Westchester Community College Faculty Needs CPA Input

By Carolyn Perricone, Assistant Professor, Curriculum Chair, Accounting Westchester Community College

Westchester Community College has a relatively new certificate program called the Financial Office Specialist Certificate. The college is asking CPAs to provide feedback on how well the program is designed to achieve its goals.

Students taking courses in the program study Computerized Accounting I and II (courses which cover traditional topics in accounting principles or financial accounting, in addition to QuickBooks), word-processing applications, introduction to business communications, administrative office procedures, federal income taxes (including the use of Turbo Tax) and computer information systems.

Upon completion, graduates will be able to perform many of the administrative tasks needed to operate an accounting office. The courses are ideal for an administrative employee who has the potential to take on additional responsibilities if he or she had the required training. Given the shortage of accounting graduates, it seems that such a certificate would be of great value to those running accounting offices.

The certificate program has been in existence for two years and has not attracted the number of students the college had hoped. Currently, I would like to ask for your input on this certificate:

One suggestion has been to add a cooperative education course so that students who have no relevant work experience could gain exposure to working in accounting. We are currently working on adding that component to the certificate requirements. (Students who already have experience will be offered the opportunity to take managerial accounting instead of the coop course.)

Any and all input would be greatly appreciated. I can be reached at914-785-6876 or by e-mail at Carolyn.Perricone@sunywcc.edu.

I look forward to better serving the needs of the Westchester County accounting community.

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