College Students Win Deloitte Foundation's National Case Study Seminar

WILTON, Conn. – By demonstrating a solid understanding of critical financial accounting issues, a team from Howard University took top prize at the Deloitte Foundation’s 18th annual National Student Case Study Seminar.

Competing against five other national finalist schools, the winners applied their burgeoning skills to successfully solve and present a real world business case study. The five members of the winning team will each receive a $2,000 scholarship and the school will receive $10,000 in support of its accounting program.

The second place student team from Michigan State University will each receive a $1,000 scholarship and the school’s accounting department will be awarded $5,000. Also competing were students from Baylor University, The Pennsylvania State University, University of Iowa, and the University of Southern California. Each of these schools will be awarded a $500 scholarship per team member and $2,500 per institution.

“The National Student Case Study Seminar is one of the many ways our Foundation supports the educational enrichment of our profession’s future talent,” said Shaun Budnik, partner, Deloitte LLP and president of the Deloitte Foundation.

“In addition to helping students build the technical, research, and analytical skills required in our profession, it also allows them to hone their presentation and teaming abilities. All of the participating students should be very proud of their work.”

The National Student Case Study Seminar is an educational event sponsored by the Deloitte Foundation through contributions from retired partners, principals and directors of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries.

During the competition, a dedicated faculty advisor and a Deloitte manager work with each student team to identify, define and solve the complex challenges of real world accounting case studies. Each group presents recommendations to a panel of active and retired Deloitte partners, who assume the roles of a client company’s senior management or audit committee members.

At the seminar’s conclusion, the panel selects the team that best outlines relevant issues and most effectively presents their case.

“I am honored to have advised an excellent group of students who rose to the challenge of researching a complex accounting global transaction that involved international business entities. The students were required to conduct analyses under both U.S. and international accounting standards. This award is especially meaningful to me as I am an alumna of both the Howard University Department of Accounting and Deloitte,” said Jean Wells, professor, Howard University.

Founded in 1928, the Deloitte Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that supports teaching, research and curriculum innovation in accounting, business and related fields within the U.S. The Foundation sponsors an array of national programs relevant to a variety of professional services, benefiting middle/high school students, undergraduates, graduate students and faculty. For more information on the Deloitte Foundation is at www.deloitte.com/us/df.