PwC faculty newsletter archive

Every six to eight weeks you will find new thought leadership, white papers, PwC publications, and technical updates highlighted in our faculty newsletter. As each new newsletter is posted, the prior month's newsletter is archived here for your reference.

  • November 2011

    Dear Educator:

    We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and were able to relax and enjoy time with family and friends. Our recruiting teams have enjoyed seeing many of you and your students on campus over the past several weeks.

    In our newsletter this month, we would like to share some recent changes in leadership for our Tax practice. In addition, based on feedback from many of you, we have added a US Markets page on student site. We have highlighted one of our Advisory partners who recently received the “Women Leaders in Consulting” award. We have also included our new IFRS and US GAAP: similarities and differences publication and a 10minutes piece on changing corruption risks.


    Rick Stamm named Global Tax Leader, Mark Mendola new US Tax Leader Role

    Many of you have had the opportunity to interact with Rick Stamm, who has served as our US Tax Leader since 2004, at our faculty programs or on your campus. Rick has recently assumed the role of Network Vice Chairman, Tax. To view the press release, click here.

    Rick’s successor will be Mark Mendola as our new US Tax Leader. Mark most recently served on PwC's Tax core leadership team as the Tax managing partner. To view the press release, click here.


    Informing students regarding opportunities across the US

    Based on feedback from many of you, we have developed a page on our student website to highlight our markets where we have critical hiring needs. We also share information to help students as they consider beginning a career with PwC to understand our structure across the US and the client opportunities within each key market. We hope you will encourage your students to view this information and reiterate that opportunities for them are not limited to offices that are in close proximity to your campus. PwC is looking for top talent for all of our markets across the US.
    Our US Markets page can be accessed at: www.pwc.com/us/ourmarkets


    Leanne Sardiga to be honored with "Women Leaders in Consulting" award

    Congratulations to Leanne Sardiga, Advisory Transaction Services Leader for the Retail and Consumer sector, who will be honored tonight with Consulting magazine’s “Women Leaders in Consulting” 2011 award for outstanding achievement in client service. Leanne is one of only 10 women to earn this distinction. The evening marks the magazine's fifth annual Women Leaders in Consulting awards ceremony, honoring industry standouts and rising stars. Leanne has been with PwC for 17 years, accumulating deal expertise from more than 200 transactions globally, including acquisitions, divestitures, and other complex transactions. Read our press release here.


    IFRS and US GAAP: similarities and differences

    In December 2010, the SEC announced that by the end of this year it planned to decide on next steps regarding whether, when, and how IFRS should be incorporated into the US financial reporting system. In the meantime, the FASB and the IASB continue to deliberate key convergence projects, which they plan to finalize in the latter half of 2012. Although the future of IFRS in the US financial reporting system is uncertain, IFRS already affects US companies today due to cross-border mergers and acquisitions, business dealings with non-US customers and vendors, and as a consequence of the adoption of IFRS for statutory purposes by non-US subsidiaries.
    It's not easy keeping track of what's changing and how, but this publication can help. Changes for 2011 include:

    • Revised introduction reflecting the current status, likely next steps, and what companies should be doing now (see page 2);
    • Updated convergence timeline, including current proposed timing of exposure drafts, deliberations, comment periods, and final standards (see page 7);
    • More current analysis of the differences between IFRS and US GAAP -- including an assessment of the impact embodied within the differences (starting on page 17); and
    • Details incorporating authoritative standards and interpretive guidance issued through July 31, 2011 (throughout).

    This continues to be one of PwC's most-read publications, and we are confident the 2011 edition will further your understanding of these issues and potential next steps. For further exploration of the similarities and differences between IFRS and US GAAP, please also visit our IFRS Video Learning Center.


    10minutes on changing corruption risks

    The anti-corruption regulatory movement is emerging as one of the most formidable compliance challenges confronting the private sector. Major multinationals have taken significant steps to bolster their anti-bribery controls as they confront not only the powerful Foreign Corruption Practices Act (FCPA) in the US, but a new set of anti-corruption laws that seemingly go further than the FCPA. Yet too often we're seeing greater commitment at the top is not effectively flowing through the organization.
    To help business leaders and corporate directors better understand the corruption risk landscape and more, to prioritize their company's response, we've compiled eight questions to direct to their operational teams.


    We hope you find this information helpful in supporting the good work you do with your students who are the future of our profession. We look forward to continued collaboration with you over the coming months. If we can assist you, please contact us at paul.and.peters@us.pwc.com.

    Best Regards,
     

    Holly Paul
    US Recruiting Leader
    Julie Peters
    Faculty Relations Manager

  • October 2011

    Dear Educator:

    With the academic year well underway and campus recruiting activities in full swing, our recruiting teams have enjoyed seeing many of you on campus over the past few weeks.

    This month, we are excited to highlight the recent Fortune magazine article on the PwC PowerPitch competition. In addition, we have included our 2011 Global Annual Review, recent editions of our publication Point of View, the Accounting Methods Spotlight October 2011 and the recently released PwC’s Board Center App.


    PwC's PowerPitch featured in Fortune magazine: “American Idol: the PwC Accounting Edition”

    PwC’s PowerPitch innovation contest made news this month. The Oct. 17 issue of Fortune features PwC in a five-page spread titled "American Idol: Accounting Edition" -- and includes the genesis of the program, photos of the July 28 finale, and a peek backstage at the contestants before their final pitches to the panel of judges. The finale was available for the entire US Firm to view via live webcast. PowerPitch shows how PwC is focused on the use innovation and teamwork to achieve real business results. To view the article, click here.


    2011 Global Annual Review released

    PwC's global network brings together firms in 158 countries, and our Global Annual Review provides a once-a-year look at who we are, what we have accomplished in the past year, and what's ahead. The report discusses the revenue performance of PwC’s global network in a difficult economy and the continued evolution of our profession. In addition, PwC's Global Annual Review looks forward at our ambitions for FY12 and beyond. Our global network plans to recruit 20,000 graduates and offer 10,000 internships across the world. The report also discusses the investments PwC is making to further enhance quality to meet the expectations of our clients, investors and other key stakeholders, as well as the challenges of a complex business environment. We encourage you to view our Global Annual Review on our website where you can explore our results using interactive tools.


