November 1999

Society Partners with Yipinet for CPE

Online Learning Meets Educational Needs of Today's CPA

By Amol Tembe

The Internet offers CPAs an alternate method to obtain their continuing professional education through online learning. To meet this growing member need, the NYSSCPA has partnered with Yipinet, a provider of Internet-based learning that focuses on continuing education for professionals in regulated industries such as accounting, to offer discounts on online CPE.

Online CPE is the latest in self-study formats, joining textbook and CD-ROM methods. It is a growing new means for CPAs to meet their lifelong learning needs.

"The competitive business environment creates pressure for CPAs to always be up-to-date," FAE Director Frimette Kass-Shraibman said. "Online CPE allows them to get the knowledge they need when they need it. We call it just-in-time learning."

The NYSSCPA/Yipinet alliance responds to the increasing demand for online CPE. Effective immediately, Society members can register for the online CPE service and sample the first lesson of any course free at http://www.nysscpa.yipinet.com.

"More CPAs are using the Internet as a self-study option," Kass-Shraibman said. "Live presentations are great for networking and learning from top leaders, but they require more time and are not tailored to every individual. Although online CPE cannot replace live presentations, it allows us to service our members who live in remote areas and have difficulty attending classes."

CPAs can access the CPE programs at http://www.nysscpa.yipinet.com. Through Yipinet's Knowledge Hub, members can access courses in taxation, accounting and auditing, management, personal development, and specialized industries. The Knowledge Hub allows members to keep track of course details such as field of study, CPE credit, and completion date for all CPE programs they take, not just online programs. Members also can bookmark the online programs, giving them the freedom to do course work as time permits.

"Online CPE is poised to change the way CPAs look at their continuing education," Kass-Shraibman said. "It will allow them to be very well prepared for the new challenges facing their profession."

Under New York state regulations, CPAs may only receive 50 percent credit for self-study. As a result, Yipinet is offering a 50 percent discount off its regular prices for members meeting CPE requirements in New York. To receive the discount, members need to enter the discount code, YIPINY, when they register on the Yipinet registration page where they will find a field entitled, "discount code." For more information, please contact Kass-Shraibman at (212) 719-8370, (800) 633-6320, or fkass@nysscpa.org. *