2023 Fall Workshop | Concurrent Sessions 3

November 2, 2023 | 1:10 PM–2:00 PM

Accounting Track 3 | Unrelated Business Income in the Higher Ed Landscape

Taxes: 1 CPE Credit

Description

Higher education institutions are increasingly diversifying their revenue sources in order to keep tuition rates competitive. However, they must consider modifications and exclusions that determine whether revenue is treated as taxable unrelated business income (“UBTI”). Through proper planning, institutions may be able to anticipate and mitigate the impact of UBTI on their bottom line and exempt status. In this session, we will discuss common sources of UBTI for higher education institutions as well as opportunities to reduce or eliminate UBTI through proper planning or structural considerations.

Learning Objectives

The participant will be able to describe types of UBTI commonly encountered by higher education institutions.
The participant will be able to identify relevant factors for consideration with respect to UBTI.
The participant will be able to consider whether their institution can take advantage of planning opportunities with respect to UBTI.

Speakers

Paula Wendling, Director, Nonprofit Tax Services, Cherry Bekaert

As a Director in Cherry Bekaert's Tax practice and Not-for-Profit Industry group, Paula provides tax consulting and compliance services to clients in the nonprofit sector. Paula uses 15 years of industry knowledge to help clients meet their various tax-related needs, including grant planning and analysis, planning for unrelated business income, and understanding sources of revenue and types of expenditures.Paula began her public accounting career in Austin, Texas, where she provided tax consulting and compliance services to high-net-worth families, closely-held businesses and charitable organizations in the community. She specialized in a variety of areas, including oil & gas taxation, family limited partnerships, estate and gift taxation, and tax-exempt organizations.

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Concurrent Session 3A | Aligning Financial Transformation with Organizational Process and Systems

Specialized Knowledge: 1 CPE Credit

Description

Tarleton State University, the second-largest institution by enrollment in the Texas A&M University System, partnered with Huron to transform its financial processes and position it for continued success. The university is in an enviable position: it is experiencing tremendous enrollment growth and recently entered the D1 sports conference. With exciting opportunities on the horizon, Tarleton began its journey by conducting a zero-based budget exercise to determine where it was over- or under-resourced across campus.Equipped with a new budgeting approach, and a host of opportunities uncovered along the way, Tarleton subsequently embarked on a performance improvement project to support resources, organizational structures, and processes in the following areas:

Academic Portfolio
Data Strategy
Organizational Optimization
Budget Redesign
Space Assessment
Project Management

Join members of the Tarleton and Huron teams for an hour-long discussion and Q&A on why it is critical to be proactive in determining the future success state of your institution.

Learning Objectives

Understand how to manage multiple process transformations across campus, from gaining buy-in from key constituents to monitoring progress on each initiative.
Learn how to take ideas from suggestions for change to tactical action steps at all levels of the university.
Prioritize change efforts and sequence operationalization of each in a way that complements the university timeline.

Speakers

Lori Beaty, Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer, Tarleton State University

Lori Beaty joined Tarleton State University in 2011 as a grant accountant and moved through the ranks to become the university's first female Chief Financial Officer and Vice President for Finance and Administration in 2019. Promoted to Executive Vice President in January 2022, Ms. Beaty provides leadership to Business Services, Employee Services, Strategic Financial Planning, Campus Operations, Information Technology Services and Compliance. She serves as a member of the President's Executive Cabinet and as a liaison with external entities for university business matters. Lori is passionate about transforming the role of finance and administration from a functional necessity to a strategic partner. She also enjoys being with students in the classroom as an adjunct instructor.A native of Pittsburg, Texas, Ms. Beaty holds a BS in Accounting from Texas A&M University-Commerce, a MBA from Tarleton State University, and is a PhD student at Texas A&M University. Lori is a Certified Public Accountant and spent a number of years working in public accounting and small business management prior to finding her way to higher education finance. Along with her husband, Michael, Lori is proud parent to William (Tarleton '21), Lauren (Baylor '22), Matthew (MCC '24) and Bradley (Tarleton '27).

