The human touch. Hard work. Honesty and truthfulness. You’ve heard these words before as three of the core tenets of the Auburn Creed. I rely on these principles to impact the lives of today’s accounting students in the classroom.
I believe in the human touch. As an Auburn student, I benefited immensely from the investment the Auburn faculty made in me throughout, and after, my academic career—both personally and professionally. This investment was manifested in relationships in and out of the classroom that were more akin to those between family mentors and mentees, rather than the traditionally distant relationships between large public state university professors and their students.
These faculty mentors provided me with a rigorous educational experience that prepared me for a successful life and career after graduation, while incorporating the human touch that demonstrated how invested they were in my academic and professional success, and how much they cared about me personally. As an Auburn faculty member, I devote the same level of care to the development of deep and meaningful relationships with my students because it is important to prepare them for personal and professional success upon graduation, and groom them to serve as mentors to future generations of the Auburn Family.
I firmly believe that my students benefit from “work, hard work.” Without significant effort, they cannot master the technical accounting knowledge or develop the work ethic required to succeed in the accounting profession. To that end, my classes are rigorous.
However, I do not believe in rigor solely for rigor’s sake. Each course requirement trains the mind and the hands to work skillfully. Therefore, my instructional approach consists of in-depth theoretical explanation and discussion, coupled with numerous opportunities for practical application in and out ofvthe classroom.
Integrity is a core principle of the accounting profession, and I hold my students to high standards of academic honesty and truthfulness. I also provide them with opportunities to confront ethical dilemmas and moral quandaries from the safety of the classroom, without the high-stakes consequences that often accompany these issues in the real world. This allows them to develop and enhance their high moral character, which will win the respect and confidence of their fellow men and women, and which will prepare them to represent themselves and Auburn well when they are confronted with these issues in practice.
It is an honor to serve as a member of the Auburn faculty. This position affords me the opportunity to invest my time and talent in the next generation of the Auburn Family and to instill in them a love and respect for the values that make Auburn such a unique institution.
James Long
Associate Professor of Accounting
School of Accountancy
James Long is associate professor of accounting and is no stranger to awards. Dr. Long has the 2018 Auburn University Leischuck Endowed Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching. He was a Fulbright Scholar in 2017, where he taught accounting and international business courses at the Corvinus University in Budapest, Hungary. Dr. Long has also published numerous educational accounting cases, winning the AAA Management Accounting Section’s 2016 Outstanding Case Award.
Education requires more than classroom rigor
