IFRS at Rochester?Area Institutions: Are Professors Prepared to Teach?

Abstract

I studied the preparedness of accounting professors in the Rochester, New York area related to teaching International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in accounting courses at their institution through a survey of educators conducted during December 2011. I found Rochester?area college professors responded that overall college professors are not prepared to teach International Financial Reporting Standards nationwide with a total of 69.23%. Professors are more prepared by a slim margin in the Rochester?area institutions with a total of 57.69% professors responding that their own institution was prepared to teach International Financial Reporting Standards. Based on experience, professors with less experience, whether as a professional or professor, believe more so than more experienced professors that both nationwide and institutionally college professors are not prepared to teach IFRS. Male and female professors both agreed that nationwide professors are not prepared to teach IFRS. However, institutionally, 6 out of 7 males (85.71%) were more confident in their own institutions in the Rochester?area, deeming their institution prepared to teach IFRS, while 5 out of 7 females (71.43%) believed their institution was not prepared to teach IFRS. I found no differences among preparedness based on institution type (public vs. private). Overall, my study provides evidence regarding the state of local accounting professors’ readiness to prepare students for a global economy using IFRS as a standard for reporting.