2000 TAX EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM.

• Author: Weber, Richard P.

The AICPA Tax Division is sponsoring the AICPA 2000 Tax Education Symposium, as part of the Division's continuing efforts to enhance the education of accountants entering the profession and to develop and maintain relationships between academicians and practicing tax professionals. The Symposium continues the 1998 Symposium's examination of the effects of technology on tax curricula and practice. In addition, the Symposium addresses e-commerce as well. Speakers are from major and local academic institutions, large- and intermediate-sized CPA firms and the AICPA. There will be demonstrations of tools for today's classroom, tools that enhance tax research and tools specifically for tax practice.

The Symposium targets the tax academic community, as well as practicing AICPA members with an interest in education and those who want to stay abreast of some of the best current uses of technology in tax practice. The program emphasizes small group breakout sessions, in which all participants can interact. It includes plenary sessions on topics of interest to the majority of registrants.

The Symposium opens with a series of plenary sessions. AICPA Chairman Robert K. Elliott will discuss the impact of the AICPA Vision on tax education, focusing on the rapid changes occurring in today's economy and the changes necessary in academia. Gerald Melican, Director of Technical and Psychometric Development for the AICPA, will discuss the current state of the CPA exam and its future. He will focus on the effects of computerizing the CPA exam and the connection between the Vision and the exam's structure. Finally, Cherie O'Neil (Colorado State University) will compare and contrast a range of class-management software packages, considering their usefulness in traditional classroom learning as well as in Web-based learning.

Following lunch are breakout sessions. Each session will be offered twice, giving participants flexibility. The sessions cover several topics, including the present state of managing traditional and electronic classrooms, the current and future state of tax practice, and the use of technology in academic and professional research. The sessions allow small groups of participants to interact with presenters knowledgeable in various areas.

The eight breakout sessions (each offered twice in the Friday afternoon and Saturday morning breakout periods) include:

* The use of commonly available software packages, presented by Ronald Tidd (Michigan...