    These brief reports describe a current issue of business concern, highlight the major ramifications, offer PwC's opinion on it, and close with a Q&A back page addressing some of the more important questions surrounding the issue. We thought you would be interested in the following two recent editions:

    The path forward for international standards in the United States

    Continued dialog and increased cooperation are needed, but the worthiness of the goal demands that progress continue to be made: October 2011 Point of View.

    Accounting for income taxes – it’s time for a comprehensive review

    A comprehensive review is needed to reduce the complexity of income tax accounting while improving the relevance and quality of the reporting: September 2011 Point of View.


    Accounting Methods Spotlight October 2011

    This publication provides timely updates each month on a range of federal income tax issues including accounting methods and inventories, depreciation, long-term contract accounting, leasing, fringe benefits, and other miscellaneous tax issues. To access this publication, please click here.


    PwC’s Board Center App

    PwC's Board Center App provides the latest updates on corporate governance issues and trends to enable board members to more effectively meet the challenges of their critical role. The Board Center brings together insights on strategy & growth, executive compensation, financial reporting developments, and risk management with the corporate director in mind.

    Click here for information regarding how to download this free app which will give you access to a library of publications and on-demand videos, including 10Minutes, To the Point, BoardroomDirect, Current Developments for Directors, BoardVision, and many other updates from PwC's Center for Board Governance.


    We hope you find this information helpful in supporting the good work you do with your students who are the future of our profession. We look forward to continued collaboration with you over the coming months. If we can assist you, please contact us at paul.and.peters@us.pwc.com.

    Best Regards,
     

    Holly Paul
    US Recruiting Leader
    Julie Peters
    Faculty Relations Manager

  • September 2011

    Dear Educator:

    We hope the new school year is off to a great start. We enjoyed seeing many of you in Denver at our PwC Accounting Symposium and Tax Colloquium programs and the AAA annual meeting. We were very happy to have our US Chairman and Senior Partner, Bob Moritz, join us in Denver to host the annual CAQ Symposium and participate in the AAA Annual Meeting.

    This month, we are highlighting the recent recognition of our US Advisory Leader, Dana McIlwain, as one of the top 25 consultants of 2011. We are also making you aware of two opportunities that you may want to pass along to your students - our September 14 Live Chat and our focus on promoting opportunities for students across all US offices of PwC. We are excited to tell you about our new 10minutes iPad App and feature again our outstanding resource, PwC Open University, which provides you access to upcoming live training as well as archived courses.


    PwC US Chairman and Senior Partner participates in the annual CAQ Symposium and the AAA Annual Meeting

    We were honored to serve as the host and sponsor for the annual CAQ Symposium on Sunday, August 7th. Our US Chairman and Senior Partner, Bob Moritz, served as host as approximately 70 practitioners and academics came together to discuss how research can enhance audit practice. Further information is included in the August 2011 CAQ Newsletter.

    Bob was also pleased for the opportunity to interact with many of you at the AAA Annual Meeting. Bob served as a panelist with the Center of Audit Quality to discuss the role of the auditor. Bob was also featured as the keynote speaker for the Audit Section Luncheon.


    US Advisory Leader Dana McIlwain among Top 25 Consultants of 2011

    Consulting magazine has recognized US Advisory Leader Dana McIlwain as one of their Top 25 Consultants of 2011, in the category of "Excellence in Leadership." The award recognizes Dana's commitment to the continued growth and development of the practice to best serve our clients and to provide increased opportunities for our people. Under Dana's leadership, the practice has grown to over 6,000 highly talented professionals and PwC has been recognized by industry analysts as one of the world's leading consulting services providers. We congratulate Dana on receiving this recognition of his dedication and service to our firm, the Advisory practice and our clients. To read the article in Consulting magazine, visit:
    The 2011 Top 25 Consultants: Dana McIlwain.


    PwC's Career Corner "Back to Campus" Live Chat - September 14th

    As PwC recruiters are starting to visit campuses this fall, we continue to hear questions from students across the country looking for ways to make a favorable impression with prospective employers. Students are sharing their concerns and requesting tips on how to put their best foot forward to secure an internship or full-time position. We would like to extend an invitation to you and your students to participate in our upcoming "Back to Campus" Career Corner Live Chat with our US Campus Recruiting Leader, Alexa Hamill.

    The "Back to Campus" Live Chat is an excellent opportunity for students of all majors to ask our Campus Recruiting leader their career questions. This is their opportunity to ask for insight around areas such as: the recruiting process, how to navigate career fairs in a meaningful way, how to prepare for a career, and how to develop and enhance their personal brand.

    At PwC, we are committed to providing people the support and resources they need to help grow their careers - at PwC and beyond. We encourage you to invite your students to join us September 14 from 4:00 - 5:00 PM ET. To join the chat, and to sign up to receive a reminder for the event, visit
    PwC's Career Corner Live Chat website. For updates on our Career Corner activities, students can follow PwC on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/PwCUSCareers) and Twitter (@PwC_US_Careers).


    Opportunities for your students in other geographic areas

    Have a student interested in living and working in a city near their hometown after they graduate, but that home is in California and your school is in Ohio? How about a student who doesn't have a strong geographical preference and would live and work just about anywhere in the US? Or maybe a student who is interested in working with clients in a specific industry but that location is not near your school? You are in luck!

    In order for us to meet our hiring needs, we will again be looking to our campus recruiters to continue to promote the opportunities across our markets and offices in the U.S. It has been a PwC practice for years and has allowed us to hire candidates into offices and markets that are geographically distant from your school. This year, we will be highlighting markets with significant needs during our campus recruiting events and will be discussing these opportunities with your students. We will also be posting this information, along with a wealth of other valuable tools that will help your students as they consider employment options, on our student website at www.pwc.tv in the section entitled
    The recruiting process”.

    We encourage you to make your students aware of the opportunity to explore other options with PwC!


    10Minutes iPad App

    Can 10Minutes change your perspective? Complex, timely issues made simple. Thought provoking data, video, and audio; and our new exclusive slide share feature, 10Slides. Download the new 10Minutes iPad App now.
     


