The Coming Accounting Crisis

Abstract

The accounting profession is facing a potential crisis not only from the overall shortage of accounting faculty driven by smaller numbers of new faculty entering the profession as many existing faculty retire but also from changes that have been less well documented.  This includes: (1) changes in attitude towards the roles of teaching, service and research and (2) changes in performance measurement and compensation.  If not adequately addressed, many institutions may have difficulty staffing adequate sections of accounting courses.  Implications could include an even greater increase in teaching by non-tenure track faculty, which could have significant implications for accreditation and potentially on the quality of accounting education