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Become an effective tribal professional.Jan. 8 - March 1, 2024

 Connect with peers and gain knowledge and experience to become a more effective tribal finance and accounting professional and leader.


More Information

This eight-week online program provides the opportunity to connect with and learn from other tribal finance and accounting professionals throughout the state and across the country.

 

The program is presented online so participants can learn on their own time and set hours convenient to their schedules. The amount of time devoted to completing the program is about five hours per week. There are quizzes, short assessments, and discussion posts, throughout the sessions to help participants retain information. Participants will also be able to chat with instructors to discuss and ask questions about course material at the end of each week via the Zoom chat room.

Who should attend?

  • Entry-level employees in tribal financial positions.
  • Professionals who need to acquire increased knowledge regarding tribal finance and accounting (i.e. accountants, lawyers, bankers, etc.) .
  • Elected tribal officials and leaders who wish to better understand the financial side of a business decision.

Agenda, Credit and Learning Objectives

  • Agendas
    Week One
    Session CPE hrs. CPE Field of Study Live Zoom Q&A

    Introduction to Federal Indian Law

    Speaker: James Nichols, The Jacobson Law Group

     

    2.4 CPE                Business Law

    Friday, Jan. 12

    11 a.m.-Noon CST

    Legal Infrastructure of Tribal Enterprises

    Speakers: Wilda Wahpehpah, SheppardMullin and Deborah Reed, Sterling Oaks Law Firm

     

    2.8 CPE Business Law

    Friday, Jan. 12

    11 a.m.-Noon CST

    Week Two
    Session CPE hrs.  CPE Field of Study Live Zoom Q&A

    Introduction of Tribal Government Accounting and Finance

    Speaker: Hattie Mitchell, REDW

    2.8 CPE                Accounting (Governmental)

    Friday, Jan. 19

    11 a.m.-Noon CST

    Internal Controls and Compliance, Fraud Protection

    Speaker: Joel Haaser, FORVIS

    3 CPE Accounting

    Friday, Jan. 19

    11 a.m.-Noon CST

    Best Administrative Grant Practices and Compliance Tribes

    Speaker: Eric Weisenburger, Dorsey & Whitney

    2.2 CPE Accounting (Governmental)

    Friday, Jan. 19

    11 a.m.-Noon CST

    Week Three
    Session CPE hrs.  CPE Field of Study Live Zoom Q&A

    Overview of Government Accounting

    Speaker: Rachel Domnick, Oklahoma State University

    3.8 CPE            Accounting (Governmental)

    Friday, Jan. 26

    11 a.m.-Noon CST

    Auditing Processes and Regulations/Preparing for an Audit

    Speaker: Gwen Zech, Baker Tilly

    3.6 CPE Auditing (Governmental)

    Friday, Jan. 26

    11 a.m.-Noon CST

    Week Four
    Session CPE hrs.  CPE Field of Study Live Zoom Q&A

    Importance of Finance and Overview of Tribal Statements

    Speaker: Gwen Zech, Baker Tilly

    3 CPE            Finance

    Friday, Feb. 2

    11 a.m.-Noon CST

    Effective Record Keeping at Your Tribe

    Speaker: Wes Benally, REDW

    1.8 CPE Accounting

    Friday, Feb. 2

    11 a.m.-Noon CST

    Week Five
    Session CPE hrs. CPE Field of Study Live Zoom Q&A

    IRS Tribal Government Tax Guide

    Speaker: Hattie Mitchell, REDW

    3 CPE            Taxes

    Friday, Feb. 9

    11 a.m.-Noon CST

    Cost Principles for Tribes

    Speaker: Wes Benally, REDW

    2.6 CPE Accounting

    Friday, Feb. 9

    11 a.m.-Noon CST

    Week Six
    Session CPE hrs.  CPE Field of Study Live Zoom Q&A

    Federal General Uniform Administrative Requirements

    Speaker: Wes Benally, REDW

    2.4 CPE            Accounting (Governmental)

    Friday, Feb. 16

    11 a.m.-Noon CST

    Closing Out Grants

    Speaker: Hattie Mitchell, REDW

    1.8 CPE Accounting (Governmental)

    Friday, Feb. 16

    11 a.m.-Noon CST

    Week Seven
    Session CPE hrs.  CPE Field of Study Live Zoom Q&A

    Ethics for Accounting and Finance Professionals

    Speaker: Rachel Cox, Oklahoma State University

    3 CPE            Regulatory Ethics

    Friday, Feb. 23

    11 a.m.-Noon CST

    Preparing Budgets

    Speaker: Rachel Domnick, Oklahoma State University

    2.6 CPE Accounting

    Friday, Feb. 23

    11 a.m.-Noon CST

    Week Eight
    Session CPE hrs. CPE Field of Study Live Zoom Q&A

    Indirect Cost Rate Calculation and Negotiation Processes

    Speaker: Scott Huebert, Becky Carter, Finely & Cook

    3 CPE            Accounting

    Friday, March 1

    11 a.m.-Noon CST

    Cost Principles for Tribes

    Speaker: Becky Carter, Finely & Cook

    1.8 CPE Auditing (Governmental)

    Friday, March 1

    11 a.m.-Noon CST

    Qualified Assessment (must receive a score of 70% or higher to complete program)

       

     

    Overall Evaluation and Post-Test

       

     

  • Available Credit

    CEU and CPE Credit

    The following CPE Subject Areas are reflected in this program:

    • 13 CPE credits of Accounting
    • 13 CPE credits of Accounting (Governmental)
    • 5.4 CPE credits of Auditing (Governmental)
    • 5.2 CPE credits of Business Law
    • 3 CPE credits of Finance
    • 3 CPE credits of Regulatory Ethics
    • 3 CPE credits of Taxes
    • Optional: 2 Hours of undergraduate credit

    Upon successful completion of the program, participants will receive a total of 45.6 hours of CPE credit. Participants are required to attend and participate in each complete session to receive CPE credit. The Oklahoma State University Center for Future of Work is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through: www.nasbaregistry.org


    Earn a Digital Badge

    Participants are eligible to receive the OSU Introductory Tribal Finance and Accounting Digital Badge, which requires program completion to be added to your portfolio. The badge will note the sessions covered and serve as a validation of accomplishments, skills and quality you have learned throughout this program. In order to receive a certificate of completion, the participant must attend at least 90 percent of the program. At the end of this program, participants will complete the Qualified Assessment and must receive a score of 70% or higher.


