Accounting will profit from Tiffany Richardson

Carroll College’s accounting program welcomed Tiffany Richardson this fall following the retirement of longtime professor Belle Marie after more than two decades at Carroll. 

Richardson is a visiting assistant professor of accounting in Carroll’s Business Department. Her primary role is teaching accounting and auditing courses, while also preparing to teach Human Resources Management next semester. 

Richardson’s course load includes introduction to financial accounting, intermediate financial accounting I and II, auditing, cost accounting, managerial accounting, accounting for the entrepreneur, and human resources management. 

Before joining Carroll, Richardson spent more than 15 years working in accounting in a variety of roles. She is a certified public accountant and holds an MBA and a master’s degree in accounting. 

Her professional experience includes financial reporting, internal controls, tax, cash flow management, payroll, and human resources. 

She also worked as a controller in private industry and most recently worked in public accounting. Richardson holds the SHRM-CP credential, giving her experience with both the financial and people sides of organizations. 

“I attended Carroll College for the first two years of my undergraduate education, so returning here as a faculty member feels very meaningful,” Richardson said. 

Richardson was born and raised in Helena and said Carroll has always held an important place in the community. 

She said she has appreciated Carroll’s academic reputation and connection to the Diocese and sense of community. 

Richardson’s arrival comes after Marie retired last spring following more than two decades at Carroll. Marie taught several accounting courses during her time at Carroll, including auditing, cost accounting, and principles of financial and managerial accounting. 

For many accounting students, Marie was a familiar face in the Business Department and played an important role in their education. Her retirement marked a transition for the department as Richardson stepped into the classroom this fall. 

“I really enjoyed having Belle as a professor. She had a lot of experience to teach from, and it showed. It seemed like she had an answer or example for everything,” said Grace Bock, a senior accounting major from Vancouver, Washington. “Belle had an abundance of knowledge that she wanted to share with us. I do miss having her as a professor.”

While transitioning to a new professor can take time, Bock said the change has gone smoothly. 

“I think the transition has gone fairly well,” Bock said. “There is always a bit of a learning curve when it comes to a new instructor, having to learn their style and approach, but it’s been smooth thus far.” 

Bock said Richardson has quickly adjusted to Carroll and has made an effort to understand what students need in the classroom. 

“I’d say she’s adjusting well, and she’s doing it fast,” Bock said. “Tiffany is definitely putting in the work to meet our learning needs while helping us reach the goals she has for us. And doing that while teaching for the first time and trying new exercises to make material more engaging is impressive.” 

As Richardson settles into her first year at Carroll, she is already looking for ways to connect accounting education to changes happening in the profession. 

This summer, Richardson hopes to work with a student in the department to develop a one-credit course focused on artificial intelligence in accounting. The course would examine how AI is being used in the accounting profession, where the technology would be headed, and the ethical questions that come with it. 

Richardson said she wants students to understand that using technology also requires professional judgment and responsibility. 

Richardson is also looking forward to helping develop Carroll’s new MBA program. She will have the opportunity to help shape the accounting curriculum as the Business Department works to create a program that reflects Carroll’s mission and values. 

As a new professor, Richardson said one of her goals is to continue learning and adjusting her teaching style. She wants to recognize when something is not working and be willing to find a better way to engage students. 

“I genuinely think accounting is such a cool subject,” Richardson said. “I want students to see that it is much more than memorizing rules or following a process.” 

Beyond the classroom, Richardson said she is most excited about becoming part of the Carroll community and building relationships with students, faculty, and staff. 

She enjoys attending volleyball games with her daughter and watching her students compete in soccer, basketball, and football. Seeing those same students in the classroom gives her the opportunity to connect with them beyond their coursework. 

“What I am most looking forward to is building relationships with students, faculty, and staff and really becoming part of the Carroll community,” Richardson said.