ACFE Student Chapters

The ACFE student chapters create anti-fraud communities on campuses that provide structure and robust skills development through training and education.

To create more student chapters and help existing chapters, members of the ACFE Higher Education Advisory Committee surveyed the advisors of 15 ACFE student chapters to gather information about their chapters, to find ways to encourage new chapters and identify existing needs. The 13 advisors who completed the survey provided a wealth of information. Here's what we learned.

BENEFITS OF ACFE STUDENT CHAPTERS

Not surprisingly, the survey respondents said the primary benefit of ACFE student chapters is to bolster students' anti-fraud education — especially the opportunity to learn directly from practitioners. Student members also educate the general public about fraud by hosting seminars and presentations. The mere existence of a chapter not only promotes fraud awareness but it also alerts students to a wider array of career choices, respondents said.

Despite the considerable efforts of anti-fraud faculty, the survey participants believed students are often unaware of the ACFE and the CFE credential when their universities or colleges do not have student chapters. Chapters also promote camaraderie and a sense of belonging while demonstrating how accounting, law, law enforcement, psychology, sociology, information technology and criminology are interrelated.

Student chapters are a great place to network because anti-fraud recruiters get to observe students "in action" during chapter meetings and presentations, respondents said.

RICH REWARDS OF ADVISING

Most advisors said they love working with students. They find it immensely satisfying to turn students on to anti-fraud careers, help them mature and see them establish new contacts with practitioners and land anti-fraud jobs.

Several respondents said they enjoy educating the general university community about fraud and seeing students learn. One advisor wrote, "When we plan a meeting for one hour, and students are still on the edge of their seats asking questions of the speaker when we're maybe 75 to 90 minutes into a meeting ... that tells me we brought a good speaker to campus."

'NUTS AND BOLTS' OF ACFE STUDENT CHAPTERS

ACFE student chapters are a relatively new phenomenon. The oldest existing chapter was established in 2006, and the majority were organized in 2009 and 2010. Two chapter advisors said that they are creating a chapter at another university within the next year. The number of members range from 10 to 75, with an average of 32 and a median of 24. Meetings are popular, with an average of 18 students attending.

Recruiting Members. The most effective way to recruit members is via class announcements, either by the chapter advisor or, most frequently, by student members, according to the advisors. Even though most chapters exist in accounting departments, members recruit in pre-law and criminology classes, business schools and elsewhere on campus. In addition, chapters reach out to members of Beta Alpha Psi (a nonprofit international honorary and service organization for accounting, finance and information systems students). 

Email blasts and posters in high-traffic areas pique interest. One advisor instituted a "bring a friend to an upcoming meeting" membership drive, which is especially effective when the chapter schedules high-quality speakers.

Word of mouth is a simple grassroots method of recruiting members, the survey found. Students talk to their friends and acquaintances about the benefits of joining student chapters and contact incoming students in accounting, criminology and related majors. They also staff recruitment/information booths at student recreation areas. One advisor gives extra course credit for joining.

Professional Interaction. The most effective speakers are professional anti-fraud investigators. These include CFEs, FBI agents, IRS special agents, forensic accountants from professional services firms, as well as investigators from sheriffs' offices, Medicaid fraud units and university internal audit departments. Their "war stories" heighten student interest and education.

Funding Chapters. ACFE student chapters are self-funded. Approximately half of the chapters require annual dues of $10 to $50. In some cases, advisors' departments, local ACFE chapters or corporate and other sponsors provide additional funding.

Challenges. Advisors' major challenges include finding time to adequately advise officers, locating speakers and finding responsible students to serve as officers. However, survey participants believe that the rewards, such as helping students learn and develop a network, far outweigh the challenges.

The No. 1 challenge is finding time to properly oversee the chapter, including mentoring chapter officers. One adjunct professor, who has an accounting practice and only teaches one semester per year, finds that having a co-advisor relieves some of his time burden. On average, advisors spend 25 to 30 hours per semester working with their chapters.

A smooth transition from one dedicated, reliable student leader to the next is critical to a successful chapter. Faculty members are key in helping groom these leaders.

Chapters large and small have trouble finding guest speakers. Identifying, screening and scheduling dynamic, effective speakers takes time. (However, ACFE chapter members, as well as other anti-fraud professionals, are frequently so enthusiastic about speaking to college students that they drive several hours for this opportunity.)

