Mikhail Pevzner is a professor of accounting and the director of the Merrick School
of Business' graduate programs. He recently shared his thoughts reflecting on the Forbes article titled "" and and the commentary that Columbia Business School Accounting Professor shared. Rajgopal and Pevzner both reflected on their own professional development
needs in a time of constant change.
Here are Dr. Pevzner four reflections points on his own professional development journey:
- To remain relevant to my students, teaching must evolve beyond information readily
available through Generative AI. It should focus on the real-world problems faculty
encounter daily. This requires ongoing consulting work to inform classroom discussions.
My valuation, economics, and finance students consistently emphasize the value of
the real-world challenges I bring from my litigation and consulting practice.
- Doctoral programs need to prioritize teaching pedagogy, as outlined by Shiva Rajgopal.
Effective teaching is a skill that often takes years to develop independently, and
formal training would significantly benefit aspiring professors. Furthermore, practical
work experience is crucial for professorial success. PhD programs should strongly
encourage applicants to gain real-world experience before entering their programs.
Currently, a potential PhD student shortage (evidenced by recruiting efforts from
faculty colleagues on LinkedIn) may pressure institutions to admit less qualified
applicants, potentially those unable to secure employment outside of academia.
- At institutions like UBalt, MBA students typically favor online instruction, reserving
in-person classes for subjects they find challenging to tackle independently, particularly
quantitative courses. Therefore, in-class exams for introductory courses aren't ideal
for online MBA programs, especially when state regulations prohibit in-person exams
for courses designated as "asynchronous." A viable alternative needs to be explored.
Perhaps oral exams via Zoom could be a solution? While I have personal experience
with such exams from my youth, they seem uncommon in the U.S., possibly due to concerns
about bias and equity.
- Faculty should seize opportunities for full-time, field-related work every 5-7 years
to avoid becoming outdated, regardless of their research efforts. From personal experience
I can confirm this point. While I was working with another academic at at one of the
government's financial agencies, it was pointed out to me that someone with a CPA
earned in 2000 who stopped auditing in 2002 would lack experience with Sarbanes-Oxley
audits. This comment, while initially stinging, but it was accurate. Despite teaching
auditing, my knowledge became dated. From that point on I was determined to keep
my skills fresh and surround myself with people who teach me as I could teach them.
I've found that this has been a valuable refresh of my knowledge and perspective.
The world has changed significantly since that reality it me square in the nose. But
the lesson we all can take from this post, is that we must continue to engage in professional
growth and development and refreshing our skills continually.
