Veris CPATREK

Near the end of the Fall semester, as part of the core Professional Accounting Module, MAcc students, professors and program staff hit the road for a unique, week-long trip to deepen students' knowledge of accounting in ways not available in the typical classroom setting.

Veris Consulting, LLC (www.verisconsulting.com) and its Chairman, Larry Johnson, are pleased to provide corporate sponsorship of the Veris CPATREK. Veris has a long standing tradition of recruiting the best and the brightest accounting students from W&M, and with this sponsorship, continues its commitment to William & Mary and the Mason School's next generation of accounting students and business leaders.

Who do we meet on the CPATREK and why?

Who? Alumnus Jeffrey Hughes and his PCAOB colleagues. Why? Because our students need to understand first-hand how the audit profession functions post Sarbanes-Oxley.

Who?  Experts at the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance. Why? To get a feel for the folks who will review the financial statements our grads will audit in coming years.

Who?  The "GAAP Gods" at the SEC's Office of the Chief Accountant. Why? To hear about the challenges faced by those professionals who adjudicate the toughest accounting questions.

Who?  FASB members.  Why? To see for ourselves how much the standard setting process revolves around hearing many people's views--and how much reasonable people can disagree!

Who?  Accounting "watchdogs" such as Jack Ciesielski (publisher of The Analyst's Accounting Observer) and Jonathan Weil (former WSJ reporter). Why? To hear the views of those who have elected to step back and "call it as they see it."

Who?  Users of financial statements such as the investment analysts at Stifel Nicolaus. Why? Because accountants need to understand how differently portfolio managers and equity analysts interpret financial statements.

Assistant Dean Kim Smith says, "this unique trip lets our students see first-hand that the accounting profession is a community of people passionately committed to financial reporting issues, not just a stack of rules."

Some of the highlights from 2008's trip:

Monday, December 8: Stifel Nicolaus Investment Banking
Tuesday, December 9: Financial Accounting Standards Board
Wednesday, December 10: Ernst & Young Advisory Services
Thursday, December 11: Securities & Exchange Commission
Friday, December 12: Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and then Home!