Institute Lends a (Financial) Hand

The AICPA Foundation has awarded AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business—a $25,000 grant to fund scholarships to help experienced accounting professionals transition to university teaching positions.

The AACSB Bridge Program, a five-day intensive seminar to help senior business leaders prepare for faculty positions in business schools, was developed by the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine, and the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

“The AICPA Foundation is committed to helping address the shortage of accounting faculty at business schools and views the AACSB Bridge Program as an important step in addressing the issue,” said Bill Ezzell, the foundation’s president. “The scholarships will be focused on those interested in teaching audit and/or tax, where there is a severe shortage of faculty.”

To be eligible for the program, individuals must have a master’s degree and professional experience of significant duration and responsibility related to the assigned area of teaching. Candidates with a master’s degree in a nonbusiness field who have significant work experience in a business teaching area also may be eligible. For more information on the program and applications, visit www.bridgeprogram.aacsb.edu.