Download the Higher Education Accounting Forum Brochure (PDF)

Overview

The "not-to-miss" event for advanced-level accounting and finance professionals, The Higher Education Accounting Forum offers the latest information on trends, issues, updates, and best practices in both financial and managerial accounting and analysis for all types of institutions.  The conference-type program presents plenary sessions for key presentations and discussions, as well as smaller sessions to address special topics or bring together participants from similar institutions.  Formal presentations are intermingled with ample "roundtable" exchanges to provide both state-of-the-art information and opportunities for networking and discussion of ideas and challenges among peers. Who Should Attend: Chief financial officers Assistant/associate vice presidents Accounting managers Budget directors Controllers Internal auditors Prerequisites No prerequisites and/or advance preparation required. Course Level mid-level to high-level Fees Early Bird Rate Non-member: $749.00 Standard Rate (after 3/27/2006) To assure timely processing, mail-in registration is available only until the early bird deadline. Please postmark form by 3/27/2006. Online registration remains open until program reaches capacity. NOTE: NACUBO professional development programs are often sell-outs. Please secure air and hotel reservations only after confirmation of registration.

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Schedule

Sunday, March 26
11:00 AM	Registration Opens
1:00 PM	Welcome and Introductory Remarks
1:15 PM	Keynote - Commission on Higher Education
	The new Secretary of Education’s commission is charged with developing a comprehensive national strategy for postsecondary education that will meet the needs of America's diverse population and also address the economic and workforce needs of the country's future. Learn what the commission's goals and objectives are and what business officers need to know.
2:15 PM	Governance, Finance, Accountability and Public Perception - a CFO's Perspective
	This session will focus on the chief financial officer’s role in assisting the President and the Board of Trustees to maintain a strong and positive public image.  With a focus on communication and relationships, Ms. Palmer concentrates on the responsibility of the CFO to assist the institution in preserving its public image and avoiding scandals.
3:15 PM	Refreshment Break
3:45 PM	Round Table Discussions - Large Schools
	Join your peers at like-sized schools to focus on your shared challenges and concerns.  Bring your topics, learn what others are doing as they face similar issues, and take part in the lively discussions.
3:45 PM	Round Table Discussions - Small Schools
5:15 PM	Welcome Reception
Monday, March 27
7:00 AM	Continental Breakfast
8:00 AM	NACUBO and Accounting Principles Council Update
	Take a quick tour through the political and operating environments in which institutions of higher education exist today.  The discussion includes key legislative and regulatory developments affecting colleges and universities and the current mood on Capitol Hill relating to higher education policy.
8:45 AM	Concurrent Session: Tax Update - Compensation & Taxable Benefits
	Review the latest tax developments related to compensation and fringe benefit issues including the IRS's current audit initiative in this area.
8:45 AM	Concurrent Session: Proposed Operating Measure Guidance
	NACUBO's Accounting Principles Council has issued guidance for those independent institutions that choose to present an operating measure. The presenters discuss the most common items excluded from operations and why. Also discussed are disclosures of these same items.
8:45 AM	Concurrent Session: The California Community College Solution To GASB 45
	California community colleges are leaders in formulating a response to Other Post Employment Benefit (OPEB) requirements per GASB standard 45. Presenters describe the liability faced by California community colleges, the anticipated budget and accounting impact on districts, and strategies chief business officers are taking to fund their OPEB liability.
10:00 AM	Refreshment Break
10:30 AM	Concurrent Session: Financial Reporting to the Board
	A college President and Vice President from public and independent institutions respectively explain how to effectively translate and present university financial statements to trustees.
10:30 AM	Concurrent Session: AICPA - Audit Guide Update
	The AICPA has undertake a multiyear project to update and revise the guidance provided in the AICPA Audit and Accounting Guide, Not-for-Profit Organizations. Nancy Shelmon will provide an update of the progress to-date and identify some of the issues that are being addressed.
10:30 AM	Concurrent Session: What Are Rating Agencies Looking at These Days? - Panel
