Forensic Accounting

“There are over a dozen of us who teach Accounting, both on the undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. In terms of the forensics provision, Karen Counsell, Jonathan Evans and myself are the ‘forensic specialists’.

“Karen, Jon and I are from different backgrounds, with Karen being a Law lecturer, Jon is the number cruncher; teaching financial reporting and forensic accounting, and I am the fraud examiner – I teach students why fraud is committed and how it is investigated. We also have colleagues from other departments, such as the computer forensics team, who deliver modules. 

“Our role is focused on delivering a wide range of subject areas while trying to give students practical experience of forensic accounting procedures, such as giving testimony in court and mediating divorce settlements, to forensic audit and criminal profiling. A large part of our role is supporting students – we have students from all over the world with varied backgrounds, and we need to support their academic journeys.

“There’s no such thing as a typical day! We teach, prepare for classes, mark assessments, meet with students for both academic and pastoral guidance, engage in CPD and take part in industry forums. As a course leader, my main task is to manage students’ concerns and expectations.

“The best part of the job is seeing students achieve their goals. I think, as academics, we underestimate the lack of confidence some students have. When they finally reach the last term and can see the end of the tunnel, their whole demeanour changes. I love seeing them apply for jobs and realise their potential. As a former USW student myself, the best part of the job is seeing how the course transforms students’ lives. A lot of our home students are the first in their families to go to university, and they go on to get excellent jobs which change their path in life. Being part of that makes everything worthwhile.

“For us as a team, it’s fantastic to see good National Student Satisfaction results. We are also proud of our role in helping foreign students become part of their governments’ anti-fraud provision. The MSc course has a number of students for whom corruption and fraud are playing a large part of their country’s poverty and economic issues. They are sponsored to train with us to go back and fight fraud at home.”