Teaching Tax In Graduate Programs

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Teaching Tax In Graduate Programs

• 2003 ATA Midyear MeetingSt. Petersburg, Florida

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Survey Background

• Online survey developed by Amy Dunbar
  (Connecticut)
• Administered through ATA website during Fall 2002
  and Spring 2003
• Summary of results will be posted on ATA website
  following the meeting
• Some respondents offered comments on undergrad
  courses as well today we will focus on graduate
  tax education

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• Tax faculty are engaged in an ongoing battle
  with the elements. On one front we face the
  constant evolution of the tax laws initiated or
  inspired by Congress, tax professionals, and the
  economy. At the same time, we're confronted with
  university expectations that we produce
  top-flight research using state-of-the-art
  techniques on relevant topics that are, by
  necessity, highly complex. Finally, we're also
  expected to produce students who are technically
  competent well-rounded individuals who are ready
  to engage in a profession that expects ethical
  behavior, highly developed interpersonal skills,
  and an ability to generate revenues through
  innovation. Man, how much better can it get?

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Respondent Demographics

• 119 respondents representing 100 different
  institutions
• Academic calendar of respondents
• 106 (89) on semester system
• 14 (11) on quarter system

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New Faculty ConsortiumNumber of Classes Taught
Per Professor Fall 2002 Spring 2003
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New Faculty ConsortiumTeaching Load Across
Semesters
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Institutional Demographics
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Types of Graduate Programs offered by
Respondents Institutions
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Number of Tax Courses Offered by Program Type
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Number of Tax Courses Required by Program Type
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Specific Tax Courses Offered by Program Type
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Specific Tax Courses Offered by Program Type
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Specific Tax Courses Offered by Program Type
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Some Unusual Course Offerings

• Digital Security for the Tax Practitioner (MST)
• E-commerce (MST)
• High Tech Taxation (MST)
• Fraud and White Collar Crime (MBA)
• Going Public Tax, Business, and Accounting Issues
  (MST)
• Tax Planning for Entrepreneurs (MBA)
• Tax Planning for Investments (MST)
• Taxes in Finance (MBA)

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Trends in Program Graduates
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Trends in Personal Teaching Innovations of
Respondents

• 8 respondents indicate they are teaching online
  or distance learning courses (several in fully
  online programs)
• RealPresenter audio and video files, other web
  video
• Satellite TV broadcasts with 2-way audio
• Synchronous and asynchronous offerings
• Some 50 distance, 50 face-to-face
• An additional 19 indicate they are using online
  resources, posting course materials online
  (websites, Blackboard, WebCT), giving online
  quizzes, and/or using discussion boards, email,
  and instant messenger to communicate with students

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Trends in Personal Teaching Innovations continued

• Significant emphasis on case-based learning,
  spreadsheet analyses, group work,
  research/writing projects, presentations, tax
  consultant orientation
• Interesting interactions with practitioners
• One program has tax research class do research
  projects for local offices of accounting firms
• Another invites firm recruiting partners and
  managers into class to judge a tax competition
• Several are involving practitioners as guest
  lecturers in specialized courses such as SALT and
  Wealth Planning

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Trends in Personal Teaching Innovations continued

• Several respondents writing own cases
• Using financial statement information to
  illustrate tax planning principles
• Scholes/Wolfson cases
• Contemporary tax policy issues
• Semester-long case used to illustrate how tax
  information flows into tax return forms
• Integration of tax and financial accounting
• Discussion of tax footnotes of annual reports
• Research course that is 50 tax research and 50
  accounting and auditing research

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Some Unique Teaching Innovations of Respondents

• Tax return project in which students are given
  basic facts and have to interview the taxpayer to
  solicit additional information
• Class taught in a computer classroom, where much
  of class time is hands-on workshop on assignments
• Research projects that are individualized to
  students facts and personal preferences

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Program Innovations at Respondents Institutions

• U. of Hartford MSAT
• Seven courses in full-time summer sessions, 3
  courses in fall (one internship)
• U. of Virginia MST
• Executive format, 2 one-week 8hr-a-day sessions,
  then alternating Friday/Saturdays during non-tax
  season
• U. of Massachusetts MSA
• Three 3-week summer sessions for two summers, two
  online (fall and spring)
• Villanova University MAPC
• 4-1-1-4 format

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Program Innovations at Respondents Institutions

• Variety of other non-traditional program
  structures
• Under development Fast Track MST program in two
  summers for working professionals
• In an MST program for working students, classes
  not scheduled around 3/15, 4/15, and 9/15
• Six-week class format coordinated with tax
  internships
• 8-week module courses
• 3-2 MBA in Accounting Program

