While everyone was still talking about the collapse of Enron Corporation, Notre Dame was teaching about it.
Thomas Frecka, Lizzadro Professor of Accountancy, taught a five-week symposium spring semester on the business and accounting issues associated with the collapse of the giant energy-trading company. Topics included accounting disclosures, off-balance-sheet financing, audit services, and legal and ethical issues.
“The Enron debacle is the most important event to impact the accounting profession in recent memory,” Frecka said. “[W]e would be remiss if we didn’t provide a forum for our students and members of the financial community to explore the issues.”
The one-credit course was open to students with at least nine hours of accounting courses or could be taken for no credit and at charge by other interested students, accounting professionals and the general public. Eighty-six undergraduate and graduate students enrolled, along with about 50 members of the general public.
Notre Dame Magazine, Summer 2002