    PwC Open University provides easy access to upcoming webcasts

    We would like to remind you about our amazing resource, PwC Open University, which is available at www.pwc.com/openuniversity and provides free and open access to a selection of courses developed by PwC. You may be interested in these courses for your own professional development or you may find that some of the content would be great supplemental learning for the students in your courses.

    We encourage you to visit the site frequently to learn about upcoming live events – such as our
    Q3 Current accounting and reporting developments webcast on September 14th or our
    “Talking Tax” webcast series: Critical legislative and regulatory tax developments and international tax issues webcast on September 22nd. Recent webcasts are also posted on PwC Open University under “Events on Demand” and include archived webcasts such as
    US GAAP and IFRS Convergence Series: Current situation and next steps hosted on July 14, 2011 and Navigating the tax and accounting gaps in M&A reporting hosted on August 25, 2011.

    Prefer to receive notifications regarding upcoming webcast in your email inbox? Our PwC Subscription Management System allows you to subscribe to various webcast series, many of which provide CPE credit. You can also select the thought leadership, alerts, and other PwC publications that you would like to receive (at no cost). To enroll, visit: http://publications.pwc.com.


    Thank you for all you do to train the future leaders of our profession. We look forward to continued collaboration with you over the course of the new school year. If we can assist you, please contact us at paul.and.peters@us.pwc.com.

    Best Regards,
     

    Holly Paul
    US Recruiting Leader
    Julie Peters
    Faculty Relations Manager

  • April 2011

    Dear Educator:

    This month, our US Chairman and Senior Partner hosted a live webcast for faculty to share his views on current developments in our profession and how your students can position themselves for success. We thank those of you who were able to join us and we have provided information in our April newsletter regarding how to access the webcast archive.

    Also in our April newsletter, you will find updates regarding our Personal Brand Week video contest, information about our internship program, the announcement of our 2011 INQuires program awards, and highlights of case studies now available in our online business challenge, Challenge Yourself. We have also provided information regarding an XBRL Webinar and a webcast regarding the latest Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) guidance.


    Faculty Webcast with our US Chairman and Senior Partner

    Bob Moritz hosted a webcast for faculty on Friday, April 8. Bob recognizes the important role that all of you play in preparing the future leaders of our profession. During the webcast, Bob talked about the continued evolution of our profession and what that means for your students. If you did not have the opportunity to join us, we encourage you to access the webcast via this link: Faculty Webcast.

    We welcome your feedback regarding this webcast as well as your thoughts on the value of offering webcasts in the future which would potentially feature our Firm leadership team and highlight current hot topics. Please send any comments to: Paul and Peters.

    Personal Brand Week Update

    PwC's Personal Brand Week 2.0 ebook is available at www.pwc.com/us/personalbrandweek. Students can use the ebook to learn about preparing for interviews, improving their online image and more! The ebook includes tips from a personal brand expert as well as worksheets to help students put the tips into action.

    In February, PwC launched the first nationwide 30-second personal elevator pitch contest for students. Hundreds of students across the country submitted their videos and voted for their favorite one. We're excited to announce the winner: Susan Eckman from Arizona State University. You can watch Susan's video as well as the 9 other finalists at www.facebook.com/pwcuscareers.

    101 & IDP

    As the school year is winding down, we are preparing to welcome our 2011 summer interns. We continue to focus on providing your students with a world-class experience during their time with us. We are continuously enhancing our program to provide a consistent experience for all of our interns across the country focusing on meaningful client experiences, personal career development and immersion into our PwC Values and Behaviors.

    Finally, many of you have heard the exciting news that we have reinstated our Intern Development Program (IDP) at Walt Disney World. This capstone program is an unforgettable, high-energy learning experience that will help prepare our interns for their full-time career as they participate in activities which demonstrate the individual contribution to the overall team.

    Our internship program is discussed in detail on our student website including video clips to hear directly from some former interns about their personal experiences. We encourage you and your students to visit this site to learn more about the PwC Internship Experience.

    PwC INQuires program

    We are excited to announce that the PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc. is funding over $770,000 to 78 schools for the 2011 PwC INQuires grant program. The grants will support curriculum development, diversity initiatives and applied research support. We are proud to provide this support to universities as they work to develop the future generation of business leaders.

    Challenge yourself

    "Challenge yourself" is a destination on pwc.tv where students can tackle interactive business cases designed to help them better understand representative challenges faced by tax, advisory, and assurance professionals. The cases ask students to join a fictional PwC engagement team and recommend solutions to clients using PwC's knowledge resources.

    Some educators also find value in using Challenge yourself cases as part of classroom lessons or other learning activities. A leader's guide can be downloaded from the site that provides guidance and ideas for doing so. There are currently three cases available on Challenge yourself — financial crisis, data and identity theft, and sustainable tax savings. We plan to add new cases periodically that feature different topics of interest.

    You can find Challenge yourself on PwC's faculty website under faculty resources or link to it at: Challenge yourself.



    Spring PwC XBRL Webinar

    On May 11 from 2:00-4:00 EDT, we will host a webinar to discuss how companies and the analyst community are using XBRL to enhance their reporting and analytical processes and controls. To register, click here.

    Understanding the latest FATCA guidance

    On April 8, 2011, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2011-34 which provides additional guidance and requests further comments on how the U.S. Treasury and IRS are approaching the implementation issues related to the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) provisions included in the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment ("HIRE") Act. The Notice both updates previously issued Notice 2010-60 as well as providing guidance on the following issues involving the implementation of FATCA:
    • Updated guidance on pre-existing accounts
    • Initial guidance on the definition of Passthru Payments
    • The Deemed Compliant Status of Certain FFIs
    • Further guidance on the Reporting on U.S. Accounts by FFIs
    • The Treatment of Qualified Intermediaries
    • Application of FATCA to Expanded Affiliated groups
    PwC experts hosted a webcast on April 14, 2011 to discuss this guidance. To view the archive, click here.

    As the current academic year is winding down, we will communicate with you again in August. If we can assist you during the summer months, please contact us at Paul and Peters. We hope you have a wonderful summer and we look forward to seeing many of you at the AAA annual meeting.

