January 2003

Society Begins Planning 2003 COAP Programs

By William Pape, Associate Director, Member Relations

The New York State Society of CPAs is looking for members to volunteer for the 2003 Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession (COAP) program, an annual drive to encourage promising high school students to enter the profession.

The Society operates COAP programs on four university campuses in its nationally recognized effort to expose minority high school juniors to opportunities in the accounting profession, while providing them with guidance for college preparation.

Students reside or commute to COAP programs at Hofstra University, Long Island University (LIU), Pace University and Westchester Community College (WCC).

 Volunteers interview high school applicants in the spring and provide speakers for on-campus sessions. Additionally, CPA firms and private companies play host to students on field trips, while the NYSSCPA staff provides logistical and administrative support. The Society, meanwhile, has begun to recruit high school students through the guidance of the program’s four volunteer advisory boards.

The advisory boards, one for each campus, function independently, tailoring recruitment efforts to a target student population. The LIU and Pace programs, for example, mail applications to high school guidance counselors in the New York City public school system. The Hofstra and WCC programs rely on targeted mailings and advisory board contacts to distribute applications.

The programs also receive recruitment assistance from the Academy of Finance, a statewide organization that offers intensive accounting and finance education to high school students.

A Big Part of the Big Picture

COAP has been an important element in the NYSSCPA effort to inform high school students about opportunities in the profession, along with other campaigns, such as chapter-based outreach programs and full-day sessions at NYSSCPA headquarters coordinated by the Society’s Promoting CPA Careers Committee.

COAP was begun at Pace University in 1987, and expanded to Hofstra University in 1995. In 2002 it was expanded again to include a program at the Brooklyn campus of LIU and at the WCC. The Pace and Hofstra programs included overnight dormitory stays. The LIU and WCC programs are commuter programs.

COAP is funded through the generosity of members via a dues check-off, corporate contributions and in-kind donations from accounting firms. In addition, the National Association of Black Accountants has consistently provided financial support. We welcome both corporate and CPA firms’ donations.

The NYSSCPA website includes an extensive description of the COAP program, including an archive of past articles that have appeared in The Trusted Professional. You can find it by going to www.nysscpa.org and clicking on the Future CPAs link at the top of the page.

 Contributions help ensure these programs will continue and expand to other locations. Every member can contribute to the COAP program on an annual basis with their annual dues invoice, or online throughout the year via your personal homepage. (You can access this site by going to www.nysscpa.org, referring to the Member Resources area at the bottom of the page and clicking on the Change Your Info link.)

If you wish to volunteer for COAP or other student recruitment programs, please contact William Pape, associate director, member relations, at wpape@nysscpa.org or (212) 719-8420.