Management (FOM)] Bachelor of Management program (see CPA-BC https://www.gocpabc.ca/cpa-prerequisites/ for an overview of the pre-requisite requirements). “ (see full Terms of Reference Appendix A).

The AWG membership represented UBC Faculty, UBC students, UBC administrators, BC Interior accounting firms, Industry, and CPA BC Joint Venture as listed in Appendix B. The group first met August 27 and were advised of the current state of the FOM accounting courses. The AWG then met weekly throughout September to analyse alternatives, and identify pros and cons of each as seen in Appendix C. Consultation was undertaken by group members and two guests provided input around specific alternatives. These guests were from the Sauder DAP program and Okanagan College School of Business as a representative of post-secondary institutions (PSI’s) in the BC Interior. The AWG developed guiding principles (Appendix D) against which alternatives were weighed in order to facilitate this final report. Appendix E is a matrix representing the results of weighing the alternatives against the guiding principles.

UBCO FOM’S AREAS OF CRITICAL ACCOUNTING NEED

A FOM critical area of concern around FOM program delivery exists in Term 2 of the academic year (January – April), because during this time, accounting resource limitations are heightened since potential instructors in accounting firms and community practices are busy with audit and tax season and cannot teach.

Certain FOM accounting courses must be delivered in Term 2 in order to properly sequence learnings from intermediate to advanced levels, and hence, these FOM courses should not be moved for pedagogical reasons. These courses must be taught in the January – April timeframe. Summer courses were not considered at this time. AWG identified the following subject areas as potential courses in Term 2 (Jan-Apr) for alternate delivery.

MGMT 402 Taxation (currently 1 course, but ideally should be 2 courses) MGMT 404 Advanced Financial Accounting MGMT 439E Intermediate Finance MGMT 403 Audit and Assurance

AREAS OF CONCERN TO FOM PROGRAM

Beyond the accounting critical needs, the entire FOM UG Program is under several constraints, summarized briefly as follows:




• The Faculty of Management (FOM) has limited tenure track, research-focused accounting faculty resources. Any model chosen must try to leverage broader resources for consistent delivery of the FOM program.

• The UBC Okanagan budget is currently transforming from a lump sum model to one based upon Student FTE’s (Full-time Equivalents), or the number of students in seats. It is uncertain how this new campus-wide budget model will impact the FOM budget going forward. UBC currently encourages a large number of students to take advantage of international exchange programs, such as Go Global, and this loss of students in the new Student FTE budget model will need to be replaced. One possibility might be the introduction of minors to increase the number of students able to access management studies.

• Because of the limited research-focused accounting faculty, current delivery relies heavily on term instructors and other non-research faculty, making it difficult to maintain long term FOM program consistency. As a research Faculty within a research intensive institution, the FOM program requires faculty-led vision, oversight and guidance to fulfil its mandate. It is imperative that any alternative implemented by the FOM ensures that research is infused into the teaching and that execution of the FOM mandate for vision, oversight and guidance remains firmly within Faculty of Management control. As a corollary to the shortage of research-focused accounting faculty members in the FOM, there is a lack of accounting research professors worldwide, who, when available, command high salaries.

• The FOM BMgt is a general management degree with coverage of multiple disciplines, and, hence, accounting is not its singular focus. The AWG expressed concern that the overall degree, including the other disciplines, must not be “cannibalized” in order to serve accounting. The FOM disciplines include:

o Marketing o Human Resources o Finance o Accounting o Entrepreneurial Technology o Supply Chain o Sustainability

• Maintaining overall program quality, in the context of both the FOM, and UBC more broadly, is crucial.

• The Faculty of Management serves multiple professional designations of which the Chartered Accounting Professional (CPA) is but one. For example, the FOM BMgt prepares students for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Business Technology Management (BTM), Human Resource Management (HRM) designations, and so on. Again, overall Faculty resources must be allocated with an eye to serving all the disciplines within the FOM.

• Continual mapping of the FOM accounting curriculum to the CPA Competency Map is essential for course planning to ensure appropriate breadth and depth of content delivery. Goal remains to ensure that students have the opportunity to achieve a FOM Mgmt degree with a complement of courses appropriate to be recognized as having met pre-requisite entry-level competencies for direct entry into the CPA program. If FOM allows students to take accounting


courses at other PSI’s, the FOM accounting curriculum will require additional CPA mapping to ensure substantial equivalence of courses.

