Concurrent Sessions III | April 15 | 1:30 PM – 2:20 PM
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Session 3A: Washington Update | 1 CPE Credit
Description
Coming soon.
Learning Objectives
Coming soon.
Speakers
 Liz Clark, Vice President for Policy and Research, NACUBO
Liz LaPolt Clark is Vice President for Policy and Research at NACUBO and a member of the NACUBO executive leadership group. She has been widely quoted in the press and is a sought-after speaker on how Washington politics and federal policies impact higher education. Liz got her start on Capitol Hill opening Cornell University's first Washington, DC-based federal relations office. Also in her career, she has led federal affairs for the State University of New York (SUNY) System and for Oregon State University. At NACUBO, she heads the team responsible for analysis of federal regulatory and legislative actions, research, and data analytics.
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Session 3B: Best Practice Session: FAST: UK's right time, right place finance and administration training program | 1 CPE Credit
Description
In 2021, the University of Kentucky (UK) identified opportunities to enhance and strengthen business officers' understanding of institutional expectations regarding internal controls. University leadership established the Finance and Administration Specialized Training (FAST) Program to implement a flexible, web-based training program to strengthen business operations, improve training opportunities for those with business office and certain administrative responsibilities and support the UK-PURPOSE, the Strategic Plan to Advance Kentucky.
This presentation will provide an understanding of institutional value and the benefits of establishing a mandatory standardized finance and administration training program for those with business office responsibilities. Programmatic development is accomplished by a dedicated team with expertise in adult learning principles partnering with institutional content subject matter experts for on-demand web-based course creation.
This presentation will help build an understanding of how to balance participant training needs with program requirements and desired compliance and learning outcomes through an efficient and flexible modality. Finally, the broader impact of the program will be discussed including how UK expanded the program to include both mandatory and voluntary participants resulting in higher participation and compliance.
Learning Objectives
- Understand institutional value, benefits of establishing a mandatory standardized finance and administration training program for those with business office responsibilities.
- Establish an understanding of web-based training program development based on adult learning principles utilizing institutional content subject matter experts alongside dedicated program team.
- Understand how to balance participant training need with program requirements and desired compliance and learning outcomes through an efficient and flexible modality.
Speakers
 Brittany Morgan, Director of Finance and Administration, University of Kentucky
Ms. Morgan serves as the Director of Finance and Administration leading the Office of the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration (EVPFA) Business Support Center at the University of Kentucky. She has extensive specialized project portfolio leadership experience with a background in higher education finance and administration, technology, and healthcare while also holding certifications in project management and agile scrum. Prior to her current role, Ms. Morgan served as the institutional project management lead for UK's COVID-19 Financial Impact Team and has been honored to work for the university for over 14 years. She holds a master's degree in public health, is married with two children and is an avid endurance athlete.
 Pam Woods, Assistant Director of Finance and Administration, University of Kentucky
Ms. Woods serves as the Assistant Director of Finance and Administration within the EVPFA Business Support Center at the University of Kentucky. She specializes in project portfolio management and leadership of the Finance and Administration Specialized Training (FAST) program. Her experience in higher education includes information technology, finance and administration and regional medical campus expansion. Prior to her current role, Ms. Woods served as the project management lead for the College of Medicine’s regional campus expansion across the state of Kentucky. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky and is currently enrolled in graduate studies. When not working, she enjoys international travel and exploring new cultures
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Session 3C: Best Practice Session: Defending the Plastic Kingdom: A PCI Adventure | 1 CPE Credit
Description
Defining what PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards) is, who is responsible for it and how Texas Tech University navigated their PCI adventure across the campus.
Learning Objectives
- Attendees will be able to clearly understand what the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards are and to whom they apply.
- Attendees will be able to identify methods to reduce risk of credit card fraud within their organization.
- Attendees will be able to apply concepts to assist their organizational merchants in complying with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards.
Speakers
Christine Jones, Assistant Managing Director, Texas Tech University
Christine has worked at Texas Tech University for 15 years, with previous roles in Internal Audit and Student Business Services. She has also done IT consulting, IT audits and is the former Director of Student Business Services at Lubbock Christian University. She holds the following certifications: CISA, CISSP and PCIP and currently has direct oversight to Merchant Services and Student to Finance reconciliation.
