January 13, 2013 • Curriculum
What do you get when you mix an accountant with a design school? CCAD, the Columbus College of Art and Design, is anxious to find out.
They hired me to lead a new course as part of a wider business and entrepreneurial curriculum initiative, called rather unexcitingly “Foundations of Finance and Accounting.” Perhaps “Accounting for Artists” or “The Art of Finance” would be slightly more enticing.
Those brave souls who enrolled despite the droll title amaze me. They are entrepreneurial artists at all stages of their practice, and thy have already proven to be savvy and open to technical challenges. Their questions have been insightful and practical, and the accountant inside of me nearly squealed when one student asked about “T accounts” during the very first class.
The course will cover everything from taxes to budgeting to investment options, and students are encouraged to talk about their own diverse financial experiences. Whether they spent their childhood shielded from financial information by their parents or thrust into the uncomfortable role of defending their parents’ financial mistakes to credit collectors or others, each person’s unique history informs his financial outlook more than we often acknowledge. And whether we like it or not, many of our financial habits are formed early in life, often before we realize it.
This course will explore all of those diverse issues… while also preparing students to be successful and savvy in both a business and creative context. I’m so excited to see what might unfold!
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