• The CPA competency coverage needs to be compared to FOM curriculum through careful mapping that Tamara Ebl (FOM Lecturer, non-tenure-track) is maintaining on behalf of the FOM Undergraduate Curriculum Committee.

OTHER CONSIDERATION – The importance of research

As a research based institution, UBC expects students to benefit from exposure to their instructors’ areas of research focus. The infusion of research into teaching is what separates UBC from other PSI’s in the BC Interior, and is one of the main FOM quality concerns. Any solution needs to leave room for FOM to build a research perspective around the basic materials or competencies.

ACCOUNTING ALTERNATIVES:

The AWG considered possible alternatives for delivery of the UBC Faculty of Management BMgt accounting curriculum. The alternatives included a variety of both face to face and online delivery and mentoring techniques which value and promote the Faculty’s vision around regional accounting practice.

Guiding Principles:

The AWG created a set of guiding principles or criteria (Appendix D and below) by which it considered and compared the alternatives and the Pros and Cons of each alternative.

1. Fit UBCO and FOM Visions 2. Maintain FOM Quality Program 3. Meet CPA Content and Quality Standards 4. Enrich learning through face to face and online delivery 5. Accessibility 6. Address both Faculty and student budgets 7. Contribute to a Collaborative BC Interior Preeminent accounting curriculum 8. Deliver a number of CPA Pre-requisite courses 9. Provide 2 tax courses for greater depth of learning 10. Produce FOM accounting students with complete, mature competencies and skills 11. Reduce strain on FOM’s accounting faculty

PROS and CONS

The pros and cons of the alternatives considered in this report are shown in Appendix C and summarized here. The AWG used these guiding principles to form its pro and con statements.


Alternative 1: Status Quo FOM 11 Course accounting curriculum

The pros of maintaining the current 11 course curriculum without change, except perhaps method of delivery, is attractive because it provides “known” learning for students through face to face interaction. The existing program can focus on the Okanagan Valley for context, community support and connections. It allows for consistency of vision in the FOM program. The 11 courses offered are mapped to the CPA requirements, thereby allowing students to simultaneously complete their BMgt while meeting the prerequisites of the CPA PEP program. Delivery could be slightly modified to blend online and face to face learning without much impact.

On the con side, the FOM resource constraints of budget and manpower are not addressed by this model, making it uncertain whether the program can be delivered effectively in any given year. With just 4 accounting faculty, of which only one is research-focused and tenure-track, there are just too many variables. For example, the Sauder Accounting Degree Program has 16 accounting faculty, of which 8 are tenure track or research-focused faculty. Were FOM to allocate its resources towards adequately staffing the accounting curriculum, it would seriously impact the FOM’s ability to honor its, and UBCO’s, vision for the BMgt as well as negatively impacting resources available for other management disciplines. The current model is not sustainable long term, and draws upon a small pool of qualified instructors from Kelowna some of whom are already delivering the same material for other PSI’s.

Alternative 2: Sauder DAP Online Courses within FOM Program

Alternative 2 suggests that FOM could offer 10 to 1 courses and UBC Sauder Diploma Accounting Program (DAP) could offer 1 to 10 courses. For example, FOM could offer 10 courses and DAP could offer 1 course, or FOM could offer 8 courses and DAP could offer 3 courses. Any combination is possible. The AWG found this model a good alternative but one that might still exceed available resources.

Pros of this alternative include an attractive collaborative model that provides an alternative delivery mechanism with online tools that effectively share questions and answers between program leaders and students. Students would find this supported online learning attractive. The CPA prerequisite program (i.e. PREP) offers online and in-person delivery models and the certification level of studies (i.e. PEP) is primarily taught through online delivery. Another pro is that it allows students to remain within the UBC brand for their entire program. The delivery could blend online learning with Mentors/Tutors/Teaching Assistants to support the students, and if the mentors are from the Okanagan, it would maintain the regional flavor. The DAP program, including the existing online portions, are CPA recognized. DAP training is “highly” structured” and Sauder can help train FOM mentors. Finally, Sauder is willing to pilot new teaching models with FOM.

