Envisioning a New Pathway to CPA

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State Board Report

November

After hearing many professionals discuss how technology is changing the accounting profession and will continue to do so, NASBA President and CEO Ken L. Bishop challenged those at the Annual Meeting to move out of their comfort zone and consider how the traditional description of a “CPA” may be modified to include “data technologists.” “What if we create a new and separate pathway to the CPA – different education, examination and experience requirements to bring data technologists into the profession? If you look at the skill sets of the CPA and the technologist, I believe a person could have both,” Mr. Bishop remarked. “Open your minds and think of CPAs who are current in technology.”

NASBA Chair Telford Lodden (IA) announced NASBA has started a CPA pathway task force to consider how, for example, requirements might be changed to give engineers the accounting language they need to fit into the business education model. He pointed out the need for what is covered in the Uniform CPA Examination to keep pace with the profession, since many professors teach to what is included in the Examination.

In addressing the 356 Annual Meeting attendees, representing 53 Boards of Accountancy and other interested parties, President Bishop noted that New York was a most appropriate place for the Annual Meeting as it was the first state to enact the regulation of accountants in 1896. He announced that for the coming year NASBA has budgeted $10,300,000 for mission spending in support of the State Boards. NASBA is stronger than it ever has been financially, in its capacity to provide what the State Boards need, and in the level of participation of the member Boards, Mr. Bishop observed. For example, he reported that 43 State Boards ultimately responded to the most recent Uniform Accountancy Act exposure draft and those well-reasoned responses will make NASBA “a stronger organization.”

Among the other issues covered by President Bishop in his report to the Annual Business Meeting were:

Phase one of the redesign of NASBA’s Nashville offices has worked out very well and now the second phase has started, which will provide for a larger meeting space and a video studio. Mr. Bishop predicted the video studio will help NASBA to develop “great new tools” for the Boards.

The new Gateway system for CPA candidate data will be completed in 2018. A new vendor is working on the CPE tracking tool, which will result in a more reliable product. He reported the vendor previously chosen had returned all the money NASBA had spent on the project, including compensation for NASBA staff time.

State Board members have complained to President Bishop about confusion over the meaning of the AICPA’s reorganization. To address those issues, NASBA Chair Lodden has created the Reorganization Impact Task Force chaired by Director-at-Large John Dailey (NJ) to report to the NASBA Board in January.

President Bishop thanked the international professional bodies and regulators who have worked with the NASBA/AICPA International Qualifications Appraisal Board to develop mutual recognition agreements. He presented a plaque to Anton Colella, Executive Director of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, in recognition of his many contributions to the international accounting profession.