K-State’s accounting department has a new focus, a new name and a bright new future
With a critical gift to the College of Business Administration, Vern and Joan Herbel have helped Kansas State University usher in the next generation of accounting education.
The college has adapted its accounting department to more closely align with the goals of its strategic plan, establishing the Herbel Family School of Accountancy.
Foresight and financial expertise
This transformative academic experience was made possible by the generosity and vision of many supporters, led by longtime K-State advocates Vern and Joan Herbel. Their lead gift, establishing critical, long-term sustainable funding, provided the momentum for immediate success and laid a strong foundation of philanthropic support for the school of accountancy.
The Herbels have been key supporters of the university and its students since their graduation in the late 1970s — Vern with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and Joan with one in clothing and textiles. Both are members of the KSU Foundation Board of Trustees and life members of the K-State Alumni Association.
Vern retired as executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Torchmark Corporation, a public financial-services holding company specializing in life and supplemental health insurance. He volunteers his time and expertise as a member of the Accounting Advisory Council and dean’s Business Advisory Council. The Accounting Hall of Fame inducted him in 2019, followed by the college’s Distinguished Business Leaders Hall of Fame in 2024.
In addition to organizing and underwriting programs that recruit accounting students and help them prepare for the rigorous academic program, the Herbels have supported student success through multiple scholarship funds.
“When students see that K-State and its alumni invest in outstanding programming that prepares them for a successful career, it makes the decision to come to K-State that much easier,” Vern said. “K-State prepared me well for a long and successful business career, and Joan and I are honored to help the university envision and construct a state-of-the-art accounting school for today’s aspiring professionals.”
A cutting-edge curriculum
Highly regarded for its near-100% career placement rate and expert certified public accountant and certified management accountant exam preparation methods, K-State’s accounting department emphasizes real-world applied learning experiences coupled with international travel. The existing program was by no means broken, but the global marketplace never sits on its laurels and neither does K-State.
The separately accredited Herbel Family School of Accountancy delivers a winning combination of academic excellence and career readiness, plus robust scholarship support to ensure the ongoing needs of the program and its people are met.
The school’s four main objectives outline a well-rounded program:
- Pillar 1 | Accounting Academy: This program introduces high school and college students to accounting careers and keeps them focused on their professional goals early in their educational journey, when it’s hardest to visualize the finish line.
- Pillar 2 | SGA Gordon Family Scholars: Sponsored by Sink Gordon Accountants & Advisors, this program creates opportunities for high-performing accounting majors to excel.
- Pillar 3 | Strategic Accounting Research Center: By supporting endowed chairs and professorships and funding strategic research initiatives, this center recruits talented faculty and drives innovative teaching, research and program growth.
- Pillar 4 | Center for Accounting Innovation: Through this program, the school maximizes collaboration with alumni and industry.
“The K-State accounting program is nationally known for innovation in accounting education, and we have enjoyed much success in preparing students for accounting careers with a near-100% career placement rate,” said Brett Wilkinson, director of the Herbel Family School of Accountancy and Robert G. Chapman Endowed Chair. “With this generous gift from the Herbel family, we are poised to enhance our national reputation, grow the K-State brand and lead the way in next-gen experiential learning.”
Back this business program
You can add your name to the effort and help the Herbel Family School of Accountancy ascend to the nation’s top spot in several ways:
