Concurrent Sessions I | April 24 | 10:10 AM – 11:00 AM
Session 1A: ESG Impacts in Higher Education
Description
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is dominating today’s headlines for businesses and investors. The Securities and Exchange Commission is considering issuing guidance regarding regulating required disclosures that will impact the reporting and potentially assurance aspect of non-financial data. Higher Education is already seeing impacts related to governance issues in connection with bond rating agencies. With all of the components of ESG, where else could higher education institutions be impacted?
Learning Objectives
1. Define ESG and the impact on non-financial accounting data
2. Explore the current regulatory environment for ESG reporting
3. Identify how higher education institutions have already been impacted by ESG and the possible impact to other institutions
Speakers
Jimmy Barnes, Clemson University, Senior Lecturer
Jimmy Barnes is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Accountancy at Clemson University. He has worked at Clemson for over eleven years where he has served as the Business Officer for the College of Business and Behavioral Science and the Financial Planning and Analysis Officer for Academic Affairs. In his current role he teaches courses in data analytics, emerging technology in accounting, and accounting ethics. He also works with admissions for Clemson's Master of Professional Accountancy Program. Prior to coming to Clemson, he served as the Controller for Erskine College for six years. Jimmy worked in public accounting for six years with Deloitte and Touche and McKinley, Cooper & Co. in Greenville, SC. Jimmy holds an undergraduate degree in accounting from Winthrop University and a Masters in Accountancy from The University of Georgia. He is a certified public accountant and a chartered global management accountant. He currently serves on the NACUBO Analytics Advisory Group and he is the former Treasurer for SACUBO.
 Russ Hannah, Arkansas State University, Chief Financial Officer
Russ Hannah is the Chief Financial Officer at Arkansas State University. He's worked at A-State for 30 years in various financial roles including treasurer, controller, assistant vice chancellor for finance, associate vice chancellor for business and finance, and Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and Associate Chief Financial Officer before assuming his current position in July of this year. Prior to coming to A-State, he worked for Arkansas Legislative Audit for 8 years. Russ holds undergraduate degrees in management and accounting, an MBA, a specialist in community college administration, and a doctorate in educational leadership, all from Arkansas State. He is a certified public accountant, a charted global management accountant, and a certified government financial manager and is a graduate of Harvard University's Institute for Educational Management and the Institute for Higher Education Management at Vanderbilt University. He is a member of the board of directors of NACUBO, a past president of SACUBO, and a former chair of the NACUBO Accounting Principles Council.
Session 1B: Business Continuity Planning
Description
Discover the business continuity basics and the value planning for unexpected events has on your organization's overall risk aversion efforts. During this session, you will be exposed to the online Kuali Readi tool that Jackson State Community College uses to help change the employees' mindset in preparing for consistent business activity. Also, the speakers will share critical steps to launch a successful business continuity process at your college.
Learning Objectives
1. Gain a better understanding of the value business continuity planning provides your organization.
2. Be exposed to a viable online tool to aid your campus in establishing and managing business continuity plans.
3. Apply the key steps needed to launch a successful business continuity mindset at your campus.
Speakers
 Terri Messer, Jackson State Community College & Kuali, Compliance & Risk Officer
Terri Messer holds Jackson State Community College's newly established Compliance & Risk Officer role. In this position, she leads and coordinates campus-wide business continuity plans, and federal compliance, including training, risk assessments, and other vital campus areas.
Terri has been with the college for 23 years, previously serving as Dean of Business and Industry and Associate Professor of Economics. In the dean role, her responsibilities included providing leadership and future direction to the associates of science and associates of applied science career programs in the business and engineering systems technology-related fields. She also had direct oversight over all non-credit workforce development opportunities, Perkins IV/V, numerous federal and local grants, and the growth of the McWherter Center for Advanced Technologies.
During the first half of her professional career, she held various top-level management positions in the manufacturing sector. She was plant manager at Dominion Automotive in Milan, Tennessee, and has first-hand knowledge of the challenges involved in today's manufacturing environment, including those surrounding compliance and risk.
She holds a bachelor's and master's degree in business administration from the University of Tennessee. She and her husband, Mike, live in Milan and enjoy their four rowdy grandsons.
 Janice Ruff, Kuali, Customer Success Manager
Janice Ruff has been the Customer Success Manager for Kuali Ready since March 2019. In her role, she works with our customer community to ensure they are receiving the tools and support needed to achieve their business continuity goals. Janice leads the Ready team in client onboarding, user training, developing new procedures, and implementing customer retention campaigns. She holds the ABCP certification from the Disaster Recovery Institute International (DRI). She is also a graduate of Davenport University and holds an MBA in Business Management. In her free time, she loves to travel, read and enjoys making memories with her grandchildren.
Session 1C: Best Practices: Transitioning from a Single to a Multistate Work Environment
Description
In the post pandemic world telework and multistate tax environments have become the norm for many colleges and universities. With an ever-growing out of state workforce the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) was no exception. Join us in this session as we present the road map KCTCS used to transition to a multistate tax environment and how they utilized KCTCS' ERP system, Peoplesoft, as a communication tool between Human Resources and Payroll Shared Services for new hires and when tax locations change.
Learning Objectives
1. Learn strategies for transitioning to a multistate tax withholding environment
2. Learn about nexus and the associated tax withholding requirements
3. Learn how to set up notifications in an ERP system allowing automated communication between Human Resources and Payroll
Speakers
 Todd Moeller, Kentucky Community and Technical College System
Todd Moeller is the Manager of Payroll Tax and Remittances for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. He has over 23 years of payroll experience in private and public organizations, including 17 years within Higher Education. He currently manages all aspects of withholding taxes, which has expanded to cover multiple states and their respective localities. In addition, he also supervises the funding of multiple retirement and benefit plans, utilizing a variety of platforms. Todd has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Murray State University. He, and his wife Melody have three daughters, aged 8, 13, and 17.