    OSU Course Credit

    Participants also have the option of enrolling in this course for Oklahoma State University credit. Some tribal organizations may have funds set aside specifically for credit courses and your organization may view this program as a good option to use the funds. If you would like to take this course for OSU credit, please contact us.

  • Learning Objectives

    Auditing Processes and Regulations/Preparing for an Audit

    Attendees will:

    • Identify the tasks involved in preparing for an audit
    • Recognize schedules and checklists for the monthly and year-end close-out process

    Best Administrative Grant Practices and Compliance from Tribes

    Attendees will:

    • Identify the intent of what is the meaning of the Super Circular
    • List what the potential impacts of your organization are to noncompliance of a grant
    • Name at least two ways you can keep the mandatory disclosure rule and avoid harm to your organization

    Closing Out Grants
    Attendees will:

    • Recognize the components of a grant lifecycle
    • Identify components and important issues of grant management and grant close-outs
    • List components in the case study of FEMA to identify problems and solutions that could occur in the grant award and compliance process

    Cost Principles for Tribes
    Attendees will:

    • Identify the concepts central to federal cost principles
    • Distinguish costs associated with direct and indirect costs
    • List cost principles and support answers on direct and indirect costs with citations

    Effective Record Keeping at Your Tribe
    Attendees will:

    • Recall what a “record” is in today’s tribal government
    • Identify federal grant and self-determination record retention time requirements
    • Recognize records a tribe is required to keep to maintain a strong financial management system

    Ethics for Accounting and Finance Professionals
    Attendees will:

    • Recall definition of “ethics”
    • Name at least five of the 10 steps in the AICPA’s Ethical Decision-Making Model
    • Identify six pillars of the AICPA code

    Federal General Uniform Administrative Requirements
    Attendees will:

    • Identify the key Uniform Grant Guidance Subparts
    • Distinguish and recognize key aspects in regard to cost principles, record keeping, indirect costs and close out grants

    Importance of Finance and Overview of Tribal Financial Statements
    Attendees will:

    • Recognize the financial statements included in Governmental Funds, Proprietary Funds, and Fiduciary Funds
    • Identify the two methods of reporting Component Units

    Indirect Cost Rate Calculation and Negotiation Process
    Attendees will:

    • Recognize the definition of indirect cost
    • Recall how an indirect cost rate is determined
    • Identify indirect costs and how they are charged to programs

    Internal Controls & Compliance, Fraud Protection
    Attendees will:

    • Define internal controls
    • Recognize the COSO framework components and definitions
    • List the primary areas of internal controls

    Introduction to Federal Indian Law
    Attendees will:

    • Recall what the term Federal Indian Law refers to
    • Recognize the different powers of Tribal Sovereignty
    • List what purposes tribal gaming net revenues are to be used for

    Introduction to Tribal Government Accounting & Finance
    Attendees will:

    • Identify the characteristics that an organization may have one or more of to be a governmental organization
    • Recall examples of legally separate entities in financial reporting
    • Recognize the unique aspects of tribes that impact financial management

    IRS Tribal Government Tax Guide
    Attendees will:

    • Recall W2 and 1099 filings
    • Identify tribal government pensions under the Pension Act as taxable or non-taxable
    • Recognize the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act provisions

    Legal Infrastructure of Tribal Enterprises
    Attendees will:

    • Understand and identify the tribal and federal laws applicable to the creation and operation of tribal business entities
    • Identify the tribal laws that might be necessary for economic development and financing business transactions
    • Identify three important aspects of federal Indian law that impact tribal businesses

    Overview of Government Accounting
    Attendees will:

    • List the three bases of accounting and identify which is not used in GAAP
    • Match each fund type as either a Governmental Fund, a Proprietary Fund, or a Fiduciary Fund and what basis of accounting those funds use

    Preparing Budgets
    Attendees will:

    • Recall the budgeting calendar cycle
    • Match the components in mid-year and year-end budget reviews
    • Recognize budget tools and their levels

    SEFA – Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards
    Attendees will:

    • Recognize components of the SEFA schedule workpaper
    • Identify how this report is used by federal agencies
  • Sponsors
    Premier
    Silver

    Gold

     

    Learn more about sponsorship levels and/or let us know you would like to be a sponsor:

    Sponsorship Levels

    I Want to Sponsor

Program Policies

 

If a participant would like to cancel her/his registration less than 10 days prior to the program, you are welcome to send a substitute. A refund is available given notification no later than 11 days prior to the program. If you are cancelling your registration or transferring your registration to a colleague, please contact the OSU Center for Future of Work, at 405-744-5208 or cfw@okstate.edu.  The CFW will send you an email confirming your cancellation and refund if applicable.

 

For more information regarding administrative policies such as complaints, please contact the assistant program manager, Lindsey Ray at 405-744-5208 or lindssk@okstate.edu. The program content is appropriate for entry level employees and those looking to gain an understanding in tribal finance and accounting.

 

For CPE purposes, the knowledge level of the course is "basic". There is no prerequisite education/experience. A pre-test will be shared with program participants by the program administrator after registration and prior to attendance.

 

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