Micro-Seminar: Accounting: The Real Deal - Meet your Future Employer PART ONE

Micro-Seminars have two parts. Attendance to both parts is required. Registering for the PART ONE session will automatically enroll you in the PART TWO session on Friday.

Part 1: Thursday, August 22, 2024 from 3:00 – 4:30 pm (PST)
Part 2: Friday, August 23, 2024 from 10:00 – 11:30 am (PST)

OVERVIEW AND CONTEXT OF THE TOPIC To introduce students to the vibrant field of accounting and its impact on society and the global economy; have students meet their future employers as recruiting will start the first day of the seminar

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES Upon completion of the micro-seminar, students will have a better understanding of
1) the accounting profession;
2) the impact of ESG (environmental, social/sustainability and governance) and artificial intelligence,
3) key topics being tackled by the Securities and Exchange Commission in its oversight of public companies);
4) ethics and its importance in accounting and business;
5) commons myths and misconceptions about the accounting profession;
6) future trends in technology and robotics; and
7) accounting as a vibrant profession and
8) how to successfully navigate the recruiting process

DAY 1 SYLLABUS / ACTIVITIES/COURSE PLAN

Meet with firm recruiters, be provided firm contact information, get an overview of the profession and the firms, and students to be presented the fall 2024 recruiting calendar for internships and various other programs;

DAY 2 SYLLABUS / ACTIVITIES/COURSE PLAN

Discussion on the following topics-artificial intelligence and robotics impact on the accounting and business world; ESG and the impact on the profession; ethics issues in business and accounting; the “new accounting” profession; and exposure to risk management. Student organization representatives will welcome students and encourage membership. Academic advisers will address questions regarding the Leventhal School of Accounting

TARGET AUDIENCE: WHO SHOULD CONSIDER ATTENDING THIS SEMINAR? All students are welcome as the accounting firms currently recruit from a multitude of majors including but not limited to accounting, business, engineering, environmental studies, computer science, economics, real estate, mathematics, and various science and other majors.

Lead By: Professor Zivia Sweeney

Professor Zivia Sweeney, CPA, is a Professor of Clinical Accounting in the Leventhal School of Accounting. Currently she serves as Athletic Department faculty mentor, Faculty Advisor for Accounting Society, NABA, and the NAACP student chapter. In 2023 Professor Sweeney a) received a grant from PricewaterhouseCoopers to author case studies and promote student recruitment to public accounting and b) was the keynote speaker for Andersen public accounting firm’s domestic and international offices on DEI issues and c) consults on a major community project involving a land trust established for redevelopment of a historic Los Angeles area. Professor Sweeney has received several teaching and mentoring awards. Included are two faculty awards from the USC Student Affairs Office (Outstanding Faculty of the Year by the USC Greeks and the Faculty Trojan Excellence Award from the Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs), Evan C Thompson Faculty Mentoring and Leadership Award, Golden Apple teaching award, National Greek Honor Society recognition as one of USC's outstanding professors whom they admire most, USC Parents Association Steven B. Sample Teaching and Mentoring Award (Honorable Mentioned recipient) and NABA Professor of Honor Award.

Professor Sweeney has served on numerous Leventhal, Marshall, and university committees. They include Chair of Marshall Clinical Faculty Committee, Chair of Leventhal Academic Appeals Committee, Marshall Communications Committee, Marshall Centennial Planning Committee, USC Mentoring Committee, Leventhal Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, USC Climate Change Committee on DEI, and USC Homecoming Committee. She also served as the Leventhal School Summer Leadership Program Executive Director and as a Marshall DEI Fellow, Prior to joining the faculty at USC, Professor Sweeney served in several senior management roles within the public corporate and non-profit arenas including Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Finance, and Corporate Controller. Her areas of expertise include strategic planning and budgeting, mergers and acquisitions, and accounting/finance operations for manufacturing, healthcare, and non-profit organizations. She is a PriceWaterhouseCoopers alumnus and graduate of USC (BS) and (MBA). She served for a number of years as a member of the University of Southern California’s Leventhal School of Accounting Advisory Board.

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