Accounting professor establishes scholarship

A scholarship established by a Seidman College of Business faculty member will allow accounting students who are pursuing master's degrees to get into the field faster.

Richard Veazey, associate professor of accounting and taxation, established the scholarship after noticing how difficult it was for students to combine work and accounting classes and finish the program within a year.

“Since the program was established in 2002, less than 10 percent of students have completed the degree requirements within 12 months,” Veazey said. “This is because most students are working full time and trying to take courses after a full day of work.”

A luncheon was held in mid-July to celebrate the announcement.

President Thomas J. Haas, during a luncheon in mid-July to announce the scholarship, thanked Veazey and noted his efforts indicate the investment faculty members make in preparing students for the workforce.

“It’s especially rewarding when one of our faculty — those who know us best — makes the commitment to give back to the institution they have partnered with so successfully,” Haas said.

H. James Williams, dean of the Seidman College of Business, said the college now has 22 privately funded scholarships, established by organizations or individual donors.

“This scholarship covers all costs for a master’s student, so the recipient will not need to juggle the stress of work and studies,” Williams said. “They will have time to be extremely focused and productive in all their efforts.”

Williams noted that Grand Valley’s accounting program is among the tops in Michigan, as students have the second highest pass rates on licensure exams.

Veazey began working for Grand Valley in 1979. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Ferris State College, master’s of business administration at Central Michigan University and a doctorate at St. Louis University.