May 2001

XYZ Resolution Accepted at AICPA Council

WHEREAS the AICPA and several international partners have been working to develop a new global interdisciplinary credential to be led by accounting professionals globally; and

WHEREAS the AICPA Council members at Regional Council heard presentations on detailed market research in support of the development of the credential; and

WHEREAS the AICPA will only implement the credential if Council and membership vote favorably for the proposal; and

WHEREAS the AICPA prefers to conduct a membership referendum before the start of the 2002 tax season, but later in calendar year 2001, so that members can have adequate time to consider the proposal and it cannot accomplish this if Council postpones a vote on the authorization for a membership referendum until the October 2001 meeting of Council; and

WHEREAS the AICPA prefers not to mail the membership referendum to members until after a final name is selected and approved by Council, members are further informed and consulted concerning the credential and given an opportunity to provide their input on the proposal, and Council has had more time to review a business plan; and

WHEREAS Council wants the AICPA and/or State Societies to conduct “grassroots” member information programs on the credential for purposes of both obtaining member comment on the proposal, and creating a consistently informed constituency; and

WHEREAS members should be consulted on the eligibility of non CPAs to obtain the credential, a statistically valid survey should be conducted under the supervision of the leadership of the AICPA and three State Societies to ascertain the attitudes of the members on the issue; and

WHEREAS Council has previously resolved to continue development of a new global credential and will consider the proposal again at its Fall meeting;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the AICPA Council authorizes continued development, in cooperation with other international professional organizations, of a new global professional credential as outlined in the materials supplied to Council; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Council authorizes the submission to the members for approval by mail ballot of a resolution to amend the Bylaws of the AICPA so as to specifically recognize the AICPA’s authority to enable the granting of an interdisciplinary global credential in an affiliated entity; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board and management are instructed not to mail the membership referendum to the members until after the Fall meeting of Council in October 2001; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board and management should continue with a program to inform AICPA membership on the potential for a new global credential, how it will benefit CPAs, its implications for the CPA profession and to obtain member and state society comment in anticipation of a membership referendum authorized by Council on the proposal. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that at its Fall 2001 meeting, Council will discuss the feedback received from the membership during the grassroots campaign over the upcoming months, including any modifications to the proposal agreed to by the international partners in response to that feedback; and