One con of the Sauder DAP online model is that its focus is university graduates who are highly motivated and self-directing. Online learning for the undergraduate audience would require additional support. One of the biggest cons is that tuition for DAP is higher which might take this option out of scope of the FOM budget. It would require creation of a new budget model, which would take additional time and work prior to implementation. Another con is that Sauder DAP only has one


taxation course. FOM currently teaches tax as a single course, and aims to cover all CPA tax competencies, but has concerns about failing to address the topics in adequate depth. Finally, UBC’s new focus on experiential learning may require that established community accounting professionals be willing to volunteer, and undergo training in this mentored mode. The CPA recently added mentoring to their professional duties. The CPA mentoring requirements come into effect for students once they begin to acquire appropriate practical experience. At that time they must secure a mentor to act as a guide in building their enabling skills (and to a lessor extent their technical skill development). Since CPA will be requiring CPA members to act as volunteer mentors, it is possible that the membership may feel stretched if they are also being called upon to mentor students in meeting their undergraduate requirements. The mentor role for Sauder DAP might therefore be difficult to fill from the community. The AWG did not believe this option well fit the criteria for selection.

Alternative 3: Other Post-Secondary Institutions (PSI) in a Face to Face delivery format

Alternative 3 suggests that FOM could offer 10 to 1 courses and other PSI programs could offer 1 to 10 face to face courses. For example, FOM could offer 10 courses and the other PSI could offer 1 course, or FOM could offer 8 courses and the other PSI could offer 3 courses. Any combination is possible.

Overall, the AWG considered Alternative 3 as a good one with a similar cost at inception, and potential to be less expensive in the long term. The required CPA competency coverage can be addressed through careful mapping. This alternative 3 can expand the current offerings from 11 to 12 CPA pre-requisite courses (two taxation courses rather than the single tax course offered currently). In addition, the alternative provides a steady pool of accounting instructors. Other pros include leveraging qualified instructors and courses that are CPA recognized, thereby reducing the need to find additional accounting instructors for FOM while simultaneously reducing the pressure on existing FOM instructors who have been obliged to carry teaching overloads on occasion. At least one local PSI (Okanagan College) has expressed interest in cooperating with the FOM and there are other possibilities (Thompson River, etc.) in the BC Interior. The PSI representative from Okanagan College believes that the logistics are manageable if this model is selected. It creates resilience in the FOM Program by building relationships with other BC interior PSI’s.

A significant con of this solution is the reduction of research-focused instruction for FOM students which is the unique differentiator of UBC and FOM as research institutions. The FOM accounting curriculum would need research curriculum somehow infused into the new curriculum design. Another con is the loss of control of accounting content to another institution diminishing the UBC and FOM vision and mission. This con is minimized because the content is already dictated by the CPA and well delivered at other PSI’s. A third con is potentially losing accounting student to other institutions with its attendant impact on a FTE based budget. There is also a concern that with students taking a number of courses elsewhere the FOM might dilute its strong UBC FOM brand.


Alternative 4: Other PSI in an On-line delivery format

Alternative 4 suggests that FOM could offer 10 to 8 courses and the other PSI programs could offer 1 to 3 online courses. For example, FOM could offer 10 courses and the other PSI could offer 1 course, or FOM could offer 8 courses and the other PSI could offer 3 courses. Any combination is possible.

Overall the AWG considered Alternative 4 as a good alternative with a similar cost initially, and potential to be less expensive in the long term, however this needs to be confirmed. The quality of CPA coverage would likely be similar given both are mapped to CPA competencies. This provides a steady pool of accounting courses.

A major pro of online delivery is easy accessibility by students because they are accessed through a web browser at the student’s convenience (i.e. flexible times). Online courses offered within the existing BMgt program would maintain the UBC brand and parents often want this. This alternative allows offering 12 CPA pre-requisite courses (two taxation courses) rather than the current 11. This online learning forms a large part of the CPA PEP program and taking courses this way would allow students to ease into that mode of learning before moving to the next step in their career development.

Other Pros include leveraging more instructors who are qualified to teach CPA certified courses which creates resilience in the FOM Program by building relationships with other BC interior PSI’s. The alternative provides a steady pool of accounting instructors, while reducing the need for FOM instructors to carry heavy teaching overloads on occasion. At least one local PSI (Okanagan College) has expressed interest in cooperating with the FOM and there are other possibilities (Thompson River, etc.) in the BC Interior. Okanagan College is willing to do what is required to facilitate this model. The PSI representative believes that the logistics are manageable if this model is selected.

