Editor's Letter
By Kathy Williams

Meeting the Challenge: The University Accounting Program Corporate America Needs
By Bill Cummings, CPA, Ph.D.; Robert E. Bennett, CMA, CPA, Ph.D.; and Carol J. Normand, CPA, Ed.D.
The accounting faculty at Northern Illinois University reengineered its accounting curriculum to better prepare its students to meet the needs of Corporate America, public accounting, and the not-for-profit sector.

Using Decision Trees to Manage Capital Budgeting Risk
By Jack C. Bailes, Ph.D., and James F. Nielsen, Ph.D.
Forest products companies are particularly suited to using decision trees for capital budgeting because they must take environmental and social responsibilities into account as they pursue bottom line results.

Activity-Based Costing for Higher Education Institutions
By Lakshmi U. Tatikonda, CMA, CPA, Ph.D., and Rao J. Tatikonda, CFPIM, Ph.D.
While manufacturers have been using activity-based costing (ABC) for several years now, only a few colleges and universities in the United States are doing so. Here’s a way they can use ABC to tighten their financial management and allocate their resources more efficiently.

Developing a Balanced Scorecard to Implement Strategy at St. Elsewhere Hospital
By Russ Kershaw, Ph.D., and Susan Kershaw, RN, OCN
The introduction of managed care has increased the competitive nature of the healthcare industry, so, more than ever, hospitals need to link their vision and strategy to the daily activities of their employees. The Balanced Scorecard can help them do this.

Using Drum-Buffer-Rope Scheduling Rather Than Just-In-Time Production
By Patricia Huff, CPA, Ph.D.
Drum-Buffer-Rope scheduling may be better than Just-in-Time because it works with a company’s existing production system and constaints rather than making complicated changes to the process.