Chapter 8: Developing and Assessing Wellbeing in the Accounting Curriculum

Although the mental and physical health of students on college campuses has been under scrutiny, little has been done at the program level to assess and improve an accounting student’s overall wellbeing. This chapter describes a wellbeing program integrated into the curriculum of a small accounting program in the American Midwest. It documents the implementation steps, what was learned from the program, and how it can be used to improve both individual student wellbeing, as well as the accounting program as a whole. Integrating a concern for student wellbeing into our accounting curriculum and creating awareness around the areas of wellbeing has been beneficial for both students and faculty. Students are able to learn about the wellbeing principles and apply them to their lives. Faculty gain insight into the lives of students and are able to understand them better. With that understanding, faculty can alter programs and approaches, which may then help with student retention, and enable students to be better ambassadors for our program and for the accounting profession.