On the con side, if learning includes online portions, some parents might choose a PSI where all face to face learning is possible, resulting in reduced admissions and budget impact. The tuition is potentially less costly for students but there is concern that online courses might prove difficult for some students and especially when multiple online courses are taken within a single term. Undergraduate students clearly indicate a preference for having both face to face learning and online learning supported by face to face mentoring.

Some cons from Alternative 3 also apply to Alternative 4 and are repeated here: “A significant con of this solution is the reduction of research-focused instruction for FOM students which is the unique differentiator of UBC and FOM as research institutions. The FOM accounting curriculum would need research curriculum somehow infused into the new curriculum design. Another con is the loss of control of accounting content to another institution diminishing the UBC and FOM vision and mission. This con is minimized because the content is already dictated by the CPA and well delivered at other PSI’s. A third con is potentially losing accounting student to other institutions with its attendant impact on a FTE based budget. There is also a concern that with students taking a number of courses elsewhere the FOM might dilute its strong UBC FOM brand.”


Alternative 5: Combinations of Other Alternatives for the 11 CPA Pre-requisite courses

Alternative 5 suggests that FOM could offer 11 accounting courses in combination with other FOM Program courses (e.g. existing 6 courses, 2 case courses), qualified FOM Mentors/Tutors/Teaching Assistants as support for the instructional exercises, and other online or face to face alternatives (e.g., 3 courses from Sauder DAP or other PSI’s face to face or online). The number of courses at each institution was left for the FOM Program to determine. Many combinations are possible. Filtering process and training process for Mentors/Tutors/Teaching Assistants would be needed. As a benchmark, CPA provides 1 day training for CPA mentors and supervision during the mentoring period.

The AWG considered the Alternative 5 combination as best meeting their guiding principles. It ensured program overview from a mission and vision aspect, accessed scarce accounting resources through partnerships, enabled a rich learning support network through the Mentors/Tutors/Teaching Assistants, ensured that students are able to complete the CPA prerequisite competencies within their UBC BMgt degree, provided more flexibility to offer Fall and Summer courses, and provided access to both face to face and online learning formats expressed as important for different student learning styles.

It would originally carry a similar budget that might become less expensive in the long term through growth. The quality of CPA coverage should be similar provided courses of other PSI’s are mapped to CPA competencies. Alternative 5 provides a steady pool of accounting courses.

The blended approach would see most of the accounting courses offered through the FOM, blended with other courses delivered through other PSI’s into the FOM program brand, supported with Mentors/Tutors/Teaching Assistants (whatever support terms the FOM devises for these support roles) in both the face to face and online learning courses. Each of these elements can be combined in various ways.

The selection of courses to be delivered within this blended model is left for the Faculty of Management to decide. The AWG stressed that the role, training and monitoring of Mentors/Tutors/Teaching Assistants in this model is key in order to ensure key concepts are well connected to course essentials.

Issues of execution and rollout for Alternative 5:

The pros of this model include the implementation of technology to allow for collaborative projects with other PSI’s. It would allow the FOM to maintain their vision of a regional focus, deliver research enriched learning, including experiential learning within a supportive regional accounting community. This model is flexible enough to support a variety of student learning styles. To create room for the full set of CPA competencies, some core accounting would need to be moved to second year (MGMT 301/MGMT 302). This allows earlier accounting access to students, thereby facilitating more pathways and learnings in upper years, and also might allow non-management students an opportunity to study basic accounting. This change might serve to generate additional revenues under the new FTE budget model. Face to face learning can still take place in “seminar” type sessions. It allows technical courses to be taught online, for example through Sauder DAP, and maintains CPA recognition. Sauder DAP already has such courses online, and is willing to work on pilots of a blended model. This model


maintains the UBC brand and allows research led oversight in accordance with the FOM vision, specifically enabling differentiable content. It creates resilience in the FOM Program by building relationships with other BC interior PSI’s. A blended teaching approach builds new experiential learning capacity because it engages regional community more strongly in a Mentorship/Tutorial/Teaching Assistant role within the program. There is concern that a constraint of availability applies to community mentors, who are already being asked to support CPA PEP as mentors, and also operate under business schedules that restrict time and availability during Term 2 (audit and tax season). Adjusting when introductory accounting is offered, and thereby opening possibilities for timing of the more advanced material, might allow FOM to better accommodate community constraints in Term 2 tax season.

