Students in the Faculty of Business Administration were given a boost today thanks to a $350,000 donation from the Society of Management Accountants of Newfoundland & Labrador. This investment will provide scholarships and support for students activities such as ACE Memorial, the Certified Management Accountants (CMA) student society and the annual Business Day conference.

The agreement also creates the CMA Professor of Accounting, a position that supports the Society of Management Accountants by providing guidance to students who are interested in pursuing the CMA designation. The inaugural CMA Professor of Accounting, Dr. Jeffrey Pittman, is currently an associate professor of accounting in the Faculty of Business Administration.

CMA Newfoundland & Labrador Executive Director Mark Bradbury was in the Faculty of Business this morning to present the Dean of Business, Dr. Gary Gorman with the cheque. “The students coming from the Faculty are of the highest calibre, and we are happy to support them,” Mr. Bradbury said. “This donation builds on the CMA accreditation the faculty earned earlier this year and will give MUN business students an advantage in pursuing their CMA designation after graduation.”

Dr. Gorman said the Faculty of Business will benefit from this new agreement. “Our partnership with CMA Newfoundland & Labrador is enormously important. It creates new opportunities for students while connecting us with the business community,” he explained. “It is an investment in the future of Newfoundland and Labrador and I am pleased to continue building our relationship with the Society of Management Accountants.”

Earlier this year, CMA Canada awarded the Faculty of Business Bachelor of Commerce (co-op) accounting program CMA accreditation, making it easier for Memorial business students to pursue their CMA designation after graduation. Memorial University is the first and only university in Atlantic Canada to receive CMA accreditation.