    Best Regards,
     

    Holly Paul
    US Recruiting Leader
    Julie Peters
    Faculty Relations Manager

  • March 2011

    Dear Educator:

    Spring is in the air! We hope that you are all getting an opportunity to enjoy it!

    Our March newsletter extends again our invitation to you to participate in our faculty webcast with our US Chairman and Senior Partner, Bob Moritz. In addition, we are proud to share our recent recognition by DiversityInc. We have highlighted our recently launched CEO Agenda site & our new 10 minutes publication on the CEO Agenda. We have also provided information on accessing our Quarterly Tax Update webcast and a link to the most recent edition of our publication, The quarter close.



     

    Invitation: Live webcast with our US Chairman and Senior Partner

    Bob Moritz will host a webcast for faculty on Friday, April 8, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm ET. All Faculty are invited to join us to hear Bob share his perspective on the continuing evolution of our profession and how your students can best position themselves to be relevant in this environment. Faculty who register for the webcast will have the opportunity to submit questions and suggested topics in advance. Bob wants to be sure to address items of interest to you and we will devote time during the webcast for questions and answers. We hope that you will take advantage of this opportunity to interact with Bob and hear directly from him about critical issues impacting our profession and ultimately your students as they prepare to enter the work force.

    To register for the webcast, click here.
     




    PwC scores all-time high on DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for

    Earlier this month, PwC was honored as one of DiversityInc magazine's Top 50 Companies for Diversity -- one of the highest honors for corporate diversity in the US. Out of the 535 companies that applied, PwC came in at #3 of the top 50. The #3 spot represents an all-time high for us -- and the top ranking among the Big 4. Bob Moritz delivered a keynote address during the DiversityInc conference and also recently remarked, "Diversity of talent may be the most important asset for businesses today. In an increasingly connected world, where talent comes from today may not be where it comes from tomorrow." This win marks our 7th year on the list and 4th appearance in the top 10. PwC was also honored on five specialty lists, ranking #1 on the Top Companies for Recruitment & Retention, #2 on the Top Companies for Executive Women, #5 on the Top Companies for Asians, #6 on the Top Companies for LGBT Employees, and #3 on the Top Global Companies. Click here to view our press release regarding this announcement.







    CEO Agenda: Questions every CEO should ask about getting, and staying, ahead

    Innovation. Talent. Strategy makeovers. Those are among the hot buttons for CEOs as they now focus on growth. CEOs are nearly as confident of growth in the coming year as they were before the economic crisis, our recent survey finds. However, as they see the changes driven by emerging markets and new opportunities at home, they are reshaping their strategies. We're posing eight questions that can spur deep conversations with our clients about where and how their businesses need to change. Learn more: we've just released 10Minutes on the CEO Agenda and launched our new CEO Agenda microsite to capture what 1,200 business leaders have already begun to tell us about these eight important questions.





    Quarterly Tax Webcast

    PricewaterhouseCoopers invites you to listen to a panel of our Tax Accounting Services (TAS) specialists in a discussion of timely and relevant tax accounting matters in advance of first quarter (Q1) reporting for calendar-year companies.

    We'll discuss tax accounting considerations related to business combinations, non-controlling interests, and Schedule UTP, as well as best practices within the tax provision process. This webcast was hosted on March 21st. To access the archive for this webcast, click here.





    The quarter close

    This quarter, the deliberations on the three major standard-setting projects are “Front and center" along with recent changes at the FASB. “Hot off the press” highlights financial asset impairment and other proposals issued so far this quarter. In “Accounting hot topics”, we discuss issues that are top of mind, including continuing buzz about pensions and loss contingencies, and timely reminders about topics ranging from business combinations to revenue. We also look “On the horizon” at feedback on effective dates and transition for the major standard-setting projects, the FASB’s new goodwill project, and private company standard-setting. We cover a lot of other ground, too, like the SEC’s progress on Dodd-Frank, including the proposed whistleblower rules, and IFRS transition activity. To access this publication, click here.


    We hope you will find this information to be useful. If there is anything we can do to be more helpful or responsive to your needs, please contact us at Paul and Peters

    Best Regards,
     

    Holly Paul
    US Recruiting Leader
    Julie Peters
    Faculty Relations Manager

  • February 2011

    Dear Educator:

    We just returned from the APLG/FSA mid-year meeting and enjoyed seeing many of you in lovely Savannah. We have several things to share with you this month.

    We would like to update you on our Personal Brand Week initiatives, the xTREME games national finals and our eXpedition program for diverse students. We have also highlighted our 2011 Tax Legislative Outlook publication, our latest edition of Point of View focused on Managing Accounting Change and our 2011 quarterly current accounting and reporting developments webcast.



     

    Personal Brand Week 2.0

    We are very excited about the great success of PwC's Personal Brand Week 2.0. Starting on February 7th, we offered a week of free activities, worksheets and interactive resources designed to help students of all majors to build their personal brands -- an essential component of today's internship and job search process. Feedback has been very positive and we are very pleased to be able to support students of all majors around these important topics. The Personal Brand Week 2.0 materials are now posted and available on our student website at pwc.com/us/personalbrandweek. We encourage you to direct your students to the site to access tools regarding online and in-person networking, online image, effective writing skills, the recruiter perspective, body language and elevator pitch. In addition, we have an exciting elevator pitch contest currently underway. Students can submit their 30 second video through March 25th for a chance to win the $5,000 grand prize.

    To keep up-to-date with PwC and our Career Corner activities, stay tuned to and "like" PwC's Facebook page www.facebook.com/PwCUSCareers and visit www.pwc.tv.
     







    Announcing xTREME winners . . .

    We have just completed another successful xTREME Games! Our National Finals culminated weeks of competition among over 4,500 students from 83 schools around the country. For both xACT and xTAX, teams from five schools earned $10,000 each and an all-expense paid trip to participate in the national competition. We hosted the xACT finalists in New York and the xTAX finalists in Washington DC where the students were required to present their case solution to a panel of PwC partners.

