Standing Room Only

By Jo Ann Golden

What does the last show of the off-Broadway production of The Fantasticks have in common with this year’s ethics course in Syracuse? They both played to sold-out audiences.

One might think it’s because members were there to hear the New York State Society of CPAs’ executive director, president and president-elect present an update on the profession and the NYSSCPA. But, in reality, I believe that’s a very small part of the reason. Certified public accountants across New York state are exhibiting a renewed enthusiasm for the ethical fundamentals of the profession.

This is not just a central New York phenomenon. We are experiencing a surge in attendance all over the state.

At a time when our profession is being publicly criticized, and legislative and regulatory changes are being proposed and enacted throughout the country, CPAs are stepping forward and reexamining the basic fundamentals of the profession: competence, integrity and objectivity. The tremendous response to a simple course in ethics is a great indicator of that reality.

The NYSSCPA, in recognition of the elevated interest in ethical issues, has been providing a wide spectrum of resources to meet the needs of CPAs. For example, the current schedule of free courses sponsored by the Foundation for Accounting Education covers a broad range of ethics topics from audit to tax. In addition, this summer, FAE sponsored half-day ethics updates by the popular speaker Jack Laschenski. Those courses, given all across the state, were big hits. The courses are currently being presented in the fall FAE line-up.

Members of our Professional Ethics Committee, under the direction of Chair Rona Cherno, are developing courses for presentation. And other vendors are including ethics components in their course offerings through the FAE.

The CPA Journal is dedicating articles each month to similar topical issues, including independence, conflict of interest, competence, peer review and enhancing quality.

On the web, the Society initiated a review of our Liability and Risk Management Manual. The plan is to update and expand this publication for our members.

The increased interest by CPAs in these resources is both encouraging and reassuring.

Even though we are experiencing a critical period in our profession, we still practice and work in a state and country that are considered to be the leaders in the business world. The American accounting system remains the model for the globe. In the face of a downturn in the economy, the skills of the CPA are sought after even more. These are the times when our clients turn to us to help them become more effective and more efficient in business.

Students from all over the world are coming to our business schools in greater numbers to learn the accounting profession. The number of students, domestic and otherwise, interested in entering the profession is increasing significantly. This follows many years of decreasing enrollments. And in much the way we were when we embarked upon our professional careers, these students are ready to change the world and come bearing the purest sense of idealism. They embrace the core values of our profession, those ethical standards that have provided the foundation for the integrity of the profession.

We know that thousands of CPAs go to work each day and “do the right thing.” The interest in the ethics courses being offered by the NYSSCPA is a small but powerful statement of our strong desire to continue to serve as the preeminent trusted professional. It goes to the heart and core of our profession. It confirms that we are getting back to basics.

As the theme of the central song in The Fantasticks suggests, we have to look back to the earlier days of our professional years, well before Enron, when we were “young” and idealistic about the profession, when we embarked upon our careers because of its high standards and overwhelming responsibilities, and when that was, indeed, the very focus of our actions. Those were the days in our own professional careers when “grass was green and grain was yellow.” And as the song says, we have to “try to remember that kind of September, then follow, follow, follow.”

president@nysscpa.org