The cons of a blended model are that it requires new teaching formats, new filtering and training processes for Mentors/Tutors/Teaching Assistants, adjustment to the timing of content delivery within the existing BMgt, and a new budget model. It requires that the FOM and the community work together closely. The messaging of such changes must be handled very carefully and will be challenging.

The budget for instructors, tutors, PSI tuition or online costs must be modelled to equal the budget of the current accounting curriculum while ensuring that the Faculty of Management and UBC brand on the program are maintained. The AWG did not have access to detailed budget numbers but discussed costs in general.

There is upward pressure from both the accounting community and CPA for the Faculty of Management to increase the number of accounting courses currently offered by one, splitting the current single taxation course into two courses. The current 2+2 program structure is already over-proscribed however, so under the existing structure there is no room to add these additional accounting courses.

The AWG felt that a restructuring of the program over 4 years, rather than over 2 years, would be helpful to FOM accounting curriculum, allowing room for introducing new courses. Such a change would be beneficial to students, allowing them to take accounting courses earlier, as well as evaluating other management disciplines earlier in their 4 year studies. Structural changes, such as offering some accounting courses in Year 2 (e.g., MGMT 301/302), free spaces in the FOM Program flow for additional electives in Years 3 and 4. This could then allow an accounting student to obtain their full CPA requirements, even including a 2nd taxation course, within their BMgt. This was a key consideration within all the alternatives the AWG explored.

CONSULTATION

The AWG developed the following list, which is not exhaustive, showing those who were consulted during September, and those who are still to be consulted in future.

AWG Consultation completed Consultation still outstanding FOM accounting faculty – represented on AWG Crowe Mackay (October) Accounting firms (MNP, KPMG) – represented on AWG, and consulted within their firms (including Karen Christensen, Kyla Stewart, Darcy Haw, and

Additional accounting firms in community


Amelia Ashraf) CPA’s in industry - represented on AWG FOM accounting (research specific) faculty for the

research perspective relative to FOM vision/mission CPA Education – represented on AWG Other FOM faculty – general faculty consultation Sauder – DAP program (Graham McIntosh, Director, Sauder Diploma Accounting Program)

FOM Curriculum Committee

Okanagan College (Heather Banham, Dean, School of Business)

Management Student Association

FOM students – represented on the AWG FOM students in general – strategy required FOM budget representative Others?

FOM PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

UBC’s Academic Calendar outlines the program requirements for the BMgt and can be reviewed at http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/okanagan/index.cfm?tree=18,287,884,1109

Minimum credits for the BMgt degree total 123, currently specified as follows:

YEARS 1 & 2 – 60 credits

Core requirements - 21 credits (Economics, English, Math, Psychology, Statistics, Management 100 & Management 200)

Electives - 9 credits (Arts, Science & Fine Art)

Additional Electives - 30 credits

YEAR 3 – 33 credits - 11 management courses (fixed cohorts)

YEAR 4 – 30 credits

Management Electives - 18 credits in upper level Management courses

Additional Electives - 9 credits in upper level

- 3 credits MGMT 490 Capstone Experience

TRANSFER REQUIREMENTS

There are maximum transfer credit rules that apply to the above, and must be managed carefully.

- Students must have all the core requirements, but they can be transfer credits. - 60 credits is the current maximum for transfer credits from another institution

o Because of 1st and 2nd year core requirements, students from other PSI’s are unlikely to have 60 eligible transfer credits and must take additional lower level courses, including MGMT 200.

LETTERS OF PERMISSION

http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/okanagan/index.cfm?tree=18,287,884,1109


The FOM would use the existing process of Letters of Permission to allow FOM students in upper years to take courses in other institutions.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS

The current residency policy outlined below is under review. It is not anticipated to present barriers for the proposed changes to the BMgt program.

- 50% of all credits must be earned while registered in the BMgt program (60 credits) - 50% of these credits must be earned in 3rd and 4th year (300/400 level) courses (30 credits)

o 3rd year currently contains 33 credits

APPENDIX A

Faculty of Management Accounting Working Group Terms of Reference

Preamble: The faculty is committed to enabling students to be able to study the CPA pre-requisites for credit towards their UBC Bachelor of Management program. It is the intention of the Faculty to build on the experiences and successes of its history in these and other areas to date, including the accounting area. The faculty is also committed to particular strategic aims and cognizant of key constraints. These include: the development of programs focused on leading and managing fast changing organizations, with relevance to globally connected regions around the world; the delivery of accounting courses for those not planning careers as professional accountants; and the development of programs within budget and labour market constraints (i.e. constraints on the availability of suitably qualified instructors).

