Spears School’s outreach arm receives awards from continuing education groups
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
The Center for Executive and Professional Development in the Spears School of Business was recently recognized with awards for outstanding executive education programs from two national organizations.
The Accounting and Financial Reporting Conference and Oil and Gas Accounting Conference, offered by Spears Business and the School of Accounting, were the winners of the Distinguished Program (non-credit) Award from the Association of Continuing Higher Education (ACHE). In addition, the OSU Introductory Tribal Finance and Accounting Certificate program won the winner of the 2019 University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) Central Regional Outstanding Noncredit Program Award.
“We are very proud of the work that the Center for Executive and Professional Development does to connect Spears Business with business professionals,” said Ken Eastman, dean of Spears Business. “One of our main goals as a college is engage effectively with practice and these awards reflect the quality of programing that we offer our business partners. As a land-grant university, CEPD helps us fulfill our outreach mission by providing external organizations with the latest in business knowledge.”
The Accounting and Financial Reporting Conference and the Oil and Gas Accounting Conference targeted CPAs, accountants and financial professionals for the two events in Tulsa, attracting more than 700 participants.
“It is an excellent learning and networking opportunity for accounting and finance professionals. We are excited for this first-class conference that brings national industry experts to Oklahoma to be recognized with this award."
The topic and content of the programs, featuring experts in the field from across the U.S., focused on providing updates on accounting and finance standards, relevant information such as artificial intelligence and cyber security and how they pertain to accounting professionals and professional development for the participants.
In post-conference evaluations, the Accounting and Financial Reporting Conference received “Excellent” or “Very Good” responses to the overall value on 89 percent of responses. The Oil and Gas Accounting Conference was rated “Excellent” or “Very Good” on 93 percent of evaluations.
“We have been proud to be a sponsor of this conference for many years,” said Shane Randolph, managing director of Opportune. “It is an excellent learning and networking opportunity for accounting and finance professionals. We are excited for this first-class conference that brings national industry experts to Oklahoma to be recognized with this award.”
The OSU Introductory Tribal Finance and Accounting Certificate program was developed by CEPD in cooperation with the Oklahoma Tribal Finance Consortium (OKTFC) and the Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA).
More than 25 tribes and tribal organizations sent participants to the three-and-a-half-day conference, which was intended for entry-level employees and professionals who needed increased knowledge regarding tribal finance and accounting and elected tribal officials and leaders who wished to better understand the financial side of tribal programs.
“This introductory program is an excellent tool for any finance staff looking to expand tribal accounting knowledge,” said Loretta Keener, director of finance for the Cherokee Nation. “It provides a variety of trainings that directly impact tribal government programs. I highly recommend this training to anyone beginning a tribal finance career or to anyone interested in tribal governmental accounting.”
CEPD staff members will accept the Distinguished Program (non-credit) Award at the 81st Annual ACHE Conference in Denver, Oct. 14-16, and the UPCEA Central Region Outstanding Noncredit Program Award at the Super 19: UPCEA Central and West Regional Conference in Denver, Oct. 23-25.
The Introductory Tribal Finance and Accounting Certificate program is May 19-22, 2020 on the Stillwater campus of Oklahoma State University. Visit the website to enroll or learn about sponsorship opportunities.
The 19th Annual Accounting and Financial Reporting Conference is Nov. 14, while the 15th Annual Oil and Gas Accounting Conference is Nov. 15, both at the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel and Convention Center. Visit the CEPD website for more information.
MEDIA CONTACT: Terry Tush | Director, Marketing and Communications | 405-744-2703 | terry.tush@okstate.edu