A comprehensive effort to recruit and retain accounting students

This paper describes a series of coordinated and proactive recruitment and retention efforts within the accounting department of a southeastern university. Each semester, recruitment of successful students in Principles of Accounting classes is a departmental priority. The intention is to encourage Principles students to declare a major in accounting. For accounting majors in the junior and senior years, a series of programs is offered for professional development. Each year students are surveyed to gauge the perceived value of the time spent out-of-classroom. The results indicate that the time spent out-of-classroom is beneficial. Most important, the results of our efforts to recruit to the major from Principles classes correlate to previous research that indicates contacting potential majors in the introductory course is crucial.

► Overcoming stereotypes about accounting and accountants is a necessity for recruiting students.
► Recruiting potential accounting majors in the introductory course is beneficial.
► Faculty time outside of the classroom is effective for recruiting and retention.
► Recruitment and retention efforts outside the classroom.
► Recruitment time spent out of the classroom is beneficial to our department.