Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, a leading accounting and professional services firm, has established a Professor in Accounting position in the College of Business Administration at Belmont University. This is the first professor in accounting position for Belmont and the second to be sponsored by Deloitte in the state.Dr. Jane Finley, associate professor of accounting and information systems management at Belmont University was installed as the first Deloitte & Touche Professor in Accounting during a reception September 21 at Belmont.
Finley began teaching at Belmont in 1995 after receiving her doctorate from Florida State University. Before her teaching career, Finley worked as an auditor, management accountant and a consultant. She served as CFO of Miami International Airport and previously as a consulting partner at Deloitte & Touche. After arriving at Belmont, Finley was selected the Tennessee Educator of the Year in 2001.
The Deloitte & Touche Professor in Accounting must be an outstanding business educator, particularly active with students and the local professional business community. By holding this position, Finley will be responsible for raising awareness of the accounting profession in the Nashville community and within the business community. Finley will teach at both the undergraduate and graduate levels of the College of Business Administration.
“Jane has been instrumental in two areas at Belmont: increasing the value of our graduates’ diplomas and leading our master’s of accountancy (MACC) program to becoming the second largest in the state, right behind the University of Tennessee,” Pat Raines, dean of the College of Business Administration, said. “She brings extraordinary strengths to our accounting program through her extensive professional experience and achievement in the field.”
“We are very impressed with the quality of professionals coming out of this program, and we applaud Dr. Finley and Belmont for their commitment to excellence and their work to achieve AACBS accreditation,” Tom Aaron, Tennessee Managing Partner for Deloitte & Touche USA LLP. said.
Finley led the efforts at Belmont to gain accreditation for the university’s MACC program through The Association to Accredit Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), the highest standard of achievement for business schools, worldwide. Belmont’s MACC program is the smallest on record to be AACSB accredited and the only private university master’s of accountancy program in Tennessee to be recognized by AACSB. To ensure continued accreditation, Finley oversees Belmont accounting faculty publishing and continuing education efforts.
The Deloitte & Touche Professor in Accounting is appointed only at colleges and universities the firm has selected as strategic recruiting schools. Belmont was named a strategic recruiting school this year and currently has 49 graduates serving at Deloitte.
Deloitte & Touche USA LLP partners, directors and professionals from Nashville and around the nation have made the financial commitment necessary to ensure this position will be funded in perpetuity by establishing an endowment for its long term support. The fund has been left open for additional gifts from alumni, friends and supporters of the Belmont accounting program and those wishing to honor the professor in the position.
