Academic Spotlight: Accounting Instructor Suzette Pounds

Suzette Pounds, CPA, MACC understands the online educational experience personally; she was an online student herself.

For more than nine years, Pounds has worked as an adjunct accounting instructor in Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) online master’s in accounting program.

Before that, Pounds earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Georgia and began her professional career in public accounting. She soon discovered an interest in taxation. While working at a large credit union, Pounds passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and was promoted to controller.

After years of working as a controller, Pounds made a change.

“I left the corporate world in 1994 to start my tax and accounting practice out of my home so that I could have flexibility to raise my children,” she said. "I am celebrating 30 years in business.”

In 2010, while juggling her business and her duties a single mother to two children, Pounds decided to earn her masters in accountancy–taxation at Gardner-Webb University as an online student. She completed her degree in less than 2 years. 

“I believe that my experience of having earned my undergraduate degree in a traditional in-person college environment, and then going back to school to earn my graduate degree in a fully online educational experience all while balancing work and children as a single mom has helped me to be a better online teacher and mentor for my students," she said.

After earning her master's, Pounds began teaching and developing courses in an online environment, as well, while working as a full-time accounting instructor at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Within a year, Pounds was the accounting program chairwoman and grew the department, adding online options for each accounting course, as well as two certificates so students could satisfy the 30-hour requirement to sit for the Certified Public Accountant examination.

“SNHU hires instructors who have real-life professional experience which adds to classroom discussion,” said Pounds. “The instructors and administration truly care about our students and want them to excel and support them on their journey to reach for the careers they desire.”

Pounds said SNHU is a good option for students interested in earning their graduate accounting degree.

“SNHU continues to be an exceptional college for students wishing to complete their educational journey,” she said. “I am grateful for the experience I’ve had in being a mentor and instructor for our graduate accounting students.”