When Melissa Larson took her first accounting class as an undergraduate student at Brigham Young University, she felt overwhelmed. As she received support from faculty and peers, Larson acclimated to the classes. That was over 20 years ago, and Larson still finds herself in accounting classes, this time as the professor. General Education is excited to join the University in celebrating Larson, director of the School of Accountancy, as the 2025 General Education Professorship Award. This award recognizes her teaching, course development, and commitment to General Education.
Through her years dedicated to sharing her passion for accounting with students, Larson has honed her ability to teach large section classes while maintaining her focus on seeing and serving individual students.
Photo taken by Hannah Guevara.
Larson grew up in a hardworking household. Being a first-generation college student, she aspired to have a successful career. These experiences influenced Larson to receive both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from BYU.
As a graduate student, a faculty member asked Larson if she could teach an accounting class. Although she was nervous, Larson agreed, and loved teaching. Two years after receiving her master’s and teaching at other universities, Larson received a phone call asking if she would consider teaching as an adjunct faculty member at BYU. Larson taught at BYU for 10 years before she felt prompted to pursue a Ph.D.
“I remember mentioning to a colleague and said, ‘What if I went and got a Ph.D.?’ And the response was, ‘Why would you do that? People go get a Ph.D. to get the job you have, and you have it.’ And I said, ‘I don't know, I just keep feeling this prompting,” said Larson. “I remember sitting in my office. And the thought was, ‘It doesn't have to be in accounting.’ I remember thinking, again, ‘What would it be in? That's all I've known.’ I quickly did a search and found BYU had an Instructional Psychology and Technology Ph.D. program. Now that I can get excited about—a Ph.D. that will help me think deeply about designing a course and developing the curriculum to improve the student experience.”
While still teaching at BYU, Larson began the IP&T program in 2019. Her research focused on enhancing student success in large enrollment courses. Using her own data and experiences, Larson focused on implementing her research into Accounting 200. Her first year in the program involved studying online learning, technology, and blended learning; then COVID came.
“When COVID hit, I had just done a year of studying online learning and blended learning, and I was already using Zoom. I thought, ‘It's no problem. I know exactly what to do.’ And I was able to take my class remote,” said Larson. “I was able to help colleagues, help the University, and be on committees. I then felt a little bit of this prompting was meant to help me with COVID and to help students through this.”
Photo taken by Nate Edwards, BYU Photo.
Since graduating with her Ph.D. in 2023, Larson has implemented her research and continues to look for new ways to improve her courses. One example is by offering second-chance exams. Larson and her colleagues noticed several students withdrawing from Accounting 200 if they performed poorly on tests. To help students, second-chance exams were created with the intent to provide another opportunity for students to improve their scores.
“The most interesting finding in this research study was yes, everybody did better, but they actually did better on their first attempt,” said Larson. “Just removing those high stakes, students performed better even on their first exam. And then they'd still want to do even better.”
Photo taken by Nate Edwards, BYU Photo.
Larson strives to improve her courses through early identification. After students take their first quiz, those who scored poorly receive an email providing tips to improve. Due to the increase of AI use, Larson assisted in the creation of an AI chat-bot specific for Accounting 200 questions. Larson is also aware of first-generation students and invites them to a lunch at the beginning of the semester to provide resources and help.
Throughout Larson’s career, she has prayed for inspiration and guidance. When she first started teaching GE courses, Larson felt the impression to bear her testimony to her students. Although it seemed small, bearing her testimony changed the way Larson integrates spiritual messages. As her classes have significantly grown in size, Larson had to rethink how to approach her course.
“How am I going to teach a class of 700? They're not going to get the attention they need. And as I struggled with that, I started to study more of the Savior's life. And as I did, I was able to see how he was able to teach the masses, yet serve the one,” Larson said. “Every decision I make, every communication I send out, every interaction with the students in Accounting 200 is intentional and deliberate into the masses, but still to serve the one.”
Photo taken by Hannah Guevara.
Larson builds her courses to be inclusive, empathetic, and inspiring. Her department strives to be inclusive by holding open houses the first week of school and providing necessary resources to students. Larson works to understand her students’ needs while still holding them accountable. She strives to inspire her students in their personal growth.
Larson appreciates the space BYU provides for students and faculty and loves how GE courses deepen and broaden students. She continually is motivated by her students and always looks forward to the energy they bring in her classroom. She is thankful for her colleagues and students who have helped along her journey and have shaped her BYU experience.
“I believe BYU gives a real lived experience of becoming a disciple scholar.”