The award is presented annually to tax professors whose innovative teaching techniques encourage critical thinking and enhance the overall learning experience.
Susan Anderson, professor of accounting in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, has been selected as a recipient of the 2015 American Taxation Association/Deloitte Teaching Innovation Award.
Anderson is receiving the award for the teaching case, “Sweetness and Spice: Tax Issues for Foodies,” which she co-authored with Lynn Stallworth, Appalachian State University.
The case’s abstract reads:
“A food blog and a catering business provide an issue-rich context in which students examine tax issues involving individuals, a partnership, and a single owner LLC. The case illustrates how advances in technology and social media occur without the issuance of directly applicable tax guidance, thus introducing students to uncertainty in interpreting the tax law and providing professional advice. The goals of the case are to increase students’ (1) abilities to identify tax issues for individuals and small home-based businesses, (2) tax research proficiency, (3) written communication skills, (4) technical knowledge, and (5) experience in tax planning. The case helps students develop four of the core competencies expressed in the AICPA’s CPA Vision Project (2012) including improving students’ abilities to interpret converging information, think strategically and critically, communicate effectively, and adeptly use technology. Student responses also indicate that the case helped develop their issue identification, tax research and writing skills.”
According to the ATA, the primary objective of the award is to encourage creativity and experimentation with new and unusual ideas in tax courses.
The award will be presented to Anderson and Stallworth at the American Accounting Association annual meeting in August.
Anderson joined Elon’s faculty in 2014 and teaches income tax and financial accounting courses.
Prior to Elon, Anderson taught at Appalachian State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She received a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Arlington and bachelors and masters degrees from the University of North Texas. She is a Certified Public Accountant in North Carolina, as well as a Certified Financial Planner.