It’s March Madness season — but in Daniel Siciliano’s ACC 202 class at UNLV’s Lee Business School, students are building a different kind of game plan: one for academic success.
“In the first week, students map out their study strategy to hit a target grade,” says Siciliano. “After the first test, they reflect and adjust. Many tell me those assignments were key to their success.”
That approach — strategy, reflection, adaptation — runs through everything in Siciliano’s class. Walk in, and you won’t find a quiet lecture hall. Instead, it’s buzzing with group work, live polls, review games, and real-world applications — all with over 100 students.
The Course: Managerial Accounting
ACC 202 centers on three pillars: planning, controlling, and decision making. Students start by “budgeting” for their own grade, then revise their approach post-exam. “It teaches them how to plan, reflect, and adapt — skills that go beyond accounting,” Siciliano says.
Despite the large class size, he builds a tight-knit community. On day one, each class takes a themed group photo for a friendly LinkedIn competition. Recent entries included “Accounting Is Cool Again” and “Professor Loses Control.” The most creative team wins a prize.
Who’s teaching it?
Siciliano is a CPA, UNLV alumnus, and former executive at International Game Technology. He has taught ACC 202 every semester for over 12 years with a clear goal: make accounting fun and relevant.
“This is where we take the rules from ACC 201 and actually apply them,” he says. “We decode what the numbers mean and why they matter.”
How does it work?
Beyond business concepts, students explore personal finance and career paths — vital for sophomores choosing majors. Guest speakers, like former Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox, bring lessons on leadership, culture, and crisis management.
And then there’s the beloved “99% Club”: students who score 99% before the final are exempt — but must write a motivational letter to inspire the next class.
How do students connect with each other?
Siciliano keeps students engaged by rotating activities every 15 minutes — polls, videos, group problems, lectures — while weaving in headlines and stories from his industry experience. And he uses a “You, Y’all, We” method — meaning students learn solo, in groups, and as a class — to reinforce concepts for different types of learning styles.
Outside of class, students stay connected through Discord, share resources, and complete interactive assignments in Canvas and Connect. “They get the flexibility of online learning, plus the energy of in-person interaction,” he says.
Lessons in Accounting for Everyone
Even non-accounting majors walk away with practical skills. “A businessperson who can’t speak accounting is like a dentist with bad teeth — it just doesn’t work,” Siciliano says. “I’ve seen talented execs fail in meetings just because they didn’t speak the language."
He applies that same philosophy to his teaching methods. “To me, students are customers,” he adds. “I tweak the course every semester to make sure it works for them.”
Siciliano will teach ACC 202 again in Fall 2025, and with real-world skills, career-ready confidence, and a community-first vibe — his students will leave class in the black far beyond the final exam.
