“Cooking the Books”: The Enron Scandal

The course “Cooking the Books: Corporate Financial Fraud and the Enron Scandal” offers an incisive look into the realm of corporate deceit, focusing intensively on one of the most notorious cases of financial fraud—Enron. Participants delve into the complex accounting tactics such as mark-to-market accounting and the use of off-balance-sheet special purpose entities, which were central to Enron’s strategy to mislead investors about the company’s financial health. The curriculum provides a broader understanding of corporate governance, ethics, and the regulatory framework designed to prevent such frauds, highlighted by discussions on the roles of executives, auditors, regulators, and board members. Students will dissect the Enron case to understand the broader implications for corporate America, culminating in an examination of the legislative aftermath, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.