GSM Awarded $10,000 PricewaterhouseCoopers Grant
Saint Xavier University's (SXU) Graham School of Management's (GSM) Accounting Department was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). The grant will be used during the 2020-2021 academic year and will provide support for course content and curriculum changes that will advance the accounting curriculum and prepare diverse groups of students for career success.
"I am delighted that PwC supports GSM's Accounting Department and that it sees the role that Saint Xavier University plays in educating first-generation students and students of diverse backgrounds," said Mark Rosenbaum, Ph.D., dean of GSM.
PwC is among the "Big Four," which is made up of the four largest professional services networks in the world. With more than 250,000 employees worldwide serving 86 percent of the Global Fortune 500 companies and more than 100,000 entrepreneurial and private businesses, PwC works to help businesses thrive, resolve complex issues and deliver exceptional service experiences, business models that are reflected in GSM management courses.
"PwC is also a member of the Business Advisory Council, and with AACSB 2020 standards, there will be opportunities for increased faculty, student and organizational contact, and the grant will help attract more students to the accounting profession," added Rosenbaum.
With the grant, GSM course content will be supplemented to include more data analytics programs and address national concerns for a shortage of accountants with data analytics experience. In addition, the grant will also be used to develop the Accounting Careers Awareness Program (ACAP), which will target high schools and community colleges with diverse, underrepresented student bodies to educate the students on the myriad of opportunities and benefits of pursuing a career in accounting. The program is designed to increase the pipeline of minority accountants to be the leaders of tomorrow's accounting firms.
"I'm so grateful to PwC for the grant, as these funds will be extremely useful in advancing GSM's mission of developing business leaders with personal, professional and service excellence. We're also very excited to educate local students about exciting accounting opportunities," said Alexander King, Ph.D., GSM professor.
SXU is eager to see how GSM will use the grant to create innovative, positive change for its current and future community of learning.