    PwC congratulates all of the national finalists:

    2010 xACT National Finalists 2010 xTAX National Finalists
    Bucknell University Brigham Young University*
    Emory University Bryant University
    Indiana University UC - Berkeley
    University of Illinois* University of Houston
    University of Texas University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

    *Special recognition to the team members from the following schools who took top honors at the National Finals: xACT - University of Illinois and xTAX - Brigham Young University.

    To learn more about our xTREME Case Competition, visit our xTREME website.








    As you are all aware, African-American and Hispanic students are significantly under-represented in accounting programs nationwide. This presents a major challenge within the profession because it results in a smaller pool of candidates from traditional sources.

    We realized that we need to reach out to students to educate them about the benefits of a career at PwC and within the profession. Everyone knows what it means to be a doctor or lawyer or banker, but not enough students understand the range of career options in public accounting. We're tackling this challenge on several fronts--and this year we added another.

    In 2010, PwC launched eXpedition, a three-day program that brings together diverse college students from across the US. Highly interactive, the conference guides students through a journey of self-discovery. High-potential sophomores and juniors gain critical insights--improving their leadership skills through workshops, team-building exercises and social activities. Additionally, they networked with PwC professionals, learning about careers in public accounting and internship opportunities at PwC. We were delighted that 100% of the respondents said they would recommend eXpedition to their peers. Many of the program attendees will be joining PwC as interns this summer.

    To learn more about our eXpedition program, visit www.pwc.com/us/expedition.






    Tax policy in a deficit-driven world: 2011 legislative outlook

    Concern over the unsustainable growth in the federal debt is expected to be both a key motivator and constraint in action on federal spending and tax policy legislation in 2011. Debate over the federal government's fiscal imbalances is expected to be contentious. At the same time, the Administration and the tax-writing committees in Congress have expressed strong interest in tax reform.

    In this publication, PwC's Washington National Tax Services (WNTS) offers a preview of the challenges facing the new Congress in 2011, including the outlook for tax reform, deficit reduction measures, energy tax incentives, health care issues, and other tax policy matters of importance to today's business leaders.






    Point of view: Managing accounting change

    How much time and flexibility should companies be given to implement the new accounting standards expected to be issued in 2011? PwC's latest Point of view presents our views on this issue, with a focus on effective dates, transition methods and early adoption considerations for the proposed changes.

    The comment period for the FASB's and the IASB's discussion papers on "Effective Dates and Transition Methods" for the new convergence standards (Revenue Recognition, Financial Instruments, Leasing and others) ended on January 31, 2011. PwC has developed a Point of view regarding this discussion paper. In short, our view is that, in the final standards, the FASB and IASB (the boards) should allow sufficient time and flexibility in the adoption process to promote quality and cost effective implementations. Quality implementations - with good disclosures - will also be in the best interest of investors. This is a very important and timely topic, as the FASB begins considering input received in the comment letter process.





    Point of view: Managing accounting change

    PwC's quarterly current accounting and technical developments webcast series keeps you informed on hot topics and recent activities of various regulatory bodies including the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the Securities & Exchange Commission. Our first quarterly webcast for 2011 is scheduled for March 18. To subscribe to the series, click here.

    If there is anything we can do to be more helpful or responsive to your needs, please contact us at Paul and Peters


    We hope you will find this information to be useful. If there is anything we can do to be more helpful or responsive to your needs, please contact us at Paul and Peters

    Best Regards,
     

    Holly Paul
    US Recruiting Leader
    Julie Peters
    Faculty Relations Manager

  • January 2011

    Dear Educator:

    Welcome back to campus! We hope you enjoyed your winter break and we look forward to seeing many of you at the mid-year section meetings for the AAA.

    We would like to thank everyone who participated in the recent Public Accounting Report Survey. We value feedback from all sources and appreciate your acknowledgement of our efforts in supporting you and your students. We will work hard to continue our collaboration and partnership with you.

    Thank you as well to everyone who responded with comments and suggestions for our Personal Brand Week initiative. We have included in this newsletter the details regarding the upcoming launch of Personal Brand Week 2.0 as well as our next Live Chat on our PwC Career Corner. We have highlighted PwC Open University again to remind you of available training resources. We have also included a recent article from PwC's Setting the Standards regarding the FASB and the IASB's joint projects and two tax publications - Deferred taxes on foreign obligations and the January 2011 Accounting Methods Spotlight.
     



     

    PwC's Personal Brand Week 2.0 is on its way! Starting on February 7, PwC will offer a week of free activities, worksheets and interactive resources designed to help students of all majors to build their personal brands -- an essential component of today's internship and job search process. Please feel free to share this information with your faculty colleagues in all disciplines as Personal Brand Week 2.0 will benefit students of all majors. Some of the topics we plan to cover include: online and in-person networking, online image, effective writing skills, the recruiter perspective, body language and elevator pitch. Additionally, Personal Brand Week 2.0 will culminate on February 11 with the announcement of an exciting contest for students!

    Your students may also be interested in participating in our upcoming Live Chat on Personal Branding at www.pwc.com/us/careercorner on Wednesday, February 9 3:00 - 4:00 ET.

    To keep up-to-date about Personal Brand Week 2.0 and our Career Corner activities, stay tuned to and "like" PwC's Facebook page www.facebook.com/PwCUSCareers and visit pwc.tv.
     






    We announced earlier this year the launch of PwC Open University on our website at pwc.com/OpenUniversity. We would like to remind you about this great resource. Much of our award winning training materials are organized in one place, openly available and free in a convenient on-line format. We are extending these learning opportunities to our clients, future employees, the academic community and the business community in general. Many of these courses are CPE eligible.

    We suggest that you visit PwC Open University frequently to view available courses such as these live &/or archived webcasts which will be hosted this month:
    • Managing your uncertain tax positions by reducing or eliminating uncertainty (January 19)
    • How deals have changed: Lessons learned from the M&A accounting standards (January 25)
    • Indirect tax expansion: A global phenomenon (January 27)
    • State and Local tax webcast series (January 27)
     







    What you need to know about the FASB and IASB's joint projects -- December 2010
    Yielding to mounting time pressures and resource constraints, the FASB and IASB recently published an updated work plan and timeline for their joint projects. While the boards reaffirmed that their target completion date of June 2011 is still a go for certain priority projects, work on most others will now have to wait. What timing can we expect for the non-priority projects? At best, look to the second half of 2011. The boards' key message: they need to keep their eye on the chief objective of developing high-quality, improved, and converged standards. Read this installment of PwC's Setting the standard for the latest on each priority and non-priority project and what's next.


