September 1999

Society to Offer Members Online CPE

By Danielle D'Angelo

The Foundation for Accounting Education's board of trustees recently approved a partnership between NYSSCPA/FAE and Yipinet LLC, a leading provider of Internet-based learning, to offer online continuing professional education to Society members.

Beginning this fall, NYSSCPA members can take online courses in Yipinet's Knowledge Hub at a ten percent discount. Yipinet offers programs in taxation, accounting and auditing, specialized knowledge, personal development, and management. In addition, the company will convert some of the Society's course content into online CPE and regularly add other new courses to its library.

"Internet-based education allows CPAs to expand their knowledge base on their own time, and also provides greater convenience for our members who travel often or live in more remote parts of the state," Frimette Kass-Shraibman, FAE's director of education, said.

Society members can take single courses at $18 per unit; an annual subscription that offers up to 75 programs costs $445. There is no charge to sample courses or access Yipinet's other resources.

In addition to online courses, Yipinet's Knowledge Hub provides a business and accounting news wire, and an Ask the Expert section where users can pose technical questions to knowledgeable professionals. Future plans include scheduled live online discussions where participants can ask specific questions to specialists in accounting and other areas.

Yipinet's Knowledge Hub also features other services to facilitate CPAs' ability to meet their CPE requirement. For example, the Course Tracker allows members to keep a record of all programs they complete from any source, and it automatically logs all Yipinet courses. Participants can record courses by field of study, number of units, and date of completion.

"We offer a convenient and cost effective way for CPAs to take a variety of courses to fulfill their annual requirement," Yipinet's CEO Howard Marks said. "Yipinet provides a full solution for professional development--accredited courses, business news, and interaction with industry experts."