Associate Professor Charlene Spiceland was named the 2021 Outstanding Educator of the Year by the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA), based on nominations submitted by her students. Spiceland is retiring after five years of leading the accounting program at Simmons.
“Teaching at Simmons has been the best experience of my teaching career,” says Spiceland. “Simmons allows for collaboration among faculty and fosters a close-knit community. I have been able to be very involved in university, college, and business school committees where I not only met many people but also learned a lot about academia.”
According to their website, the MSCPA is a professional association of certified public accountants, representing over 11,000 members. Each year, the MSCPA recognizes a full-time accounting educator at a college or university who has demonstrated excellence in a classroom teaching, motivating students, and inspiring educational innovation.
Spiceland joined Simmons University as an accounting program coordinator in 2016. During this time, she developed and taught all the accounting courses in the curriculum, served as academic advisor, championed the program in the business community, developed a successful internship program and spearheaded the establishment of a Beta Alpha Psi chapter. Spiceland takes pride in personally mentoring each of her students regarding academic, career and life decisions.
“Simmons students are wonderful, and having the honor of working with them has been a privilege beyond words!” says Spiceland. “I have developed relationships with my students and keep in contact after graduation. I continue to watch their careers grow, and I am so proud of all my students. The ability to have a positive influence in so many lives is what teaching is all about.”
Noting that students were one of the highlights of her time at Simmons, Spiceland leaves the following words of advice for students, regardless of their program:
“Be bold and go after your goals. Don’t let a few bumps along the way distract you from what you want to do. If you find yourself at a dead-end or you are unhappy with your career, re-evaluate what you thought you wanted and make a change. Finally, use your accomplishments to help others. Giving back is the most rewarding thing you can do!”