Terms of reference: The Accounting Working Group is responsible for identifying and exploring options for the ongoing and sustainable delivery (2015-16 academic year and onward) of the CPA pre-requisites for credit towards the UBC Bachelor of Management program (see CPA-BC https://www.gocpabc.ca/cpa-prerequisites/ for an overview of the pre-requisite requirements). Structure-Process:


1. Up to 2 faculty members specializing in the accounting area. 2. Up to 2 faculty members elected from non-accounting areas. 3. Up to 2 Management undergraduate students (if possible, 1 accounting student and 1 non-

accounting student, and with representation from two different years). 4. Up to 2 alumni (if possible, 1 in accounting, and 1 from another area) 5. Up to 2 members from CPA training organizations 6. Up to 2 Canadian Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) who work in industry and are

members in good standing with CPA-BC and CPA-Canada. 7. Up to 1 representative employed with the Chartered Professional Accountants Association – BC or

from CPA-Canada. Elected members will need to put their names forward soon, with a voting process to follow. Expressions of interest for non-voting positions will be sought from across these different areas. Should expressions of interest for these non-voting positions exceed the positions available, random selection by draw will take place.

In carrying out its activities the Accounting Working Group is encouraged to consult through its Chair as it sees fit with other interested parties, both within UBC and more widely, e.g. with other post-secondary


APPENDIX A institutions, with CPA and with the community. This may include discussions where absent from the WG membership, with representatives from CPA-BC and CPA-Canada.

So as to encourage openness and the sharing of information, meetings of the Accounting Working Group are conducted under the Chatham House Rule, meaning that participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed outside of the Accounting Working Group itself.

Outcomes and Actions:

The Final Report will identify options for delivery and, for each one, provide a reasoned set of pros and cons. It is not the purpose of the Accounting Working Group to choose amongst the options.

The Accounting Working Group will deliver a Final Report of its findings to the faculty and Dean’s Office by October 1rst.

A meeting of the faculty will be called for mid-October to discuss. Discussion of the report will be noted.

The Final report and discussion will be used by the Dean’s Office as a basis for preparing plans to be submitted by the Dean in early November as part of the UBC Okanagan Campus 2015/16 Budget Review.

The timeline for the working group has been set in order to meet key university deadlines, and to ensure both faculty and student success in addressing this issue in both a quick and inclusive manner. Key times include:

24 July to 7 August

Correspondence seeking expressions of interest from potential members

12 August

Finalize membership

19 August to 30 September

The Group self manages in order to accomplish its goals (as set out in the above terms)

1 October

Final Report of the Accounting Working Group presented to the Dean’s Office and circulated to all members of the Faculty of Management

1 October to 30 October

Faculty meeting in mid-October for discussion. Ongoing discussions of the findings from the Final Report with various stakeholders.

APPENDIX B

Accounting Working Group (AWG) Membership

Excerpt from Terms of References:


1. Up to 2 faculty members specializing in the accounting area.

2. Up to 2 faculty members elected from non-accounting areas.

3. Up to 2 Management undergraduate students (if possible, 1 accounting student and 1 non-accounting student, and with representation from two different years).

4. Up to 2 alumni (if possible, 1 in accounting, and 1 from another area)

5. Up to 2 members from CPA training organizations 6. Up to 2 Canadian Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) who work in industry and

are members in good standing with CPA-BC and CPA-Canada. 7. Up to 1 representative employed with the Chartered Professional Accountants

Association – BC or from CPA-Canada.

MEMBERS

Chair – Dr. Barb Marcolin, Academic Lead for Undergraduate Studies Support – Carol Zuckerman, Faculty Administrator Tamara Ebl, CPA, CA – Faculty Member, accounting area Dr. John Burton – Faculty Member, non-accounting area Mercedes Marleau – 4th Year Management undergraduate – accounting focus Andy Le – 1st Year Management undergraduate Dustyn Baulkham, BMgt – Alumni, non-accounting Brett Terrilon, BMgt – Alumni, accounting Tim Dekker, CPA, CA - MNP – CPA training organization Daniel Healey, CPA, CA - KPMG – CPA training organization Hang Tran, CPA – professional in industry Meryle Corbett, CPA – professional in industry Simone Leonard, CPA - Director, Student Services – CGA BC

