Spectrum - Volume 18 Issue 04 September 14, 1995 - Accounting students take first

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Accounting students take first in national case-analysis finals

By Sookhan Ho

Spectrum Volume 18 Issue 04 - September 14, 1995

A team of accounting students from Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business won first place in a national case-analysis competition sponsored annually by the Institute of Management Accountants.

The team won over three other schools that also reached the finals out of an initial field of 38 entrants. Contestants were required to analyze a case based on the real-life bankruptcy of an investment scheme that revolved around a small-town bank that was involved with a commercial cattle-feeding operation.

The students had to develop a report that evaluated the organizational and personal ethics demonstrated by the key players in the case. They had to discuss, using examples from the case, the limitations of an organization's internal control system, and make suggestions for correcting the weaknesses evident in the case.

Each team submitted a 20-minute presentation of their report on videotape for nationwide judging. The four finalists, selected on the basis of their videotaped performances, presented their report in person before a panel of judges.

The Virginia Tech students were Cheryl Cole, Tonya Diamond, Jamie Dietz, Kaileen Hannan (alternate), Suzanne Klausser, Mark Kubik (alternate), and James Yancey. All are seniors, except for Kubik who graduated last May and is currently in the master's of accountancy program at Virginia Tech. The team received a $5,000 award.

Team member Diamond said that her team's "careful preparation and extremely professional presentation" probably gave it an edge over the others. The project's faculty advisor, assistant professor of accounting John Brozovsky, said this is only the second year that Virginia Tech has entered the competition.