ACFE chapters in larger metropolitan areas can attract more speakers — and attendees — by giving them the option to give their presentations via web conferencing.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Advisors, in their survey responses, said they recognize and appreciate the ACFE's support. One said, "Much is already available," and another stated, "They've already done a lot by providing the ACFE Student Package for $350," which includes the CFE exam prep course, the fee to take the CFE exam and one year of membership after passing the exam, as well as the $25 one-year student membership.

Advisors suggested that they would like the ACFE to help them obtain guest speakers by providing a list of available speakers in their area. The ACFE already provides this list and is always eager to add more speakers.  Advisors can obtain more detailed contact information with the ACFE's Find a CFE directory, which also allows them to ask ACFE members to speak. 

Another advisor suggested more access to promotional materials such as posters. Of course, columns such as "Fraud EDge" and "Starting Out," as well as the ACFE's Anti-Fraud Education Partnership, recognize student chapters and advisors.

STARTING AN ACFE STUDENT CHAPTER AT YOUR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY

To begin chapters, advisors suggested simply talking to students about forming chapters and asking other chapters how they are succeeding. One advisor noted that because students are interested in fraud examination, they often are willing to form a chapter; another said that setting up a new chapter is not difficult, and the ACFE is very helpful to those who are interested.

In addition, faculty advisors said that faculty interested in forming a student chapter should ensure that they follow the university's policies, procedures, rules and regulations for student organizations. 

FUTURE FRAUD FIGHTERS IN SUPPORTIVE CAMPUS COMMUNITIES

The January/February "FraudEDge" column cited the tremendous strides that have been made in anti-fraud education: higher-education institutions have developed new curriculum, experts have written at least five textbooks on forensic accounting and fraud examination, and the ACFE and other organizations have founded the Institute for Fraud Prevention. All are proactive steps to create fraud awareness.

This approach underpins another move in the anti-fraud world: increasing the supply of future fraud fighters via these student chapters. A robust organization creates an open exchange among professionals and collegians.

Students and faculty interested in finding out more about how to start a student chapter should visit here. (See below for a list of ACFE student chapters and advisors.)

Gerald Smith, Ph.D., CPA, CIA, is a professor at the University of Northern Iowa and is a member of the ACFE Higher Education Advisory Committee.

Richard "Dick" A. Riley Jr., Ph.D., CFE, CPA, is a Louis F. Tanner Distinguished Professor of Public Accounting in the College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University in Morgantown. He is chair of the ACFE Higher Education Advisory Committee and the vice president of operations and research for the Institute for Fraud Prevention.

George R. Young, Ph.D., CPA, is an associate professor at Florida Atlantic University and the academic director of the forensic concentration in the Masters of Accounting program at Florida Atlantic University. He is a member of the ACFE Higher Education Advisory Committee and co-author of "Forensic Accounting," a textbook published by McGraw-Hill.

ACFE Student Chapters and Advisors

University of Alabama

Todd DeZoort, Ph.D., CFE

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Tommie Singleton, Ph.D.

Arizona State University

Joe Epps, CFE, CPA

Birmingham-Southern College

Susan Cockrell, Ph.D.

Bloomsburg University

Michael Shapeero, Ph.D., CMA, CPA

Delaware Valley College

Elizabeth Kolar, CPA

DeVry College

Michael Seda, Ph.D., CFE, CPA

Georgia Southern University

Thomas Buckhoff, Ph.D., CFE, CFF, CPA

University of Houston-Clear Lake

Mattie Porter, Ph.D.

University of Illinois

Frank Nekrasz Jr., Ph.D., CFE, CPA

John Jay College

Randall LaSalle, Ph.D., CFE, CPA

University of Missouri-Columbia

Kenneth Shaw

Northern Arizona University

Jennifer Staskey, CFE, CPA, CDFA

Old Dominion University

Douglas Ziegenfuss, Ph.D., CFE, AGA, CGFM, CIA, CISA, CITP, CMA, CPA

Pittsburg State University

David O'Bryan, Ph.D., CFE, CMA

Trakya University (Turkey)

Kiymet Caliyurt, CFE, CPA

Troy University

Stanley Lewis Jr., Ph.D., CFE, CPA

Utica College

George Curtis, Ph.D. 

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