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Front row, (l-r): Maureen Storm, Shaletta Hanson, and Kelly Smith. Back (l-r): Patrick McGavock, Tara Brownlow.
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SCIMA Case Team Makes Nationals

May 19, 2011

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MACOMB, IL - - A team of five members of Western Illinois University's Student Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (SCIMA) has been selected as a finalist in the 2011 IMA National Student Case Competition.

The four top teams compete at the IMA annual conference June 5 in Orlando, (FL) for the national title. The IMA is the worldwide association for accountants and financial professionals working in business.

The group's adviser, Amy Ford, an instructor in the accountancy and finance department at WIU, explained that the case competition challenges the students to prepare a 15-minute videotaped solution to a case published in Strategic Finance, explained Ford. This year's case focused on privatization of an airline.

"We are all very excited to compete in the finals," Ford said. "The last time WIU made it to the finals was 2008."

The team members are Maureen Storm, graduate student in business administration from Monmouth (IL); Shaletta Hanson, senior accountancy major from Peoria (IL); Kelly Smith, senior accountancy major from Cary (IL); Patrick McGavock, junior business major from Glen Ellyn (IL); and Tara Brownlow, senior accountancy major of Macomb.

Judges will use multiple criteria in evaluating the presentations, including the technical content, presentation skills, case analysis style, presentation organization, strength of recommendations and conclusions based on case requirements, according to the IMA.

Ford has served as faculty adviser for Western's Student Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (SCIMA) since beginning her teaching position at WIU in 2006. Ford was recently named Mentor of the Year from the IMA.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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