WINONA LAKE — Grace College honors professor of accounting Dr. Roger Stichter’s 28 years of service to the institution upon announcing his retirement as a full-time professor at the end of the academic year.
Stichter served as the only accounting faculty at Grace for most of the 25 years before alumni and others contributed $1.5 million to fund the Dr. Roger Stichter Endowed Chair of Accounting in 2023, according to a news release from Grace. During his tenure, the accounting program grew more than fivefold and has earned national recognition for its graduates’ CPA pass rates.
“For 28 years, Dr. Roger Stichter has been the model of dedication and effectiveness in the pursuit of training a new generation of accountants,” said Dr. Jeff Fawcett, dean of the School of Business at Grace. “His effort has created a program with graduates who perform at the top of their peer group regardless of the comparator. This is true academically with consistent top-tier results on the CPA Examination First Time Pass Rates and professionally as highly sought-after employees after graduation. The most important thing is that Roger puts his faith and family first and is truly an honorable man of God and the kind of role model students are eager to emulate.”
The success of the program under Stichter’s leadership speaks for itself, the release states. Grace has graduated numerous High-Grade Winners by the Indiana Certified Public Accountant Society, scoring among the top 10 highest cumulative scores in the state. In 2020, Grace’s CPA pass rates were ranked in the top 7% nationwide for “first-time, small programs,” and in 2010, the graduating class's first-time CPA pass rates were in the top 10 among all schools nationwide. In 2018, accountingedu.org recognized Grace College as the most effective and efficient accounting program among all private colleges and universities in Indiana.
Program graduates routinely credit Stichter for instilling values of hard work, dedication and service, which not only equip them for the CPA but also their careers and lives.
“I am one of the many students Dr. Stichter has personally impacted through his exceptional teaching and intentional mentoring in and out of the classroom,” said Jessica Bricker, a 2003 Grace graduate who now serves as a financial advisor at Winona Wealth Management and a board member for Grace. “Dr. Stichter has dedicated his life to educating and equipping accounting students to pursue excellence with integrity, great work ethic and determination. When I think of his legacy, the words 'good and faithful servant' come to mind.”
Bricker is one of more than 300 alumni Stichter maintains a connection with via monthly emails, where he provides program updates, shares job opportunities and encourages alumni to use their career to make an impact.
Quentin Blackford, a 1999 Grace graduate who serves as the president and chief executive officer of iRhythm Technologies in San Francisco, Calif., is also quick to cite Stichter’s influence in his life.
“The Christ-centered foundation that I received while at Grace prepared me for my career in ways that have been invaluable along my journey," said Blackford. "Dr. Stichter has a unique ability rooted in his faith and real-world business experience to bring the two together that prepare students to move into their professional careers in ways that other programs can't replicate. Seeing how Dr. Stichter lived out his faith daily was an example I admired and continue to try to live to daily. While he will be greatly missed, we are so glad to carry his legacy forward and look forward to seeing the continued impact on students through the Dr. Roger Stichter Endowed Chair of Accounting."
Stichter will retire from full-time faculty status this May and help the program’s next hire in a part-time capacity. According to Grace College President Dr. Drew Flamm, Stichter’s legacy will remain long after he retires.
“Roger has modeled for students, faculty and staff alike what it means to know Christ and make Him known, which is the heartbeat of our campus,” said Flamm. “His teaching, his mentorship and his presence will be greatly missed at Grace College, and we pray that God guides him and uses him greatly in the next season.”
To learn more about the open role in accounting at Grace, visit www.grace.edu/about/grace-college/employment/current-openings/assistant-associate-professor-of-accounting/.
To learn more about the accounting program at Grace, visit https://www.grace.edu/programs/accounting/.