Provide Feedback on Brainstorming Alternatives

• Alternatives? 1. Status Quo FOM Program

a. Currently 11 courses (17 sections) - 2 third year FOM, 7 fourth year FOM, Law, Finance

2. Sauder Online DAP 3. Other Post Secondary Institution (PSI) Face2Face 4. Other Post Secondary Institution (PSI) On-line 5. Combine FOM Program and Sauder Online

10/15/2014 1

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APPENDIX C

Alternative 1: Status Quo FOM Accounting Program (FOM: 11 CPA pre-requisite courses)

Pros: • Face2Face Instructors for “known” learning for

students • Focus on the Okanagan Valley for Community • Consider the “Consistency of FOM Program” • Mapped to 11 CPA pre-requirements courses for

quicker access to CPA • Delivery of 11 courses can be blended with

face2face and online

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Alternative 1: Status Quo FOM Accounting Program (FOM: 11 CPA pre-requisite courses)

Cons 1 • FOM 4 total Accounting Faculty. Our 1 FOM Tenure

Track Accounting Faculty Currently on Leave • Sauder Accounting Degree Program has 16 Accounting

Faculty Total: 8 Tenure Track Faculty and 8 Instructors • Larger Accounting Program might not fit with FOM and

UBCO Vision • Small Kelowna Pool for Qualified Instructors. Perhaps

try to increase pool of FOM Acct Instructors • Current model not financially sustainable long term

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Alternative 2: Sauder DAP Online (FOM: 10 to 1 courses & DAP: 1 to 10 courses)

Pros: • Attractive collaborative model • On-line tools effective for sharing Q&A • 50% of CPA current learning is online • Student probably love this model • Several Sauder DAP courses now available • Stay within the UBC Name Brand for the FOM

Acct Program • Blend Mentors and Online Delivery Method • DAP courses already CPA-Certified • FOM Mentors connected to Okanagan • DAP training is “highly structured “and can

help train FOM Mentors • Willing to Pilot New Teaching Models with

FOM

Cons • Need fine tuning for UG audience • More Expensive Tuition at Sauder DAP • Need to Create New FOM Funding Model –

which might be possible but would involve some work to be determined. Experiential Learning is UBC New Focus

• “Established” CPA Professionals might not be comfortable with teaching with this model

• Student learning level needs careful planning for maturity levels

• Will FOM find Accounting instructors • Need Quality Mentor Training Program

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Alternative 3: Other PSI Face2Face (FOM:10 to 8 courses & other PSI:1 to 3 courses)

Pros: • Qualified Instructors • Courses CPA certified • Reduce need to find

UBC Instructors • Reduce burden on need

for FOM instructors • Okanagan College will

work with request • Logistics are doable

Cons: • Loss of control for FOM • Not a UBCO course but

still get a UBC degree • Weaken the UBC Name

Brand by having some courses at UBCO and some courses at another PSI.

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Alternative 4: Other PSI Online (FOM: 10 to 8 courses & Other PSI: 1 to 3 courses)

Pros: • Easily Available Anywhere • Tutors/Mentors/TAs provide

face2face help with exercises • View expressed that parents

accept that some courses might be delivered online within a UBCO program as long as it was the UBC brand

• Okanagan College willing to work on whatever is requested

Cons • View expressed that parents

prefer children to go to one institution

• This is not differentiable for a Research focused University

• Cheaper tuition for students than UBC tuition

• Students think they like f2f better

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Alternative 5: Combinations of Other Alternatives (11 CPA pre-requisite

courses) • These examples are not exhaustive: • Introduce new FOM controlled delivery and

content within a collaborative project • Example 5A: Do FOM Case-based Face2Face

1, 2 & 3:

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Possible FOM Curriculum Delivery Format – f2f and online

• FOM Instructors control all layers through their course design which is UBCOs’ strength of face2face in-class instruction.

• FOM provides unique differentiable teaching from outer layer.

• FOM develops delivery process through an ability and supported by technology to prepare courses, train people and delivery courses.

• Tutors/Mentors/TAs provide connection between course concepts, on-line delivery and exercises.

• On-line Delivery is technology-based platform offering the core course concepts through student self-management portal.

