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Starting the Accounting Society gave us a way to bring people together, build confidence, and create opportunities for students coming after us.Ria MacIver and Charlotte Slade | 91快活林 | BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance and BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance with Law
While their paths to Abertay were very different, both Ria MacIver and Charlotte Slade found opportunities to challenge themselves, build their confidence and make a lasting contribution to student life.
Together, they established the Abertay Accounting Society, creating new opportunities for students to connect, develop professionally and engage directly with employers. What began as an idea to strengthen a small academic community grew into an award-nominated society that will continue to support students long after they graduate.
For Ria, choosing Abertay meant taking a different route from many of her peers in the islands. While Glasgow was the destination for many students she knew, she was drawn to Abertay and impressed by the support she received from during the UCAS process. The University's quick responses and welcoming approach gave her confidence in her decision, and she soon discovered the benefits of studying in a smaller cohort, with regular access to lecturers and a more personal learning experience.
Charlotte's route to Abertay was very different. Originally from London, she arrived in Dundee after sixth form college uncertain about whether university was the right step for her. Having never visited the city before applying, receiving an unconditional offer encouraged her to take a chance. What initially felt like a leap into the unknown quickly became, as she describes it, one of the best decisions she could have made.
Having benefited from the close-knit nature of Abertay themselves, both students began to look for ways to strengthen the sense of community within their own programme.
By the end of their second year, they had identified an opportunity to bring Accounting students together beyond the classroom. As one of the University's smaller programmes, there was scope to create more opportunities for students across different year groups to connect. Rather than wait for someone else to take the lead, Ria and Charlotte decided to make it happen themselves.
Ria said:
Starting the Accounting Society was about creating something we felt was missing. We wanted students to have more opportunities to connect, support each other, and feel part of a wider community.
Establishing the Accounting Society from scratch, they built it around both community and employability. Social meet-ups over coffee or drinks gave students a chance to get to know one another, while careers-focused events brought in professional insight and practical advice. The Society hosted sessions on CV writing and interview skills, and Ria and Charlotte also reached out proactively to firms across Dundee and Scotland to help create new connections for members.
Charlotte said:
We wanted the Society to be useful as well as social. Bringing in careers support and connecting with employers helped make it something students could really benefit from.
The response showed there was a real appetite for what they had created. The Society grew to around 20 members, a strong result for such a small programme, and even attracted interest from students outside Accounting. Local college students attended meetings, while others from different disciplines came along to learn more about the profession and the transferable skills it offers.
The Society was nominated in the Women in Banking and Finance Inclusive University Awards in 2025, recognising the impact Ria and Charlotte had made in creating opportunities for others.
They also received a letter of recognition from Dr Emilee Simmons, Head of Dundee Business School, thanking them for setting up the Society and acknowledging the contribution it had made to the student experience.
With the Society now in the hands of its next student leaders, Ria and Charlotte are proud of the community they helped create and the opportunities it will continue to provide for future students.
Ria said:
The Society gave us the chance to make a real difference for other students. It was rewarding to see people come along, get involved, and grow in confidence. For both of us, building the Society became one of the defining parts of our time at Abertay.
Charlotte has already secured a graduate role as an Accounts Analyst with a small firm in Aberdeen, where she will begin a three-year graduate scheme after finishing at Abertay, while Ria is pursuing Master's study at the University of St Andrews.
For both students, the experience of building the Accounting Society has given them skills, confidence and connections that will stay with them as they take their next steps.
