ACCOUNTING STUDENTS TO COMPETE IN NEW YORK

Students in the department of accounting and finance at Southeast Missouri State University have been selected as one of the four top teams in the nation to participate in the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) Student Case Competition in New York this summer.

Gayle Rayburn, professor of accounting and finance, entered her "Advanced Cost Accounting" class in the 1994 Student Case Competition by preparing a video presentation of their solution to a strategic cost management case distributed by IMA.

Gerald McDougall, dean of the Harrison College of Business, recently notified the students of their selection.

"That our students can compete successfully on the national level is not surprising. Our students match up with the best on any campus, and our faculty have invested heavily in creating the best possible learning environment," McDougall said.

Thirty-one teams from 27 universities participated in this year's competition in managerial accounting.

The topic of this year's competition was "Strategic Cost Management." Judges from industry and academic positions throughout the country evaluated the content and style of each video presentation submitted by teams.

In preparing for the competition, members of Rayburn's class divided into teams and worked independently on their own solution. Each of these groups then presented its solution to a team of area judges, including faculty with the accounting and finance department.

Members of the class from this region included Karen Eldridge of Cape Girardeau, Hershel Hitchcock of Charleston, Kelly Schaefer of Scott City and Robyn McCulley of Kennett.

Eldridge, Hitchcock and McCulley are among the five students comprising the final team. Southeast's team will receive a $1,000 award and an engraved plaque for placing in the final four. They will compete June 12 in New York at the final competition, which will be held during IMA's national meeting.