A frantic, fulfilling fall
Chair's Message
Boz Bostrom | October/November 2024 Footnote
Editor's note: Updated October 1, 2024
Fall is upon us and, naturally, I’m asked, “How’s the new school year going?” This is my 21st year teaching, and I often tell people that last year was my favorite, but I expect this year to be even better. Many people wonder what college accounting professors do, so I thought I’d offer a peek behind the scenes.
Teaching, of course, is my most important role. This fall, I’m teaching two sections of our principles of accounting course, an intro to tax course and a private equity course, which is held on Monday nights on our varsity baseball field. Of these, principles is probably my favorite. It gives me the chance to connect with younger students, help them navigate their college journeys and hopefully get them excited about accounting.
When not teaching, you’ll find me in my office. As the senior professor in our department and someone viewed as a leader on campus, I need to be present to field questions from students, fellow professors, teaching assistants and various campus groups. A big part of my fall is advising. Every student benefits from personal attention; from early October through Thanksgiving, I’ll meet with my 50 formal advisees and the 60 students in my introductory courses.
I also dedicate time to helping our students prepare for their careers. We have a major recruiting fair coming up, which 400 students will attend. We’ll also host an info session to address some of life’s big questions: audit vs. tax, public accounting vs. industry, large firm vs. small. It’s important for me to support students’ other interests, as well. In one weekend, I attended both our men’s and women’s cross country meets, soccer matches and the Johnnie football home opener — where accounting majors scored 37 of the team’s 49 points (but who’s counting?).
After the Oct. 15 tax deadline, I’ll dive into public speaking and training events. One event I’m particularly excited about is the MNCPA Tax Conference. I’ll kick off the first day with a session on networking with our young professionals track and close with a session on ethical leadership. In between, I’ll attend other sessions and will be available to meet with attendees. So, if you spot someone in an “ACCOUNTING” shirt — say hello!
I’m also making time late at night for personal development and writing. After moderating a session on AI at the MNCPA’s annual meeting, I was inspired to enroll in a Ph.D-level “AI & Communication” course through Gonzaga University. My goal is to ensure my students are prepared for the evolving digital world.
As for my writing, I’m working on my fourth book, which will hopefully be out next fall. Sorry to disappoint fans of my first white-collar crime novel, “The New Start,” but it’s not the Johnny Fitch sequel. I’m keeping the details under wraps, but I will say it’s nonfiction, very authentic to who I am and something I haven’t seen done before. As Forrest Gump says, “And that’s all I have to say about that.”
Sincerely,
Boz Bostrom, CPA
Chair, MNCPA board of directors
boardchair@mncpa.org