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FOM Face2Face Instruction

FOM Delivery Process

Tutors/ Mentors / TAs

On-line Delivery

Alternative 5A: Combine FOM F2F, FOM Tutor/TA & Sauder DAP online Pilot

Pros: • Use technology in collaborative project to

host unique, amazing valley. Capture magic

• Flexibility • Move FOM 301/302 to second year,

enabling more pathways in upper years • Develop revenue model for new courses • Create seminar feel for face2face courses • Core Concept courses can work online • Many Sauder DAP courses already online • CPA certified course • Sauder DAP willing to work on Pilots • Maintain UBCO and FOM Brands • Keep FOM differentiable content. • Build FOM new blended experiential

learning capability

Cons • New Teaching Format • New Budget Model • Uncertain if it Fits OK Accounting Firms

Needs • Work to do with OK Community • Messaging needs to be handled carefully

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FOM Accounting Challenges • FOM Most Critical Need:

– Mgmt 404 Advanced Financial Accounting – Mgmt 439E Intermediate Finance – Mgmt 402 Tax (2015)

• Opportunity with Mgmt 403 Audit and Assurance

• Sauder DAP in the process of converting all courses online

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Other Partial Alternatives: (Ideas but not whole solutions)

• Discussed 4-year FOM degree with courses over years 1, 2, 3 and 4

• Increase Classroom Size above current FOM average 75 seats. UBC has shortage of larger classrooms and FOM non-standard teaching does not easily fit into the Registrars scheduling processes

• Repackage Mgmt 301/302 into an Accounting Basic Content which is FOM program curriculum – what does an Accounting Basic Course for all Management Students look like?

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Overview of FOM Accounting Program Curriculum Alternatives

* the 2 types combined are 1-3 courses

Who Delivers Alternative Name

Other PSI FOM Instructor/TA

Sauder DAP

Mentor FOM Tutor

1 Status Quo FOM Acct Program

11 courses No No

2 Sauder DAP 10 to 8 Courses 1 to 3 Courses

Like a FOM TA

No

3 Other PSI Face2Face 1 to 10 Courses

10 to 1 Courses No No

4 Other PSI Online 1 to 3 Courses

10 to 8 Courses Possible Possible

5 Combination FOM + DAP online or other PSI face to face + Tutors

1 to 3 Courses *

6 FOM Courses 2 Case-based Courses

1 to 3 Courses *

Possible Yes

other alternatives?

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Current FOM Accounting Program • Mgmt 302 Managerial

Accounting • Mgmt 301 Financial

Accounting • Mgmt 400 Intermediate

Financial Accounting (2 courses)

• Mgmt 401 Intermediate Managerial Accounting

• Mgmt 402 Tax (should be 2 courses)

• Mgmt 403 Audit and Assurance

• Mgmt404 Advanced Financial Accounting

• Mgmt 405 Advanced Managerial Accounting

• Mgmt 439E Intermediate Finance

• Mgmt 480 Business Law

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AWG Guiding Principles • Fit UBCO and FOM Visions

• Maintain FOM Quality Program

• Meet CPA Content and Quality Standards

• Enrich learning through face to face and online delivery

• Accessibility

• Address both Faculty and student budgets

• Contribute to a Collaborative BC Interior Preeminent accounting curriculum

• Deliver a number of CPA Pre-requisite courses

• Provide 2 tax courses for greater depth of learning

• Produce FOM accounting students with complete, mature competencies and skills

• Reduce strain on FOM’s accounting faculty

Appendix D

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APPENDIX E MATRIX GUIDE:

ACCOUNTING WORKING GROUP

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Fit UBCO & FoM Vision

FoM Quality

CPA Quality

Enrich learning through through face2face &

online delivery

Assessibility

UBCO Budget

Student Budget

Contributes to a collaborative BC Interior

Preeminent Accounting Program

Deliver all CPA prerequisites

Deliver 2 tax courses

Produce FoM Accting Students with

complete, mature skills

Reduce strain on FOM's accounting faculty

GREEN = PRO

YELLOW = NEUTRAL

RED = CON

ALTERNATIVE #1

FoM Status Quo

ALTERNATIVE #2

Sauder DAP Online

ALTERNATIVE #3

Other PSI Face2Face

ALTERNATIVE #4

Other PSI Online

ALTERNATIVE #5

Blended Model

Documents

This report by the Undergraduate Accounting Working Group is …universityrelations.ok.ubc.ca/mgmt/awg_report_oct2014.pdf · 2014-10-21 · MGMT 404 Advanced Financial Accounting