The students in Professor Rich Brody’s forensic accounting class will start off the spring semester by working on a case study presented by KPMG. KPMG is an international network of member firms offering audit, tax and advisory services.
On Thursday, Jan. 29 experts from KPMG Forensic in Texas will work with the Anderson students on a case based on a fictitious entity and situation called Lots of Books, Inc. The case is designed to provide an introduction to the forensic accounting process and to challenge student teams to analyze evidence as part of an earnings management investigation.
Professor Brody says this is a fantastic opportunity for his class.
“We in academia always talk about preparing students for the real world. This is a perfect example of the students getting a chance to participate in a realistic situation that they might encounter in their accounting career. They will be actively participating in this case under the guidance of the KPMG professionals. The interactive format will challenge the students to use their judgment much more than a standard textbook problem.”
By having a KPMG Forensic professional in the classroom Brody’s students will learn first hand how to identify and evaluate evidence related to the Forensic Accounting Investigation, perform data analysis, research legal accounting and accounting concepts related to the investigation, apply professional skepticism in an investigative setting and collaborate in a team environment.
“We are so fortunate that KPMG is willing to make a commitment like this,” says Brody. “KPMG has made other excellent educational materials available for classroom use but this is really going above and beyond for us. I was thrilled that not only were they willing to come to Anderson, but they were willing to do so early in the semester so that the students in the forensic accounting class will be able to relate our classroom material back to an actual investigation they participated in.”
The students in Professor Brody’s classes have collaborated with other outside entities in the past such as the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service and the Tax Fraud Investigations Division of the New Mexico Taxation & Revenue Department.