Another year, another 110 new entrants to the accounting profession! This year marks the 15th year of the Certificate of Advanced Accounting Proficiency (CAAP) Program, and it’s a good time to look back on how much has changed. As we mentioned in last year’s newsletter, the program has grown in scope (from one section of about 20 students initially to 4 sections of about 120 graduates), as well as in the extracurricular activities we offer students and in the number of accounting units included (36 to 45 quarter units). The faculty has also expanded, and now includes Lawrence Abbott (University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee), Ted Christensen (Accounting Chair at the University of Georgia) and David Cottrell (Brigham Young University). These distinguished faculty members have become part of our extended CAAP family and travel here regularly to teach in the program.
Another recent development that we are very excited about is our partnership with Standish Management LLC. For the 2015 Summer cohort, Standish created a sponsorship program for new hires from the CAAP program. Sponsorship involves both a generous tuition reimbursement and an offer of employment at the completion of the program, contingent on satisfactory completion. It is their intention to make this initiative a model for hiring in other parts of the country. It worked out quite successfully – Standish received a number of applications from CAAP participants and ultimately hired two new associates under the program. This was a great deal for the successful applicants and we hope was satisfactory for Standish as well! We received feedback from one of the new Standish professionals:
“The CAAP program is unlike any other: the faculty truly want everyone to succeed, and it is evident through the many socials, seminars and career fairs all geared towards students’ successful employment at the end of the program. I was fortunate to find employment with Standish Management, LLC, towards the beginning of the program, which enabled me to devote the rest of my time and energy completely on my schoolwork. My advice for new students is to take full advantage of all the networking and recruiting opportunities, and do your best at managing your time between both studying and interviewing for jobs.”
At the end of this past summer program, a CAAP student asked if we (the faculty) were going to be sad to see the summer cohort go – that a student would ask that question is a mark of how deeply invested we and the students are in this intensive experience. My answer was that we are not sad, we are excited to see them leave the program and enter a new chapter in their professional lives – some students to make a complete change, some to advance with new credentials and skills in their existing employment. We estimate that almost 1000 students have completed our program since its inception and many of those remain in the profession, forming a strong alumni network and adding to our extended family. We look forward to many more years of continuing evolution and success!
For me the CAAP program was a smashing success. The quality of instruction was exceptional, it made me wish I had gone to Santa Clara for undergraduate. I came to the program as the CFO of an internet start-up and a software consulting firm, with minimal accounting experience. Thanks to the CAAP faculty, I learned enough to pass the CPA exam. Now I am a CPA and have worked as a VP of Finance at two public biotech companies. – C.K., Summer Alumna, 2003
CAAP was the fastest means for me to earn the undergraduate accounting units I needed for CPA licensing to facilitate a career change. I found CAAP to be academically rigorous and challenging yet enjoyable. I also found a wonderful network in my classmates and CAAP alumnae. I am thoroughly pleased with the outcome of my CAAP experience; I qualified to sit for the CPA exam upon completion and found employment in a small boutique firm through my CAAP connections. I'm looking forward to being licensed within a year and ultimately starting my own firm -- all thanks to CAAP! -- J.O., Weekend Program Alumna, 2015