ACAP Doubles in Size
Dr. Faye E. Williams, second from left
ACAP Chair Douglas White, far right
The School of Accountancy hosted a summer career development program for minority high school students, The Accounting Career Awareness Program (ACAP), in July 2011. This was the second year of the event, the only program of its kind in the state.
ACAP, founded by The National Association of Black Accountants, strives to increase the number of high school students from underrepresented ethnic groups that attend college and major in accounting. Chair Douglas M. White explains that the goal is "to prepare students for entry into college, help them learn about college life, and introduce them to business careers."
The camp revolves around a one-week summer residency program. Dr. Faye E. Williams, chair of the National Congress of Black Women and former counsel to the U.S. Congress, was the lead speaker for the program.
“The program introduces students to career opportunities in accounting through a carefully constructed curriculum that involves Culverhouse faculty and guest lecturers from business and government,” said Lisa McKinney, program coordinator.
Forty students were chosen from across the state of Alabama to attend; this was twice the number of students in the 2010 program. Workshops included “Opportunities in Accounting”, “Forensic Accounting & Fraud Detection”, “Cultural Literacy in a Global Economy”, “Ethics & Social Responsibility”, “Business Integrity”, “Making College Work for You”, and “Financial Statement Basics”. The students also visited Ernst & Young LLP and The Southern Company in Birmingham.
Recreational activities included a limo scavenger hunt, DJ night, karaoke, and a pool party. In addition, the students were divided into teams for a Group Case Study in which they were asked to analyze a publicly traded company using the annual report. Each member of the winning team receives a $1,000 college scholarship.
Speaker Dr. Williams is a former professor of international law at Southern University Law Center and previously served as White House Liaison to the U.S. Department of Energy. She is the author of several books on political and foreign affairs, including “The Peace Terrorists,” which chronicles her 40-day peace mission leading up to the 1992 Gulf War. She has appeared on several radio and television programs, including BET, CBS, CNN, and Good Morning America. Dr. Williams has been named to Ebony Magazine’s “100 Most Influential Black Americans”.
Funding for the program was generously provided by Alabama Power (The Southern Company), Ernst & Young LLP, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Deloitte, KPMG, Dixon Hughes PLLC, The College of Commerce, and The ASCPA.