     





    Deferred taxes on foreign earnings: A road map Whether for the purpose of disclosure or recording the liability, significant judgement must be applied in measuring the deferred taxes on foreign earnings. Management needs to make assumptions about the operations of its business and consider the impact of planning opportunities. Click here to read this publication.


     





    Accounting Methods Spotlight January 2011
    This publication provides timely updates each month on a range of federal income tax issues including accounting methods and inventories, depreciation, long-term contract accounting, leasing, fringe benefits, and other miscellaneous tax issues. To access this publication, please click here.
     


    If there is anything we can do to be more helpful or responsive to your needs, please contact us at Paul and Peters

    Best Regards,
     

    Holly Paul
    US Recruiting Leader
    Julie Peters
    Faculty Relations Manager

  • December 2010

    Dear Educator:

    As the Fall term comes to a close, we would like to take a few moments to wish you the best during the upcoming holiday season. This month, we would like to highlight our quarterly tax accounting webcast.



    The holiday season is a wonderful time to focus on the people who mean the most to us. We hope you have a chance to enjoy the company of family and friends. And in the spirit of celebration, please accept a wish of peace, health and prosperity from all of us at PwC. We are looking forward to enjoying a "winter break" at PwC as our US Leaders have decided to once again close our US offices from December 24th through January 2nd. We hope that you enjoy your winter break as well!



    PwC's quarterly tax accounting webcast
    PwCs' Tax Accounting Services (TAS) specialists hosted a webcast on Monday, December 20th for a discussion of timely, relevant tax accounting topics in advance of year-end reporting for calendar year companies -- including a discussion of tax accounting considerations associated with recent legislative and regulatory developments. To access the webcast archive, click here.

    Happy Holidays to you. We look forward to continued collaboration with you as we enter 2011 and wish you a happy and prosperous new year!
    Best Regards,

    Holly Paul
    US Recruiting Leader
    Julie Peters
    Faculty Relations Manager

  • November 2010

    Dear Educator:

    During this season of Thanksgiving, we would like to begin this edition of our newsletter by extending our thanks to all of you for the great work you are continuously doing with your students -- the future of our profession. We are very grateful for our partnership with you in these endeavors.

    We have much to be thankful for as this is an exciting time to be part of PwC! Based on strong first quarter results, our US Chairman, Bob Moritz, announced earlier this month that all staff will receive in December a recognition award as a "thank you" for their efforts in providing quality service to our clients. Each staff member can choose to receive this award in cash or in the form of a gift. In addition, bonus pools are being increased and national training conferences and holiday celebrations are being reinstated. On November 3, Bob and other members of our leadership team hosted our third Firmwide Town Hall webcast to have open dialogue with partners and staff about our new Global Brand, our Firm strategy and the PwC Experience for our People. Our Leaders spoke candidly about where our Firm is going and the critical role that each partner and staff will play in our success.

    In this month's faculty newsletter, we highlight the PwC xTREME games which we have been hosting on many of your campuses this Fall. We have included again the information about the nomination process for the AAA Outstanding Educator Award which we are proud to sponsor. In addition, we share our new IFRS pocket guide, the current issue of the View, a Tax publication on Tax indemnification arrangements, a recent 10Minutes publication on information security and our 4th Quarter Accounting & Reporting Developments webcast.

    xTREME games




    Since 2002, we have hosted the xTREME games, PwC's tax and accounting case competitions. The xTREME challenges are competitive, team-oriented learning experiences designed to give college students an opportunity to solve real-world tax, accounting and business related issues while furthering their interpersonal, organizational and presentation skills. xTAX is the tax competition and xACT is the financial accounting competition.

    This Fall, approximately 4,580 students at 84 universities participated in xTREME. Each winning campus team will receive a $1,000 prize and will be eligible to be considered as a National Finalist. Teams of PwC partners will review videos of the campus winning tapes to narrow it down to the five National finalist teams for each competition. In January 2011, we will host the xTAX National finals in Washington DC and the xACT National finals in New York. Each of the five finalist teams will receive a $10,000 monetary award.
    We would like to thank all of our 2010 xTREME participants who invested much time, energy and enthusiasm in this valuable learning opportunity. For more information, visit our xTREME website at www.pwc.com/xtreme.
    AAA Outstanding Educator Award
    AAA Outstanding Educator Award
    We would like to remind you that the Outstanding Accounting Educator Award Committee is currently accepting nominations for the 2011 Outstanding Accounting Educator Award. PwC is proud to sponsor this award which is presented each year at the American Accounting Association Annual Meeting. The Outstanding Accounting Educator Award recognizes contributions to accounting education from scholarly endeavors in research and teaching over a sustained period of time. The Award Nominations deadline is January 31, 2011. To access the AAA website to submit your nomination, click here.


    IFRS pocket guide 2010
    IFRS pocket guide 2010
    Our IFRS pocket guide 2010 is just that. It provides a summary of the recognition and measurement requirements of International Financial Reporting Standards published up to August 2010. It is intended to be used as an 'at-a-glance' guide. It does not address most disclosure requirements. To view this publication, click here.










    View, issue 13
    View, issue 13
    This issue of the View, PwC's business magazine, looks at how US companies are co-opting China's long-term interest in stability and prosperity into their business strategies. In this issue, also learn about cloud computing's potential to speed innovation and create new revenue opportunities. Find out how customizing healthcare could transform employer benefits in a post-reform way. Read about how to narrow the "trust gap" between companies and shareholders in "Trust but verify". Plus: an interview with economist Anatole Kaletsky, who looks at how markets and governments affect our financial future and much more.