Jennifer Ramey, Higher Ed Consulting Principal, Huron Consulting Group

Jennifer has worked in the higher education sector for over 20 years as an executive leader and consultant. Jennifer uses her extensive experience in higher education administration to focus on strategy and operations improvements to enhance performance and maximize effective utilization of funds and campus resources. Her areas of focus include cost reduction and efficiency, performance improvement, due diligence support, space utilization, organizational design, service delivery, and organizational effectiveness and change management.

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Concurrent Session 3B | Why Lying, Cheating, and Stealing Are the New Normal: Unpacking the Culture of Deception and Strategies to Foster Ethical Behavior

Behavioral Ethics: 1 CPE Credit

Description

In a world where deception seems to be becoming the norm, "Why Lying, Cheating, and Stealing Are the New Normal: Unpacking the Culture of Deception and Strategies to Foster Ethical Behavior" is a session that speaks directly to the heart of integrity in our institutions. As a college or university business officer, you are in a unique position to influence ethical standards. In this compelling session, you will delve into the societal shift towards accepting dishonest practices and the underlying psychological mechanisms that make them seem trustworthy. You will gain invaluable insights into modern unethical practices and learn practical strategies to shield your organization. More importantly, you will be equipped with the tools and understanding to foster an environment that prioritizes ethics and integrity. Don't miss this opportunity to strengthen the moral compass of your institution and lead the charge in the fight against the erosion of ethical values.

Learning Objectives

Analyze the Cultural Shift in Ethics: Participants will explore how deception has become normalized in society, examining specific examples such as IRS scams, robo calls, and counterfeit receipts, and understand the psychological triggers that create perceived trustworthiness.
Develop Protection Strategies: Attendees will learn actionable ways to protect themselves and their organizations from unethical practices, including recognizing red flags and implementing effective internal controls.
Foster an Ethical Environment: Participants will be guided on how to foster a culture of ethics within their institutions, emphasizing value-based decision-making and integrity, and applying these principles to real-world scenarios.

Speakers

Phil Hurd, Chief Audit Executive, University of Houston System

Phillip W. Hurd is a well known southeast regional speaker on leadership, ethics, fraud, and motivation. Phil presents his message in a folksy, comedic, and inspiring manner. Phil tells the stories of how he and his team uncovered several multimillion dollar fraud schemes, analyzed the controls, and assisted in the prosecution. He and his team have assisted numerous times in removing the “bad apples” from University Systems. He also discusses how the same control analysis and identification techniques can be applied to your organization.

Phil’s dynamic presentation style has earned him recognition numerous times, such as when he received the 2007 Association of College and University Auditors (ACUA) Annual Award for Excellence. In 2004 Phil’s team was also awarded recognition by the State of Georgia as having a best practice for audit and fraud detection, and their internal control guide was listed as one of the 25 top best practices in the state.

Phil is the Chief Audit Executive at the University of Houston System. He was the CAE when he retired from the Georgia Institute of Technology after 22 years of service. He has served in various positions during his career to include, ethics officer, compliance officer and Information systems auditor. Prior to the Georgia Institute of Technology, Phil served in the U.S. Army for ten years, taking him to Germany, Korea, Hawaii, and various other world locations. In his final tour he served a Communications Facility Chief for a strategic outpost on the Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ). This life shaping challenge helped him to understand the need for confidentially, integrity, and availability of information assets and their role in organizational operations.
Phil has a well documented and established portfolio of expertise in the areas of project management, configuration management and leadership, which has supported his quest to enhance the audit program at universities he serves. Phil holds professional certifications as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) Certified compliance and ethics Professional (CCEP). He holds a Masters Degree in Information Systems Management from Western International University.

