Paul Simonson: The Fisher School of Accounting

Florida-certified public accountant Paul Simonson is a graduate of the University of Florida Fisher School of Accounting. This article will take a closer look at the role of the Fisher School of Accounting, an institution created to provide a worldclass environment for growth, scholarship, and learning.

Students enrolled in Fisher School of Accounting programs benefit from a curriculum specially curated to encourage growth in a complex and important field. Accounting at the University of Florida dates back to 1923, when the university offered its first accounting course. The university’s accountancy course offerings grew in line with demand over the years, culminating in the formation of its department of accounting in 1947, initially catering for 255 students.

In 1977, the University of Florida launched an experimental accounting school. In 1984, the faculty senate voted to make the school permanent. Renamed the Fisher School of Accounting in 1985 in honor of alumnus Fredrick Fisher, today the school’s administrative offices, faculty, and students are housed in Gerson Hall, a building covering some 36,000 square feet which cost $9.3 million to build and was dedicated on April 10, 2004.

The Fisher School of Accounting’s faculty have earned PhD degrees from some of America’s leading universities and are committed to excellence in research, teaching, and service. The faculty produces groundbreaking scholarly work, as well as serving government and professional organizations at state, national, and international levels and serving as referees and editors to well-known accounting journals.

Renowned for the quality of its curriculum, the Fisher School of Accounting is committed to providing a worldclass environment for learning. In return, each generation of graduates has directly contributed to the school’s success. Its alumni have gone on to become leaders in both academia and the business world, with their generous financial support ensuring the school and faculty’s future success.

The Fisher School of Accounting’s strategic themes are to:

1. Deliver high-quality academic programs and graduates to lead the profession and benefit society as a whole
2. Invest in intellectual capital
3. Build and maintain sustainable and productive professional relationships
4. Build and maintain a sustainable foundation of financial and other resources

The Fisher School’s purpose is to serve accounting and business educators and professionals through innovative, high-quality research and teaching with a special focus on providing the education required for successful careers in leadership roles. In pursuit of this, the school promotes the practice and understanding of accounting and business via its teaching, research, and service.

The Fisher School of Accounting’s shared values are:

• Continuous improvement
• High-quality, innovative, relevant professional and doctoral education
• Knowledge enhancement through high-quality research, including discovering new knowledge and communicating it to others.
• Broad staff and faculty involvement in a full range of mission-related activities by utilizing the unique contributions and skills of individual staff and faculty members
• Academic excellence in all actions taken to fulfill the school’s mission
• An environment of mutual respect and collegiality
• Active support and participation by alumni and friends for the school’s programs
• Outreach to the professional and business community

The Fisher School of Accounting’s Bachelor of Science in Accounting qualification is a four-year degree program created to provide an excellent foundation in both business and accounting. The program’s conceptual focus is intended to prepare students for success in constantly evolving business environments, as well as preparing students for graduate studies.

Most undergraduate students who graduate from the Fisher School go on to pursue a graduate accounting degree rather than working full-time. The school’s Master of Accounting program has boasted a staggeringly high employment record of between 97.5% and 100% of domestic students since the university started tracking employment outcomes in 2015, with 73% to 80% of graduates accepting job offers from America’s Big Four accounting firms each year.

Completion of the Fisher School of Accounting’s Bachelor of Science degree program, when combined with the Master of Accounting program, fulfills the educational requirements needed to sit the Certified Public Accountant Examination, enabling candidates to obtain licensure as a certified public accountant in the State of Florida.

Frederick E. Fisher, who the school was named after in 1985, made an exceptional gift to the School of Accounting, equating to the largest sum gifted in state university history, financing an array of resources for accounting programs, including an eminent scholar chair in accounting.

The Fisher School was launched the with mission of providing international thought leadership by developing future academic and professional leaders. The school is committed to creating influential research and graduate education programs by engaging with the global professional community. The school’s mission reflects its commitment to enhancing the intellectual capital of its faculty, students, alumni, and staff, as well as instilling an ethic of lifelong learning among its students. The Fisher School of Accounting also recognizes the importance of producing ethical and thoughtful leaders of the future to ensure the continued success of both the faculty and the accounting profession as a whole.