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Session 3D: Investing in Your Teams Professional Development | 1 CPE Credit
Description
This session will detail one department's commitment to the professional development of every team member, at every level of the organization, in an annually themed one-day conference.
Learning Objectives
- Recognize the need to invest in the professional development of all team members in your organization at every level.
- Investigate a cost effective and creative way to directly address timely professional development needs of team members, while fostering direct communication with area leadership.
- Understand the benefits of taking a personally crafted approach to the enrichment and cohesion of team members in a large functional unit.
Speakers
 Alyson Baxter, Assistant Vice President, Finance and Operations Shared Administrative Services, The University of Alabama
Alyson is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. She is a two-time graduate of The University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the College of Arts & Sciences and the University Honors Program and a Master of Public Administration degree from the Graduate School. She is an alumni of Leadership Tuscaloosa with the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce and NACUBO's inaugural Emerging Leaders Program. Most recently, she completed the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Management Development Program in 2022. Alyson started with The University of Alabama in 2009 and is currently the Assistant Vice President for Finance and Operations Shared Administrative Services since 2021. Alyson serves on the Board of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama and the Executive Board of the Tuscaloosa County Chapter of The University of Alabama National Alumni Association.
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Session 3E: Texas A&M System's Transformation Journey | 1 CPE Credit
Description
Join us for an insightful presentation as the Texas A&M System Office shares its transformation journey aimed at enhancing reporting, streamlining processes, and gaining valuable insights. Discover how they successfully implemented a close and consolidation process while standardizing Annual Financial Reporting (AFR) for their 11 universities and numerous state agencies. This session will delve into their ongoing efforts to eliminate manual tasks and break down data silos, ultimately empowering Finance with improved financial processes and data-driven analysis.
Learning Objectives
- Gain Insights: Hear firsthand experiences and glean essential lessons from the Texas A&M university system's transformative journey, offering valuable takeaways for your own institution.
- Explore Effective Strategies: Dive into the strategies employed by the system to dismantle data silos and eliminate manual processes, facilitating smoother and more efficient operations.
- Learn Best Practices: Understand tactical best practices when looking for improving data quality and reporting..
Speakers
 Teresa Edwards, Controller, Texas A&M University
Teresa Edwards, CPA, has been the System Controller at the Texas A&M University System Office since 2011. In this role, she is responsible for the oversight of the System Office accounting operations, interpreting the impact of new accounting standards to the twenty-four Texas A&M institutions/agencies, compilation of the consolidated Annual Financial Report, assisting IT system enhancements on the accounting system and various other reporting requirements. Teresa also worked at the Florida Department of Financial Services and the Texas Comptroller’s Office and prior to governmental accounting, she worked in corporate accounting and worked for a CPA firm in the Houston area. Teresa is a graduate of Texas A&M University.
 Stephanie Bartlett, Senior Product Marketing Manager, OneStream Software
Stephanie Bartlett is a Senior Product Marketing Manager at OneStream Software and has over ten years of experience in Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) and business transformation. With a customer-focused approach, Stephanie has been a leader in higher education product management, project management, and implementation consulting. Stephanie holds a bachelor’s degree from The University of Oregon.
 Tracy Crowley, Director Financial Reporting, Texas A&M University System
Tracy Crowley, CPA, is an accounting professional with over thirty years of higher education experience including accounting for investments and endowments, compiling financial statements, analyzing accounting standards, developing processes, and working with various accounting systems. Tracy is the Director of Financial Reporting at the Texas A&M University System which consists of twenty-four Texas A&M institutions/agencies. In this role she interprets the impact of new accounting standards, assists with the compilation of the consolidated Annual Financial Report and manages the accounting functions related to the A&M System’s pooled cash and investments. She joined the A&M System in 1999 as a Senior Accountant focused on System Office accounting operations, investments, and endowments. She has also worked for Texas A&M University’s fiscal office and the Texas A&M Foundation. Tracy is a graduate of Texas A&M University.
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