Dr Peter Baxter has almost 20 years' experience teaching a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate accounting courses at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Central Queensland University and the University of Southern Queensland. Peter has also worked in the audit division of Coopers and Lybrand (now Price Waterhouse Coopers). He is a member of the Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand (AFAANZ) and the American Accounting Association (AAA).
Throughout his academic career, Peter has used his passion for accounting to provide numerous opportunities for his students to develop into successful accounting professionals. In recognition of this, in 2011 Peter was awarded an Australian Learning and Teaching Council Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. Peter is also an Honorary Member of the Golden Key International Honour Society.
Awards
Vice-Chancellor and President's Awards for Excellence in Service 2017.
Research grants
| Project name | Investigators | Funding body | Year | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A survey of first year university students’ current perceptions of accounting | Dr Peter Baxter and Associate Professor Marie Kavanagh (USQ) | University of the Sunshine Coast - Internal Seed Grant (A$4,300) | 2007-2008 |
The major aims of this project are to identify: the current perceptions of accounting by first year university students; the factors associated with these perceptions; and the factors affecting the choice of an accounting major. |
| The impact of the CLERP 9 Act on Australian auditors | Dr Peter Baxter and Associate Professor John Sands | University of the Sunshine Coast - Internal Seed Grant (A$4,900) | 2008-2009 | The major aim of this project is to determine if the independence and quality of Australian auditors’ work has improved following the enactment of the CLERP 9 Act in 2004. |
| Corporate governance ratings and firm performance | Dr Peter Baxter and Dr Greg Laing | University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty Seed Research Grant (A$3,400) | 2011-2012 | The main questions of the proposed research are: 1. Is there a relationship between corporate governance ratings of Australian companies and their financial performance? 2. How useful are corporate governance ratings systems at explaining variations in firm performance? |
Research areas
- accounting education
- audit committees
- corporate governance
- auditor independence
- judgment and accounting standards
Teaching areas
- Auditing and Professional Practice
- Business Internship (Accounting)
- Company Accounting
- Strategic Financial Statement Analysis (EMBA)
Program coordinator
Dr Peter Baxter's specialist areas of knowledge include financial accounting, auditing and professional practice, contemporary accounting issues, company accounting, business internship (accounting), Strategic Financial Statement Analysis, audit committees and earnings quality, perceptions of accounting, corporate governance, auditor independence, judgement and accounting standards.