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Session 3C | Transforming the Experience of Stakeholder Change

Specialized Knowledge: 1 CPE Credit

Description

This session will explore new approaches to guide stakeholders (internal and external) in the process of change that builds a culture of trust. Case studies and discussion will focus on real life scenarios and best practices to address stakeholder needs during times of uncertainty. This creates space for ideas, contributions, and a continuous improvement mindset – all leading to a culture of trust to take on new initiatives.

Learning Objectives

Build understanding of change management concepts
Develop a strategies for engaging stakeholders
Discover a variety of creative approaches in communication to reach stakeholders effectively

Speakers

Angela Knobloch, Senior Director, Change Enablement & Continuous Improvement, UVAFinance, University of Virginia

Angela Knobloch, Senior Director of UVAFinance Change Enablement & Continuous Improvement, is a results-oriented senior leader who drives key initiatives by building collaborative and strategic alliances with partners at all levels of an organization. She has over 20 years of higher education experience with University of Notre Dame and University of Virginia in the areas of change management, continuous improvement, and human resources. She is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, as well as a Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP). She holds a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Organization Development from Illinois State University.

Patty Marbury, Training & Development Director, UVAFinance, University of Virginia

Patty Marbury is the Training and Development Director for UVAFinance at the University of Virginia and served as the Organizational Readiness and Training lead for the University's Finance Strategic Transformation Project. In these roles, Patty provides guidance and leadership on all phases of employee development including analyzing learning needs, training content development and delivery, and evaluating the effectiveness of learning programs. Patty is also a certified leadership coach, helping leaders and organizations confront and manage change and other challenges, and she is a certified facilitator for Crucial Conversations, the Strength Developement Inventory, the Coaching Mindset Index, and DISC.

Brandi Van Ormer, Communications Manager, UVA Finance, University of Virginia

Brandi Van Ormer has been a communicator in healthcare and higher education for almost 20 years in a variety of roles, including internal communications, marketing and public relations, alumni affairs, and development. Her role as Communications Manager for central finance at the University of Virginia has opened a whole new realm of interesting people doing amazing things to support the University's mission. A certified change management practitioner, she recently served as the communications lead for Finance Strategic Transformation, an over four-year long project to overhaul the financial system at UVA.

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Session 3D | Managing Remote Workers - Don't Overthink It!

Personnel/Human Resources: 1 CPE Credit

Description

When the national emergency was declared in March 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, higher education institutions were forced to move instruction, student, and administrative services to online delivery. Valencia College discovered that in many administrative areas efficiency and productivity increased without affecting service to our staff and students resulting in the decision to make the financial services division primarily remote even after the end of the pandemic. With the permanent change in employee location, Valencia examined job descriptions and policies to ensure adequately addressed unique issues of a remote workforce. In addition, Valencia College Office of Development and Human Resources continues to provide practical guidance for those supervisors who manage remote employees. Panelists will walk attendees through the decision to become fully remote in the financial services division, and describe the opportunities and challenges encountered during this process.

Learning Objectives

Describe key factors to consider in determining if creating a remote workforce division is optimal for your division and institution.
Identify policies, procedures, and other current practices to review in light of a remote workforce.
List ways to engage your team in a remote setting.

Speakers

Ryan Kane, Assistant Vice President Human Resources, Valencia College

Ryan Kane is the Assistant Vice President for Human Resources at Valencia College and is directly responsible for leadership of the Equal Opportunity, Employee Relations, Leave & Access Services, and Employee Records and Services teams while also serving as the College's Title IX Coordinator. Mr. Kane has presented at numerous state and national conferences and has created and led trainings for multiple state and local agencies. Prior to working at Valencia in 2015, he worked at Townson University in student conduct, housing and residence life, academic advising and part-time faculty roles.

Jackie Lasch, Assistant Vice President, Financial Services, Valencia College

Jackie Lasch, CPA is the Assistant Vice President Financial Services for Valencia College and has worked in the Florida College System for 25+ years. Ms. Lasch has presented on such topics as Governmental Standards Updates on Pensions (GASB 68) and Leases (GASB 87). She has also served on the SACUBO Constituent Committee for Community Colleges.