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• I am the director of the graduate tax program.
  We believe that, in terms of course content,
  pedagogical philosophy, and program scheduling,
  this program is genuinely unique among graduate
  tax programs. In short, this program has been
  thoughtfully designed to provide students with
  the opportunity
• To attain a deep and comprehensive contextual
  understanding of the tax law and of how strategic
  tax planning can facilitate the achievement of
  the personal, investment, and business objectives
  of individuals and organizations
• To develop and enhance their ability-To recognize
  issues and opportunities, To break down and solve
  complex, multi-dimensional problems, To seek out
  relevant financial and non-financial information
  from diverse sources and to assimilate and
  translate that information into prescriptive
  knowledge, To anticipate and create opportunities
  and to design pathways that transform vision into
  reality, big picture perceptions into strategic
  action, To communicate their insights with
  objectivity, clarity, precision, and conviction
  To make effective use of new and emerging
  technologies and To appreciate the crucial role
  of integrity, ethics, and professionalism.

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Other Comments/Concerns Voiced by Respondents

• Many expressed concern about demands placed on
  tax faculty and shortage of new tax faculty
• Grad tax programs are very expensive to sustain
  in terms of faculty resources. Multiple
  preparations for faculty are unavoidable.
• Given the standards for achieving tenure and the
  demands for keeping current in taxation,
  especially in technical areas addressed in grad
  tax programs, I fear that there will be a dearth
  of tenure-track faculty wanting to teach tax
  courses.
• Scary how few tax PhDs are coming out and how
  little professional experience many of them
  have.
• I dont know where our future tax faculty will
  be coming from.
• It is tough for new faculty to teach grad tax
  courses and also meet the research requirements
  for tenure. The number of preparations and the
  pace of change creates major problems for new tax
  faculty.

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Other Comments/Concerns Voiced by Respondents

• Many expressed concern about accounting firm
  support/interest in grad tax education
• Wish the firms recognized the special needs and
  training required of full time faculty to teach
  tax and keep up with new developments.
• It doesnt seem that, except for the MST, the
  firms are supporting graduate accounting
  education for entry-level staff. Im not sure
  the MST is appropriate for entry-level staff.
• My huge concern is that the profession no longer
  seems to value the technical knowledge that
  students can obtain only by completing an MST or
  LLM degree. Over the last 10 years or so, Ive
  witnessed a steady and alarming decline in the
  technical ability of so-called tax specialists
  with the big firms, and the firms just dont seem
  to care. So perhaps grad tax education is simply
  passe .

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Other Comments/Concerns Voiced by Respondents

• Additional concerns about firm support
• We are drifting toward an all adjunct tax world
  in academics. Unfortunately, the people who
  could change this are not tax people and have no
  interest in changing it. The only people who
  could make a real difference are the accounting
  firms, but it would take a long term concerted
  initiative on their part, which I dont see
  happening. I dont think they understand our
  world enough to get effectively involved. Our
  one long term hope is to reach out to them and
  get them involved. Incidentally, I am not
  talking about more money. Im talking about
  being present on campus and lobbying.

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Other Comments/Concerns Voiced by Respondents

• Additional concerns about firm support
• The bloom is off of information technology and
  as a result there has been some return by
  students to traditional accounting programs
  including tax. However, I see a reluctance on
  the part of students to specialize (especially
  those with no experience). I also see mixed
  messages from the firms as they deal with the
  compliance versus consulting departmentalization,
  and some firms relying much more on law schools
  for the consultant track.
• Tax education offered by large firms in intense
  doses (e.g. one week eight hours a day with the
  accountant supposed to prepare at night) produces
  poor results (in my opinion). The schools are a
  much more efficient system for tax training at
  all but the most elementary level.

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Other Comments/Concerns Voiced by Respondents

• Many expressed concern about the future of
  graduate tax education
• We need more bodies, or these programs will go
  away. I would be interested in information about
  attraction and retention. Retention is the
  lesser problem. We have to have people turn from
  the dark side, financial/auditing.
• We need more. But more importantly, we need to
  advocate more strongly for such programs.
• There seems to be less emphasis on technical tax
  education at many of the countrys large
  educational institutions. That concerns me about
  the future of tax education.
• Too much emphasis is being placed on MBA
  programs, and there is a general disrespect for
  tax policy in MBA programs.

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Other Comments/Concerns Voiced by Respondents

• Finally, one respondent expressed optimism
• I am upbeat about graduate tax education as
  there continues to be a strong demand for tax
  students with a graduate degree. With the high
  level of technical expertise required for a
  professional career in taxation, graduate tax
  education is certainly a very viable option for
  students.

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Your Thoughts/Comments?

• Where do we go from here?
• What can we as individual faculty do to improve
  and promote graduate tax education?
• What can the ATA as an organization do to improve
  and promote graduate tax education?