	Join representatives of higher education’s three rating agencies as they discuss topics such as self-liquidity, lines of credit, leveraging investment returns, derivative debt and interest rate swaps.  Learn about the current industry thinking and what it means for the future of higher education.
11:45 AM	Lunch
1:00 PM	General Session - 21st Century Challenges: Implications for the Future
	The federal government's financial condition and long-term fiscal outlook present enormous challenges to our nation's ability to respond to emerging forces reshaping American society, the United States’ place in the world, and the future role of the federal government.  Comptroller General Walker will discuss these broader challenges, as well as the specific implications these issues present to the higher education communities.
2:15 PM	Concurrent Session: AICPA Panel Session - Valuation of Alternative Investments
	Learn what an auditor and an issuer of accounting standards recommend regarding alternative investment valuation. Participants will receive up to date thinking and guidance on this pressing issue.
2:15 PM	Concurrent Session: Growing Your Accounting Staff - Design an Integrated Competency System
	What are the core competencies your staff should possess?  Find out how to develop an understandable, comprehensive approach to integrating competencies, milestones, salary relationships, hiring/selection processes, and career development using work planning and Web-based knowledge resources. Hear how staff and superviors use these tools for increased career- and self- management. A University of Michigan model serves as the basis for discussion.
2:15 PM	Concurrent Session: Governance and Conflict of Interest - What Went Wrong?
	Larry Goldstein delves into a higher education cases on conflicts of interest and ethical lapses to help participants understand tactical prevention techniques.
3:30 PM	Refreshment Break
4:00 PM	Concurrent Session / Roundtable Discussion - Financial Reporting - Public Institutions
	Bring your questions and add your perspective to this interactive discussion around higher education budgeting and financial planning challenges.
4:00 PM	Concurrent Session / Roundtable Discussion: Financial Reporting - Independent Institutions
	Join the interactive discussion regarding current challenges, possible solutions, and best practices in financial reporting at independent institutions.
4:00 PM	Concurrent Session / Roundtable Discussion: Higher Education Budgeting
	Bring your questions and perspective to this interactive discussion around higher education budgeting and financial planning challenges.
Tuesday, March 28
7:00 AM	Continental Breakfast
8:00 AM	Disaster Recovery: How Higher Education Works Together During A Crisis
	In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, the American Council on Education (ACE) and the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) have created CampusRelief.org, a resource for institutions, students, faculty and staff to aid in the recovery from these natural disasters. Participants will hear about recovery lessons learned in terms of  industry, people, operational, and financial contingency.
9:15 AM	Concurrent Session: FASB Update
	Get the latest information and updates, including reports on current FASB projects and other accounting and reporting matters.
9:15 AM	Concurrent Session: GASB Update
	This session includes a description of current GASB projects and provides explanations of pending issues.
9:15 AM	Concurrent Session: Using Dashboard Indicators Effectively
	This discussion will include a variety of strategic management reporting tools available to higher education institutions:  Balanced Scorecard, Baldrige Seven Quality Criteria, Strategic Performance Measures, Six Sigma, Performance Indicators and Dashboard Indicators.  This presentation explains the virtues of institutional dashboard indicators and the use of peer data, trend data, as well as formatting designs.
10:30 AM	Refreshment Break
11:00 AM	Concurrent Session: Kuali Update
	The Kuali Project is community source software initiative to design and write a web-based financial system for higher education.  This session will provide an update on the project’s first phase, review the functionality, and demonstrate the financial e-docs. Also discussed are the project’s unique governance structure and the challenges of six schools working on one software solution together.
11:00 AM	Concurrent Session: The Value of Debt
	Join Mr. Prager for an in depth discussion about debt management. Topics such as debt as a strategic tool, assessing the optimum debt portfolio structure, the use of derivatives, and time permitting, issues such as measuring risk, and financial statement disclosure items.  Also reviewed will be tools for evaluating success and communicating results to executives and trustees.  Participants will learn how debt can become a valuable asset.
11:00 AM	SAS 60: Communication of Internal Control Related Matters Noted in an Audit
11:15 AM	Concurrent Session: NCAA
12:00 PM	Forum Ends

Hotel/Logistics

Please review our registration policies.

