4.12.2007 - 10:27am ET

(CSRwire) WILTON, CT - April 12, 2007 – A team of four students from the University of Washington took first place honors back to Seattle this week as winners of the annual case competition held at the 12th annual Deloitte National Student Case Study Seminar sponsored by the Deloitte Foundation, the not-for-profit arm of Deloitte & Touche USA LLP. Five students from the University of Southern California placed second in the competition held recently in Scottsdale, Arizona. In addition to the winners, the four other colleges and universities participating in this year’s competition were: Florida A&M University, University of Houston, Miami University, and Michigan State University.

The competition is a nationwide event sponsored by the Deloitte Foundation in which six teams of undergraduate accounting students competed to solve complex case studies involving real-world financial accounting issues. In the seminar, each student team solves cases with the support of a faculty advisor and a Deloitte & Touche LLP manager. The teams present their cases and solutions to a panel of active and retired partners, who play the role of a client company's senior management or audit committee members. At the seminar's conclusion, the panel selects the student teams that best identify the relevant accounting issues and most effectively present their case.

"The National Student Case Study Seminar is a rigorous and stimulating exercise that stretches these students in a way that sharpens skills critical to success in the professional working environment – from research, analyzing technical issues and working as a team to effectively present collaborative work," said Shaun Budnik, president of the Deloitte Foundation and partner of Deloitte & Touche USA. "We congratulate all six of the outstanding case competition schools for their hard work on this program. All of the participating schools should be very proud of their students' performance."

Frank Hodge, faculty advisor and assistant professor of accounting, University of Washington noted, "The National Case Competition provides an excellent forum for students to hone their research and communication skills while building meaningful relationships with others in the accounting profession. I am deeply grateful for the Deloitte Foundation’s generosity in sponsoring this event. I believe it goes a long way towards helping students become young professionals and future leaders of the profession."

The competition is funded through contributions from retired partners of the Deloitte U.S. Firms. In addition to the honors, each participant from the University of Washington team will receive a $1,000 scholarship; second-place team participants from the University of Southern California will receive $500 scholarships; and members of the four other finalist teams will receive $250.

This was the first year that a student team representing the University of Washington secured first place honors at the Deloitte Foundation event. Previously, the school placed second – twice – once in 2002 and also in 1996.

The National Student Case Study Seminar is one of many educational events sponsored by the Deloitte Foundation each year. Others include the Doctoral Fellowship Program, the American Accounting Association/Deloitte/J. Michael Cook Doctoral Consortium, the Robert M. Trueblood Seminars for Professors, the Deloitte Tax Case Study Regional and National Competitions, the Deloitte/Federation of Schools of Accountancy Faculty Consortium, and the Tax Faculty Symposium.

About the Deloitte Foundation
The Deloitte Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that supports teaching, research, and curriculum innovation in accounting, business, and related fields within the U.S. The Foundation, founded in 1928, supports an array of national programs, which are relevant to a variety of professional services, and which benefit undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty. For more information, please visit the Deloitte Foundation web page at www.deloitte.com/us/df.

About Deloitte
Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a Swiss Verein, its member firms and their respective subsidiaries and affiliates. As a Swiss Verein (association), neither Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu nor any of its member firms has any liability for each other's acts or omissions. Each of the member firms is a separate and independent legal entity operating under the names "Deloitte", "Deloitte & Touche", "Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu" or other related names. Services are provided by the member firms or their subsidiaries or affiliates and not by the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Verein.

Deloitte & Touche USA LLP is the US member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. In the US, services are provided by the subsidiaries of Deloitte & Touche USA LLP (Deloitte & Touche LLP, Deloitte Consulting LLP, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP, Deloitte Tax LLP and their subsidiaries), and not by Deloitte & Touche USA LLP.

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