 Jamie Bledsoe, Kentucky Community and Technical College System
Jamie Bledsoe joined KCTCS in 2022 as a Senior Payroll Tax Administrator. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Management from National American University in 2004 and has over 15+ years of Accounting, Finance, Retail Management and Federal Payroll experience. Jamie has been instrumental in the onboarding process for the multi-state tax capability throughout KCTCS.
Session 1D: Best Practices: Achieving a University-wide Conflict of Interest Program
Description
Whether you are contemplating starting a comprehensive conflict of interest disclosure program, or have one established, but are curious as to what others are doing to identify and manage conflicts of interest, this session will provide you with insight into Auburn University's COI program that has become a model for other institutions over the past 5 years. We will share our solution to centralize and manage conflict of interest challenges facing higher ed. This session will also provide an opportunity for others to comment on how they have created effective operations to identify and manage COIs. Leave with practical ideas to implement better business practices regarding COIs at your institution.
Learning Objectives
1. Identify common conflict of interest and conflict of commitment situations that exist at colleges and universities
2. Develop a process to capture employee disclosures of significant financial conflicts of interest, conflicts of commitment, familial relationships, and other potential conflicts of interests
3. Apply practical safeguards and oversight mechanisms to effectively manage conflicts of interest.
Speakers
 Kristin Roberts, Auburn University
Kristin Roberts, J.D., CCEP, CIPP/US is an Assistant Director in the Division of Institutional Compliance & Privacy within the Office of Audit, Compliance & Privacy at Auburn University. She has over eight years of higher education experience. She is a Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (U.S.). Prior to Auburn, Kristin was an Assistant Attorney General for the Missouri Attorney General, Chris Koster, practicing consumer protection law and multi-state litigation for five years. Kristin holds a Juris Doctor degree with an Emphasis in Entrepreneurial Law from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from Drake University where she was a two-sport DI athlete.
Kevin Robinson, Auburn University, Associate Vice President of the Office of Audit, Compliance & Privacy
Kevin Robinson, CIA, CFE, is the Associate Vice President of the Office of Audit, Compliance & Privacy at Auburn University. Robinson has more than 28 years of service at Auburn. He also has been very active in NACUBO and the Associate of College and University Auditors (ACUA), serving as ACUA president, and guided the association in fulfilling its strategic plan. He serves as a frequent speaker at conferences nationwide for various professional organizations. Through his involvement, speaking engagements, teaching and other activities, Kevin has made and continues to make outstanding professional contributions to the profession of internal auditing in higher education.
Additionally, Robinson is the primary author for a monthly newsletter, Case in Point, which is distributed to 1,300 individuals at 260 institutions. The newsletter provides an excellent opportunity to promote internal audit in higher education. Lastly, he is the go-to, charismatic speaker and teacher on educating professionals and students on fraud in higher education. His expertise is invaluable to higher education business officers.
Session 1E: How Florida Atlantic University Transformed Course Materials Access, Efficiency, and Affordability
Description
Florida Atlantic University (FAU) launched an Inclusive Access program in Spring 2020 to improve textbook affordability, increase ease and convenience of course material access, and ultimately make an impact on student outcomes. The initial pilot across five sections has expanded to over 800 sections, with nearly 8,000 students gaining instant access to the materials they needed in 2022-2023 alone. The 100% digital program averages less than $100 for required materials per course, ensuring that students save 40%, or more, compared to the retail price of new textbooks. In this interview-style session, Follett president Ryan Petersen and FAU's Senior Director of Academic Affairs, Geoffrey Johnson, will discuss how to launch and evolve a sustainable Inclusive Access program that ensures academic freedom, meets student needs, and positions them for success.
Learning Objectives
1. Understand the critical steps needed to operationalize and scale an affordable digital-first course materials model on campus
2. Build a proposal to launch or expand their own Inclusive or Equitable Access programs
3. Determine the differences between Inclusive and Equitable Access program models
Speakers
 Kevin Renshaw, Follett Higher Education, Vice President of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships
Kevin has over 30 years of retail experience with 25 of those years in supporting higher education. Kevin started his career journey as a temporary cashier at Irvine Valley College and has held a variety of store operations positions and sales positions with strengths in developing team members, building strategic sales plans and delivering exceptional customer service.
Kevin brings a creative and collaborative solution focused problem-solving approach to building long lasting relationships with our campus partners. With a long track record ss a thought leader in campus service retail, Kevin’s communication and program building skill sets provide our partners with a trusted advisor ready to bring innovation and inspiration to the campus retail operation.
 Geoffrey Johnson, Florida Atlantic University, Senior Director Academic Affairs
Geoffrey Johnson is Senior Director, Academic Affairs. In this role Geoffrey initiates, manages, and assesses a broad spectrum of initiatives, including the development of legislatively mandated and administratively requested academic reports and plans. Geoffrey leads the university's efforts for implementing predictive analytics modules and drives usage of these tools to bolster retention and graduation rates. He also leads the university's efforts to ensure compliance with Board of Governors regulation 8.003 and FAU regulation 3.004 Textbook and Instructional Materials Affordability. He works collaboratively on cross-divisional teams and leads committees that support the overall mission of the Office of the Provost. Geoffrey received his master's degree in Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University's College for Design and Social Inquiry. He received his bachelor's in Health Care Management from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University’s School of Allied Health Sciences.
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