NOTES & NEWS
CPAEF Celebrates One-Year Anniversary
By David Chiang, CPA, CA
A
s detailed in in previous issues of this magazine, the Chartered Professional Accountants
of BC Education Foundation (CPAEF) was officially constituted on November 27, 2015,
to carry out the activities of the three legacy charitable educational entities.* The CPAEF’s
mission is to advance accounting education in BC by enhancing the quality and quantity of
students entering the profession, sponsoring relevant and practical research, and furthering
the ongoing educational experience of CPABC members, candidates, and students.
Shortly after this magazine reaches you, the CPAEF will celebrate its first anniversary. We
wanted to recognize this milestone by providing a summary of the various activities that have
been undertaken over the past 12 months:
• The amalgamation of the three legacy entities’ assets and liabilities became effective April 1,
2016, and the process of combining the CPAEF’s $3-million investment portfolio is underway.
• In the spring and summer, the student awards programs of the three legacy entities were
consolidated and streamlined into a new CPAEF student awards program that includes
scholarships for academic performance and bursaries based on financial need. Post-secondary
students across BC who intend to become CPAs can access one of 63 awards totalling over
$90,000 per year. There are also scholarships for BC students taking certain preparatory
courses through the CPA Western School of Business, and as many as 26 bursaries are
available to BC students enrolled in CPAWSB, totalling $50,000. The criteria for all of
these awards are detailed on the CPAEF website at bccpa.ca/cpaef under the “Helping
Students” tab.
• The CPAEF is currently supporting two CPA members enrolled in doctoral programs.
Lara Greguric, CPA, CA, CPAWSB’s EVP for learning development and outreach, is now
in the final stages of her doctoral program. Chris He, CPA, CGA, was accepted into the
CPAEF’s doctoral support program in July, and has begun his PhD studies at Florida State
University, one of the leading universities for accounting academics in the United States.
• Through its Speaker Series program, the CPAEF provides grants of $2,500 (up to two per
year) to BC post-secondary institutions to help them subsidize the cost of faculty development
and training. To date, over $57,000 has been awarded to 13 different schools. Trinity
Western University and Simon Fraser University are the two most recent recipients of this
funding, and both will be holding their Speaker Series sessions before the end of the year.
• On September 13, the CPAEF held it inaugural annual general meeting in conjunction
with a strategic planning session and board of governors meeting, led by the Foundation’s
inaugural chair, Chris Burnley, CPA, CA, an accounting professor at Vancouver Island
University (the full list of governors is provided on the CPAEF website). Many ideas were
generated during the strategic planning session, and CPABC staff support members are
currently researching and developing new program proposals for consideration by the
board of governors.
* The three legacy charitable educational entities were the Chartered Accountants’ Education
Foundation of British Columbia, the Certified General Accountants of-BC Educational
Foundation, and the Certified Management Accountants Society of BC Scholarship Fund.
16 CPABC in Focus • Nov/Dec 2016
We couldn’t have done it without you!
All of these activities are made possible by
the generous support of members. On behalf
of the CPAEF’s board of governors, thank-you
to the 588 members who donated using the
member fees payment process—you raised
over $22,200! Thank you also to the individual
members who donated major gifts. Each donation, whether large or small, makes a difference.
This past year, the CPAEF has also received
several major gifts from members collectively
through chapters and forums:
• Members of the CPABC Vancouver
Technology Forum donated $15,000 to a
general bursary fund, raising its balance
to more than $50,000. This fund awards
two $2,000-bursaries each year to help BC
students enrolled in CPAWSB. Preference
is given to students who need funding
to purchase computer equipment.
• Members of the CPABC Surrey/Langley/
North Delta Chapter donated over
$15,000 to establish multi-year awards
at the Beedie School of Business at
Simon Fraser University and Kwantlen
Polytechnic University.
• Members of the CPABC Okanagan
Chapter established annual awards at
Okanagan College and UBC Okanagan.
Funds were raised from the Chapter’s
PD surplus and annual golf tournament
registration fees. To date, the Chapter
has raised almost $10,000 to support
these awards.
• Members of the CPABC Vancouver
Chapter donated $5,000 towards
multi-year awards at BCIT and Langara
College. Bruce Hurst, FCPA, FCGA,
who is both the chair of the Langara
College Foundation and a governor of
the CPAEF, acknowledged the Chapter’s
donation at a donor appreciation event
held at Langara College on September 15.
• Members of the CPABC Kamloops
Chapter funded an annual award of $1,500
at Thompson Rivers University.