Gina Singleton draws from a deep well of experience when teaching accounting classes in the Columbia College Robert W. Plaster School of Business.
Her experiences as an auditor are not what you might expect.
From climbing up oil tanks to sampling Hostess cupcakes and even traveling to Nepal, Singleton shares examples from working with clients in a variety of industries that prove the profession of accounting is much more than its number-crunching misconception.
“Accounting is the language of business,” Singleton says. “It’s crucial for investors, creditors and managers to have a record of their financial statements in order to make sound decisions.”
“Accounting is the language of business. It’s crucial for investors, creditors and managers to have a record of their financial statements in order to make sound decisions.”
Columbia College Accounting Professor Gina Singleton
Singleton, an Associate Professor of Accounting, has been a full-time faculty member at CC since 2017. She holds her Master’s in Accountancy from the University of Missouri and is a licensed CPA in the state of Missouri. She previously worked as a senior auditor for a major public accounting firm and as an accountant in the construction industry.
She was selected as the 2023 recipient of the Columbia College Trustees Award for Teaching Excellence and the Deans’ Award for Excellence in Teaching.
“Most students come in with the mindset of, ‘I’m not going to be good at this,’” Singleton says of her classes. “I think once the students get to know my personality, they are a little less intimidated by the subject because I try to create a comfortable, exciting classroom culture.
“That’s what I take the most pride in.”
Singleton aims to be approachable and interactive in the classroom, offering her students the best experience possible.
“When I was in college, I don’t think I went to any of my professors’ office hours. I don’t even think I really asked them questions in class. With the small class sizes we have, you’re able to do that, and you’re also able to have class discussions together,” Singleton says.