    Tax indemnification arrangements: Navigating the financial reporting

    Tax indemnification arrangements: Navigating the financial reporting
    Income tax indemnifications are established in a variety of transactions, including business acquisitions, corporate spin-offs and initial public offerings (IPOs). Accounting for an income tax indemnification arrangement depends upon whether the company is obligated to the taxing authority, the relationship between the parties and the type of transaction. This paper provides a framework to apply in determining the appropriate accounting.




    10Minutes on information security

    10Minutes on information security
    Given the pace of technological change, the increasing sophistication of hackers and the fact that companies are now turning their attention to growth initiatives while trying to hold down costs, C-suite executives and board members need to focus on how well their companies manage information security risks.
    This edition of 10Minutes identifies 10 key questions to help CEOs and directors make this assessment and determine where improvements can be made to protect their companies' most critical data.








    Current Accounting & Reporting Developments Webcast Series - Quarter Four
    We are pleased to announce our next quarterly webcast which will be held on Thursday, December 2, 2010, from 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm (ET) and is designed to keep you informed about emerging accounting, regulatory, and market developments impacting accounting and financial reporting. These quarterly webcasts feature insights from a broad range of PwC specialists, who will update you on the current state of technical topics and emerging issues that may impact your business. To register for the webcast, click here.

    We hope this information is helpful to you and look forward to future collaborations with you. If there is anything we can do to be more helpful or responsive to your needs, please contact us at paul.and.peters@us.pwc.com.

    Best Regards,
    Holly Paul
    US Recruiting Leader
    Julie Peters
    Faculty Relations Leader

  • October 2010

    Dear Educator:

    We have enjoyed seeing many of you on campus and at conferences over the past few weeks.

    In this month's newsletter, we would like to update you on some of the resources and tools that we have been offering your students including materials housed in the PwC Career Corner and our collaborative effort with LinkedIn with the launch of Career Explorer. Also, as the proud sponsor of the AAA Outstanding Educator Award, we have provided information about the nomination process which is currently underway. In addition, we would like to share our updated publication entitled IFRS and US GAAP similarities and differences as well as invite you to join some webcasts which may be of interest to you.

    PwC is a Premier Career Advisor
    As one of the largest employers of new college graduates in the United States, PwC is in a unique position to be a premier career advisor for today's college students. Consistent with our Firm's "coaching culture", we are committed to helping all students find the best career path for them. Over the past several months, we have offered a variety of tools and resources to assist students in this regard which are all available on our Career Corner.
    The PwC Career Corner offers guidance on getting a career search started and preparing for interviews. Students can also learn about developing their Personal Brand to shape their professional brand in areas such as incorporating passion, creating their network, developing their online brand, and building career momentum. In addition, students can view video testimonials from PwC professionals across our business practices sharing their advice and experiences in building a career.


    Launch of Career Explorer with LinkedIn
    Earlier this month, we collaborated with LinkedIn to launch Career Explorer, a unique data-driven tool which will enable students to chart potential career paths based upon the aggregate career paths of the members of the LinkedIn community. As US chairman and senior partner, Bob Moritz, stated in the press release announcing this initiative, "PwC and LinkedIn share the goal of helping young professionals maximize career opportunities. Our collaboration has produced an innovative resource that engages people with PwC in a way that personalizes our brand while also helping them make more informed career decisions." To view the full press release regarding the Career Explorer tool, click here. The Career Explorer tool is currently available for students at 60 universities and, over the coming months, will be rolled out to the entire LinkedIn community. We hope you will encourage all students to take full advantage of these resources.

    AAA Outstanding Educator Award
    The Outstanding Accounting Educator Award Committee is currently accepting nominations for the 2011 Outstanding Accounting Educator Award. PwC is proud to sponsor this award which is presented each year at the American Accounting Association Annual Meeting. The Outstanding Accounting Educator Award recognizes contributions to accounting education from scholarly endeavors in research and teaching over a sustained period of time. The Award Nominations deadline is January 31, 2011. To access the AAA website to submit your nomination, click here.

    IFRS and US GAAP similarities and differences (Updated September 2010 edition)
    Even without a set conversion timeline from the SEC, IFRS has been affecting US companies for some time -- through business dealings with non-US customers and vendors, along with the continued adoption of IFRS for statutory purposes by non-US subsidiaries. In addition, US companies will experience an unprecedented change in accounting standards as key aspects of US GAAP and IFRS converge. To view this publication, click here.






    Year-end income tax and wealth management planning
    When the ball drops in Times Square this New Year's Eve, tax rates will go up (barring legislative action), marking the end of the Bush-era tax cuts. This means the loss of the 10 percent tax bracket and a return to a top tax rate of 39.6 percent. At the same time, taxes on long-term capital gains will jump from 15 percent to 20 percent. Careful planning can help high-net-worth individuals mitigate the effect of these increases come 2011. So, do higher tax rates in 2011 mean counter-intuitive tax-planning in 2010? Join our webcast on Wednesday, November 10, 2010 from 1:00 PM - 2:40 PM (ET) to gain insight surrounding this question, understand how to work with advisors to develop a solid financial plan, and learn tax planning strategies to potentially accelerate income and defer deductions in order to obtain permanent cash tax savings. To register for this webcast, click here.

    US GAAP & IFRS convergence series: Systems impact
    Near-term convergence projects (e.g., financial instruments, leasing and revenue recognition) will have an impact far beyond financial reporting - including potentially significant changes to companies' IT systems. The same is true for eventual conversion to IFRS in the US as well as adoption of IFRS by non-US subsidiaries of US companies. Panelists on this webcast, which we hosted on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (ET), addressed the potential impacts of these changes and discussed what companies can do in the near-term to effectively prepare for them. To access the archive for this webcast, click here.

    This year, PwC expects to recruit over 5,000 interns and full time hires on campus. We greatly appreciate all of the good work that you do to prepare these students and thousands of others to move into our profession. We look forward to collaborating with you to positively impact the future of PwC and also the profession as a whole for generations to come.

    Best Regards,
    Holly Paul
    US Recruiting Leader
    Julie Peters
    Faculty Relations Leader


  • September 2010

    Dear Educator:

    Fall is upon us and we hope that the new school year is off to a great start for all of you!

