The UT Dallas School of Management’s top-ranked internal audit program kicks off a campaign Friday to sustain the program’s mission to prepare a steady stream of graduates to meet industry demand.
The endowment committee for the Center for Internal Auditing Excellence at UT Dallas has already raised nearly $300,000 toward its $1 million goal for 2011. The endowment will support scholarships, teaching assistants, seminars, conferences, research, and educational programs.
“The endowment is shaping up nicely. The gifts we’ve received so far are a great first step toward reaching our goal,” Center Director Mark Salamasick said. “The long-term investment in the endowment will allow for the hard work of creating the program to be sustainable in the future.”
UT Dallas’ internal audit program has been recognized by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) for the past eight years as one of the five top globally – and one of only two in the U.S. – for training internal auditors. It is the largest graduate program focused on internal audit in the nation and has graduated more than 300 students.
Two supporters of the internal audit program – the Dallas Chapter of the IIA and JCPenney – seeded the new endowment, and other key supporters include the IIA Academic Advancement Fund, Southwest Airlines, A.H. Belo and KBR. School of Management Dean Hasan Pirkul has agreed to match the funds raised by the program’s endowment committee.
“It’s expensive to go back to college to get a master’s degree. A strong scholarship program will allow UT Dallas to attract the very best candidates for its internal audit program. Getting top students into that program and then into the auditing community does nothing but help the profession. Everyone benefits from higher standards,” said Denny Beran, chairman of the endowment advisory committee and chief audit executive at JCPenney.
“School of Management internal audit graduates are considered among the best in the field and sought by internationally renowned corporations and organizations across all industries and throughout the public sector. We want to ensure that future internal auditors have the best tools, training and academic support possible,” Salamasick said.
The internal audit program’s advisory committee is hosting an endowment campaign kick-off reception on Friday, Sept. 9. The event will be held 4-6 p.m. at the School of Management.
For more information about the program or the endowment campaign, contact Salamasick at 972-883-4729 or mark.salamasick@utdallas.edu.