Accounting Education Center launched; Minority Initiatives, work/life balance covered as well.

Continuing its efforts to improve resources and services to members, the AICPA in late Apr. launched the Accounting Education Center at www.aicpa.org/aec. The Center, which was developed by the Academic and Career Development Team, contains resources and information about accounting education, curriculum development and student recruiting, as well as resources on Minority Initiatives and Work/Life and Women's Initiatives.

The AICPA is committed to providing educators with the resources to enhance the accounting curriculum and to prepare students to become valued and trusted members of the CPA profession. To fulfill this mission, the Center provides users with education and curriculum development programs, student recruiting resources, information about scholarships and award programs, and publications, reports and other studies.

In addition, the Center provides the resources made available by the Minority Initiatives Committee, which aims to actively integrate minorities into the accounting profession to become CPAs and to enhance their upward mobility, as well as resources provided by the Work/Life and Women's Initiatives Committee, which promotes work/life balance and the upward mobility of women in the accounting profession.

The structure of the site includes a home page and the following categories: Resources, Community, Events, Membership and Products. The Resources tab of the Center contains information and resources related to (1) Education and Curriculum Development; (2) Career Awareness; (3) Scholarships and Awards; (4) Publications, Reports, and Studies; and (5) Minority Initiatives. Located within Education and Curriculum Development is the Educational Competency Assessment Web site that also includes the Core Competency Framework and database, student and faculty development programs, and classroom and curriculum materials.

Links to other areas of the AICPA and to our strategic partners are located in the Community tab. Information about accounting education conferences is located in the Events tab and information about AICPA educator and student membership is located in the Membership tab.

The Products tab provides information about the resources the AICPA makes available to students, educators and colleges and universities, and in particular those that are offered at discounted rates and those that will support students' preparation for the CPA Exam.

The Accounting Education Center is part of the AICPA's initiative to enhance the benefits members receive in "special interest" programs. These programs allow members to join with other CPAs who share a common interest in a particular area, from audit quality to business valuation, from information technology to education.

For more information, contact Joe Bittner at:

212/596-6282

[e-mail]