Missouri State University has received recognition for its prowess in educational case writing, securing a spot among the top 20 aspirant universities in this category.  

This achievement highlights the outstanding contributions made by faculty members in developing compelling, insightful and impactful case studies within the field of accounting. 

The rankings unveiled 

The program ranking is based on published education cases in accounting over the past six years by three accounting faculty members, Dr. Les Heitger, Dr. Mollie Adams and Dr. Kimberly Church. 

Church, director of the School of Accountancy (SOA), also secured an individual spot in the top 20.  

The recognition is particularly significant, considering the benchmark set by BYU rankings. The rankings highlight award-winning research and are based on classifications of peer-reviewed articles in 12 top-tier accounting journals since 1990.  

“The BYU rankings are considered a quality metric for faculty/program level accounting research by considering publication counts in a select set of accounting journals and focus on both topical area and methodology,” Church said.  

Understanding the significance 

From the SOA’s standpoint, the use of case studies in classrooms serves as a conduit for experiential learning, bridging theoretical knowledge with practical applications.  

Heitger believes student analysis of complex cases is an excellent format for student group interaction. Additionally, student presentations of such case work are an effective method of developing student communications skills. They also enhance student confidence in their understanding of essential accounting concepts and their importance in managing complex organizations. 

These published educational cases, crafted by MSU’s faculty, address tax issues, management control systems, segment performance analysis and emerging technologies.  

“Creating a case allows me to embed tax concepts into a context, such as recreational or semi-professional running, that students find relatable and engaging,” Adams said. “They also enable students in the classroom to work with real-world tax issues in a more in-depth manner than possible when working with the textbook alone.” 

Church added, “We expect our ranking to increase as we develop more cases to coincide with the opening of our new accounting analytics lab.”  

“I teach information systems and emerging technologies that often lack teaching materials. So, I understand the importance of developing relationships with working practitioners in new areas of accounting to publish real-world scenarios, content and hands-on activities for the classroom.”    

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