SIUE School of Business Named IAEP Internal Audit Foundation Program
The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Academic Relations Committee (ARC) has accepted Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s School of Business into its Internal Auditing Education Partnership Program (IAEP) program as an IAEP Internal Audit Foundation Program.
SIUE is the only university affiliated with the St. Louis Chapter of the IIA to receive the designation and only the fourth accounting program in Illinois to be recognized.
ARC Chairman Rudrik du Bruyn, CIA, sent a congratulatory letter to SIUE Associate Professor of Accounting Jamie Hoelscher, PhD, CIA, and said, “The Academic Relations Committee has demonstrated its firm belief that SIUE will make impactful contributions to the next generation of internal auditors.”
“Being recognized as an IAEP program puts our program in both a national and global spotlight,” said Hoelscher, who will serve as SIUE’s IAEP coordinator. “While only four schools in the state have this designation, less than 40 schools in the United States have it, with roughly 55 schools globally receiving it. It is a formal acknowledgement of our department’s ability to prepare students for a career in internal audit.”
Hoelscher said the process took years of work and collaboration between the SIUE Department of Accounting faculty and the St. Louis IIA Chapter. SIUE had to demonstrate a commitment to offering internal audit-related coursework in its curriculum by qualified faculty. Extensive documentation was warranted to show course offerings, course availability, faculty qualifications, faculty contributions to the profession and a resources commitment to ensure students get appropriate exposure to the necessary coursework.
Du Bruyn noted that participation in the IAEP program identifies SIUE as a forward-thinking school that recognizes the importance of the internal auditing profession as a career choice. “SIUE is to be commended for bringing internal auditing education to its academic curriculum in order to prepare future internal auditors,” he said.
“Inclusion in the IAEP program helps us to strengthen our partnership with our local St. Louis IIA chapter and further enables our students to bridge the gap with the profession,” Hoelscher said. “Increased access to educational and practice-based resources at the local and global level will be available for our students and faculty alike.
“Our students will have more direct access to the profession, with increased guest speakers in the classroom, access to local and global workshops, training and networking events, as well as increased opportunities for internal auditing internship and jobs not only in the St. Louis area, but also globally. In addition, our students will be recognized as coming from a school that places a strong emphasis on professionally developing internal auditors for the workforce.”
A formal presentation will be given at the Internal Audit Student Exchange (IASE) on September 18-20 in Orlando.
Photo: SIUE Associate Professor of Accounting Jamie Hoelscher, PhD, CIA.