Please Note: NACUBO professional development programs are often sell-outs. Please secure air and hotel reservations only after confirmation of registration.

Dress

Casual business attire is appropriate.

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted at any meeting session or program event.

Additional Information

For additional information, please contact the following NACUBO staff members:

Kathleen Dunn
Program Manager
Professional Development and Communications
kathleen.dunn@nacubo.org
202.861.2574

Susan Menditto, CPA
Director, Accounting Policy
Advocacy and Issues Analysis
susan.menditto@nacubo.org
202.861.2542

Faculty

FEATURED SPEAKERS

Barbara L. Johnson
Consultant

Judith G. Palmer 
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Indiana University

David M. Walker
Comptroller General of the United States

Dr. Robert Zemsky (keynote speaker)
Professor and Chair
The Learning Alliance at the University of Pennsylvania

CONCURRENT SESSION SPEAKERS/ROUND TABLE FACILITATORS

David R. Bean
Director of Research
Governmental Accounting Standards Board

Mike Brandy
Vice President, Business Services
Foothill-DeAnza Community College District

Susan E. Budak
Consultant
NACUBO FARM Author

Susan L. Carlson
Director
Standard & Poor's Ratings
Public Finance - Higher Education Group

Pam Clayton
Managing Director
Fitch Ratings

Joanne DeStefano
Vice President for Financial Affairs and
University Controller
Cornell University
 
Gillian Emmons 
Assistant Controller
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Jerry B. Farley
President
Washburn University

Ray Giles
Vice President of Operations
Community College League of California

Mike Glynn
Technical Manager
American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants

Larry Goldstein*
President
Campus Strategies
NACUBO FARM Author

Dr. Teresa P. Gordon 
Professor
University of Idaho

Joan Hagan 
Chief Accountant
Indiana University at Bloomington

Janet S. Hallman* 
Associate Vice President for
Accounting & Budget Services
University of Puget Sound

Steve Kinsella
President
Gavilan Community College

John R. Kroll*
Associate Comptroller
University of Chicago

Linda Kroll 
Director, University Budgeting & Financial
Planning
University of Notre Dame

Dale C. Larson*
Director of Finance
University of Dallas

Catherine Lilly
Senior Advisor to the Executive Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor J

Jeffrey D. Mechanick
Project Manager
Financial Accounting Standards Board

Louis Mezzina*
National Industry Director for Higher
Education
KPMG LLP

Deborah Nystrom
Organization Development Consultant
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

Andrew M. Paluf
Assistant Vice President for Finance and Controller
University of Notre Dame

Fredric J. Prager
Managing Director
Prager, Sealy, and Co., LLC

Mary E. Rauschenberg 
Director
Deloitte Tax, LLP

Vincent Schimizzi 
Chief Accountant
Michigan State University

Nancy Shelmon
Partner
PartnerPricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Cheryl L. Soper 
Director, Financial Operations and Controller
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Charles A. Tegen*
Comptroller
Clemson University

Dr. Dawn Geronimo Terkla
Executive Director, Institutional Research
Tufts University

Diane F. Viacava
Vice President / Senior Credit Officer
Moody's Investors Service

Mary S. Wheeler
Kuali Project Specialist
Cornell University

PROGRAM PLANNING COMMITTEE

Craig Becker
Assistant Vice President for Finance
Seton Hall University

Stephen Kimata
Assistant Vice President for Finance and
University Comptroller 
University of Virginia

Kathleen T. McNeely**
Assistant Vice President  of Finance
Indiana University

*Denotes Program Planning Committee Member
**Denotes Program Planning Committee Chair