NEW DYNAMIC HANDS-ON PROJECT FOR ACCOUNTING AND BUSINESS STUDENTS - `ADRIAN PROJECT`

The first of its kind on a Minnesota state college and university campus, Bemidji State University will have the largest participation rate in the history of the The `Adrian Project!`  This dynamic hands-on project is a one-day program that turns accounting & business majors into `Special Agents` for the day. This unique program places college students into groups, assigning them to solve hypothetical financial crimes. Some of the hypothetical investigations involve business owners skimming from their company, a bar owner with a second set of books, a multiple-filer scheme, and a drug trafficker. Each group has an experienced Special Agent or retiree who coaches them and provides learning points along the way, but it is up to the `Honorary Agents` to follow the paper trial. Their five-hour investigation may start with an anonymous informant, a meeting with local law enforcement, or a bag of garbage. The accounting students select their next steps in gathering evidence, usually taking them to potential witnesses, played by seasoned Special Agents, CPA`s, and other volunteers. Some of the students will utilize the tools available to federal law enforcement officers, including use of undercover, surveillance, subpoena, and search warrants. At the end of their scenarios, the students meet as a group to talk about their investigation and receive an evaluation from their coaches.

 The pilot program was first offered at Adrian College, Adrian, Michigan, in February 2002 for 25 accounting and criminal justice majors. As of 2005, IRS CI has offered this program 15 times in Michigan, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, with a record 59 students from Central Michigan University doing 12 simultaneous scenarios at once. During this period, retired agents have participated in every Adrian Project in Michigan and now run the program at Adrian College, receiving an honorarium from the school for their efforts.

 BSU College of Business, Technology & Communication Dean, Dr. James Maxwell, stated that this is the first time the `Adrian Project` provided by the college and  Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Unit has been offered in the College of Business, Technology and Communication at Bemidji State University.  He further stated that he is hopeful that the student response will be enthusiastic, often referring to the hands-on interaction and the life-like simulations, while feeling a sense of accomplishment when they crack the case. The project will take place March 26, 2010.