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Countthe Upping Accounting in The tempest of controversy surrounding Enron's collapse has had at least one positive outcome: It's put the spotlight on accounting, a profession students often overlook in favor of other careers. Now that accounting has caught the public interest, the AICPA believes it's the perfect time to show everyone just what the field has to offer. byTriciaBisoux illustration by Lou Beach No one denies that the debacle that brought down Enron may have cast a negative light on the accounting profession. Don't be surprised, however, if you don't hear too many business school accounting administrators complaining. "It's negative, but it's attention," says Dan Deines, a professor of accounting at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. "The public has watched as a huge company has gone under and individuals have lost millions of dollars. Now, people are realizing the importance of a high-quality audit. They're realizing that audits, when they're done right, can make a difference in people's lives. Enron has added a stigma to accounting, but it has forced us out into the light." Now that the public is asking questions, many stakeholders in accounting edu- cation believe that this may be the best time to take advantage of students' new- found interest in the field. "One challenge we have been trying to overcome is that students simply don't appreciate the broadness of the profession and the impact a career in accounting can have," states Beatrice Sanders, director of aca- demic and career development for the American Institute for Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) in New York City. "Enron has raised awareness of the whole profession, among the public as well as young people. It's raised awareness of the importance of CPAs to the economy and the whole capital market system." As two of the most outspoken advocates for proactive promotion of the accounting profession, Sanders and Deines are optimistic that interest in account- ing will continue to build. By taking this opportunity to educate the public, busi- ness school accounting programs will not only attract more students to accounting programs, but also promote a more positive image for the profession as a whole. Reversing the Trend In the 1990s, even as demand for qualified accountants increased, student inter- est in the profession plummeted. From 1998 to 1999, the number of graduates in accounting decreased 20 percent in the United States, according to "The Supply of Accounting Graduates and the Demand for Public Accounting Recruits—2001," compiled and published by the AICPA. From 1999 to 2000, the number dropped six percent more. And although there was a 19 percent BizEd JULY/AUGUST 2002 37