Frequently Asked Questions
What is ACPEN?
What is it like to attend the ACPEN broadcasts and webcasts?
What kind of interaction with the faculty does ACPEN provide?
Can I help plan ACPEN courses?
What about post course questions?
What are ACPEN Webcasts?
What are Live Webcast Replays™?
What are ACPEN Webinars?
What are ACPEN Tele-seminars?
How about CPE and other professional credit?
How are ACPEN Broadcasts Produced?
How does ACPEN select its topics?
Where will the broadcasts be received?
Do I just sit and watch TV for eight hours?
Can I suggest topics for the broadcasts?
Will I get written materials?
What is ACPEN?
The Accounting Continuing Professional Education Network is an innovative, cooperative effort of many State CPA Societies and Business Professionals' Network, Inc., which is designed to help accounting and tax professionals like you, gain the skills and knowledge that will help you succeed into the future.
What is it like to attend the ACPEN broadcasts and webcasts?
Each ACPEN full day broadcast is delivered to public sites by satellite or broadband internet technology. Each site, usually at a university or community college, is a classroom setting where groups of professionals from the same area come together to participate in an ACPEN course. When attendees arrive, each will receive a course book and evaluation form. The course book is a specially developed compilation of outlines, articles and examples provided by the presenters to support and elaborate on the discussion that they will watch during the course. The program will be presented on one or more large television monitors or, at some sites, large screen TVs.
In addition to public group sites, full day courses are also available as live webcasts, or Live Webcast Replays, through a state society website. Webcasts are intended for use by individual CPAs watching at their own computer, using streaming video technology, provided by our internet ASP.
Each course is organized much like a traditional seminar. The full day course has appropriate breaks and a lunch period. Shorter webcasts may not include a break. ACPEN courses deliver a unique educational bonus! Instead of a single Discussion Leader, each full day ACPEN course will give you the insight of a whole panel of anywhere from three to a dozen national experts, regulators and practitioners. You receive insight on each point from several presenters. ACPEN viewer evaluations attest to the interactivity of the presentation and the quality of the content you will receive.What kind of interaction with the faculty does ACPEN provide?
Attendees, at group sites or webcast viewers, are invited to participate in each program by emailing in questions, or faxing them to the panel. Speakers will then respond during the program.
Can I help plan ACPEN courses?
Another unique feature of ACPEN courses is that you, the viewer can help plan the program to exactly meet your needs! Once you have registered for an ACPEN program, you can contact the Curriculum Development Team for the topic you are interested in with your own questions or areas you would like the panel to address. You should email jim.parente@acpen.com with any questions you would like the panel to for your course to address. No other CPE program of any kind gives you this way to ensure that the program meets your needs so well!
What about post course questions?
With ACPEN the learning continues after the course is over! ACPEN courses are unique in the CPE world, in that, after the course is over, you have 48 hours to email questions to the faculty! Speakers will respond* to questions and expand on points that you need clarified. No other CPE source adds this expanded dimension to their CPE programming.
*Note: ACPEN is not able to guarantee an answer to every question submitted due to the potential volume of such questions and the professional commitments of speakers. Experience to date has been that more than 95% of submitted questions have received at least one faculty response, many receive more than one response!
What are webcasts?
ACPEN Webcasts are high quality, studio produced, full motion streaming video displays, seen and heard over the internet at the participant’s computer, for full CPE credit. There is no need for the telephone or other connection. The presentation can also allow for slides and materials to be viewed concurrently on the same screen. These are interactive events with materials available online prior to the event, or for an added fee, by regular mail.
What are Live Webcast Replays™?
ACPEN courses are also available as live webcasts replays, for full CPE credit, through internet video streaming technology. Participants, with a broadband internet connection, using their own computer, watch a complete ACPEN course that was previously produced and recorded. This experience is supplemented by members of the faculty who are available during the event to answer questions from viewers in real time, by email.
What are ACPEN Webinars?
ACPEN Webinars are events where the program is delivered both over the Internet in the form of Power Point or other slides combined with a speaker audio accessed either over the telephone or connected via Voice over IP (using a headset connected to the audio portion, online, through the participant’s computer). Other than the static slides, there is no video display. These are interactive events with materials available online, prior to the event, or for an added fee, in hard copy.
What are ACPEN Tele-seminars?
An ACPEN Tele-seminar is a delivery option allowing users to participate in CPE connected to the presenter by telephone, not the internet. The internet’s role is minor, allowing participants to download written materials to review during the seminar. The users will not be on-line during the tele-seminar itself. Through its technology partner, Premier Global Services, Inc., an ACPEN affiliated state society can offer low cost, high quality CPE that allows users to participate by telephone, listening to and interacting with speakers during the course.
How about CPE and other professional credit?
For CPAs, CPE credit is provided for ACPEN courses in two ways. Business Professionals' Network is a member of the NASBA Registry of CPE providers so ACPEN webcasts are fully accredited as Live, Internet-based Group study (1 CPE hour per 50 minute segment). At public viewing sites the local state society Is the sponsor and provides CPE accreditation In the state. Typical ACPEN full day programs provide eight CPE credit hours (400 contact minutes). Specialized credit such as "Yellow Book" and ethics are included as apprpriate. All CPE credit inquiries should be directed to the sponsoring state society of ACPEN.
Appropriate ACPEN courses are also qualified for CFP credit for financial planners. Information about this is includeed in the marketing for each course and during the course itself instructions for claiming this credit is provided.How are ACPEN Broadcasts Produced?
ACPEN broadcasts are professionally produced by an experienced CPE Development Team with more than 25 years experience in the creation of professional education. The course is delivered in an energetic and engaging format that typically includes a panel of three to twelve national experts. The panel will use discussion, demonstration or specially developed case studies to cover the accounting, tax, and other professionally important topics. All ACPEN broadcasts are fully interactive, allowing attendees to ask questions of the panel during the event by calling in by telephone, faxing in questions or emailing questions that are then answered by the panelists. As a special bonus, ACPEN viewers are encouraged to send questions to the panelists after each program, for two days, that panelists respond to. So the learning continues after the course ends!
How does ACPEN select its topics?
The Accounting Continuing Professional Education Network is unique in that it is produced nationally, but with the close cooperation of state CPA societies, that help select the subjects and timing of each broadcast topic.
Where will the broadcasts be received?
We have established locations in a number of states where ACPEN broadcasts will be presented. These may be at colleges or universities, or state society training facilities. The setting will vary from site to site but you will always have accessible parking, refreshments available, and food service convenient to the classroom. If your city is not listed as a site you may still access ACPEN courses as an individual live webcast. Also, if your firm or corporation has satellite downlink capability or broadband internet, you may well be able to receive ACPEN broadcasts at your office for on-site group training.
Do I just sit and watch TV for eight hours?
ACPEN broadcasts are designed to be interactive and participants are encouraged to participate in every facet of the broadcasts. Past attendees have said that the broadcasts are professionally stimulating. In addition, attendees at a location often network about the broadcast content, just like a seminar or conference with a local faculty.
Attendees have the opportunity to call, fax, or email in questions during the program and the panelists will respond, just as at a traditional seminar or conference.
Sample ACPEN videos can be viewed in the products section of the website.
Can I suggest topics for the broadcasts?
Using the ACPEN website, you can suggest topics for the faculty of each course in advance of the program. Pose questions or fact situations in advance and the panel can respond during the broadcast. You can literally help design the program!
Will I get written materials?
You will receive a manual that is specially developed for the broadcast by the speakers, just like a traditional conference. It will serve as a great resource during and after the broadcast.