    We have some great things to share with you this month. As you might have seen, PwC now has a new look! We are excited to tell you about these changes and what we are looking to accomplish with our brand refresh.

    With our campus recruiting season well underway, we would like to emphasize some opportunities available to students beginning a career in Tax. Finally, we are highlighting our third quarter webcasts for Assurance and Tax, as well as some recent PwC publications, to assist you with keeping current on the important topics impacting our profession.

    PwC Launches Global Brand Change PwC Launches Global Brand Change
    PwC has launched a global brand change to strengthen and modernize how the network is represented to our clients, our people and the communities in which we operate. Two changes may be most obvious to you: we've updated the PwC logo and formally shortened our brand to simply PwC. The change acknowledges how the PwC network has come to be recognized since its formation in 1998.

     
    Most importantly, the change symbolizes a renewed focused on relationships and creating value, for both our clients and our people. Our commitment to quality and integrity -- values that underlie all of our service offerings -- is unchanged and unwavering.

    In the press release announcing our brand initiative, Dennis Nally, chairman, PwC International, states the following: "We think our new brand expression visually distinguishes PwC in the same way that the quality and expertise of our people differentiates the experience of working with PwC. Underlying the visual elements is what the PwC brand really stands for -- how we are viewed by our clients, our people and our stakeholders. Beyond our capabilities and experience, we want PwC to be known for building great relationships with clients that help them create the value they're looking for."

    To view the full press release, click here.
    Opportunities in Tax
    Opportunities in Tax
    Due to the growth we are experiencing in our Tax practice across the country, we want to be sure that you are aware of all the great opportunities available to your students to begin a career as a Tax professional. Your students can assist clients, ranging from multinational corporations to prominent individuals, with tax planning and compliance and regulatory development analysis. Whether our clients' goals include developing a more tax-efficient business strategy, facilitating proactive tax planning, or improving compliance, PwC's tax specialists are armed with the tools, the technology, and results-driven insight to provide effective and strategic services and solutions.

    We are working to dispel some of the myths about our Tax practice - such as the need to get experience in other areas first or the idea that the work is simply dropping numbers into tax forms. We hope you will help us by encouraging your students to consider Tax as a potential career path. Our Tax hiring goals are increasing which translates into more internship and full time employment opportunities available at PwC. If your students want a challenging career that is constantly evolving with varied opportunities and room for advancement, Tax might be just what they are looking for! Students should visit pwc.tv for more information and to submit their talent profile for consideration.

    PwC's Quarterly Tax Accounting Webcast
    On September 29, a panel of our Tax Accounting Services (TAS) and Washington National Tax Services (WNTS) specialists participated in a discussion of timely and relevant tax accounting matters in advance of third quarter (Q3) reporting for calendar-year companies. To access our upcoming US Tax Services webcasts, or to view archives of previous webcasts, click here.

    Assurance Current Accounting and Reporting Developments - Q3
    Our Current Accounting and Reporting Developments' quarterly webcasts are designed to keep you informed about emerging accounting, regulatory, and market developments impacting accounting and financial reporting. On Tuesday, September 14th, we hosted a 90-minute webcast on hot topics and recent activities of various regulatory bodies including the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the Securities & Exchange Commission. To access our upcoming Assurance webcasts, or to view archives of previous webcasts, click here.
    The Quarter Close: A look at this quarter's financial reporting issues
    The Quarter Close: A look at this quarter's financial reporting issues
    In this edition of The Quarter Close, we explore a number of hot topics that companies will need to consider this quarter, including an update on the impact of market conditions in Venezuela, some reminders on goodwill impairment testing, and the latest on tax legislative changes. We also discuss the latest exposure drafts from the standard setters on selected projects, including financial instruments, revenue recognition, leases, and loss contingencies. We begin, though, by exploring what the recently-announced changes at the FASB mean for the future of convergence, and then look at the impact of the regulatory reform bill.
    Accounting Methods Spotlight September 2010
    Accounting Methods Spotlight September 2010
    This publication provides timely updates on a range of federal income tax issues including accounting methods and inventories, depreciation, long-term contract accounting, leasing, fringe benefits, and other miscellaneous tax issues.


    This year, PwC expects to recruit over 5,000 interns and full time hires on campus. We greatly appreciate all of the good work that you do to prepare these students and thousands of others to move into our profession. We look forward to collaborating with you to positively impact the future of PwC and also the profession as a whole for generations to come.

    Best Regards,
    Holly Paul
    US Recruiting Leader
    Julie Peters
    Faculty Relations Leader


  • August 2010

    Dear Educator:

    Welcome back to campus for another academic year! We hope you had the opportunity to enjoy some relaxing time away from work during the summer break. We enjoyed seeing many of you in San Francisco at the AAA Annual Meeting and at our PwC Accounting Symposium and Tax Colloquium programs.

    Our August faculty newsletter includes a message from our Chairman and the recent press release regarding our recruiting team leadership. In addition, we have highlighted some new online tools as well as several technical resources that may be useful for you.

    Bob Moritz A Message from our US Chairman and Senior Partner
    We would like to kick off the new school year with a video message for faculty from our US Chairman and Senior Partner, Bob Moritz. To access the video, click here.

    Paula Loop
    Paula Loop, Global and US Talent Leader
    Holly Paul
    Holly Paul, US Recruiting Leader

    New PwC Team Leaders
    As we shared with you in April, Paula Loop and Holly Paul have now assumed leadership positions over our campus recruiting function. To view the recently released press release describing their new roles and highlighting their past experiences, please visit our US Press Room. Paula and Holly are looking forward to working with all of you, assisted by Julie Peters, our Faculty Relations Manager.
    New Online Resources For You
    As Bob Moritz mentioned in his video message, we have recently launched two online resources that we believe could be beneficial for you.

    Open University
    PwC Open University is now available on our website at pwc.com/OpenUniversity making much of our training materials openly available and free in a convenient on-line format including webcasts, podcasts and video learning. Our firm continues to be a recognized provider of education, as evidenced by our #1 ranking by Training Magazine for 3 consecutive years. We want to extend those learning opportunities to our clients, future employees, the academic community and the business community in general. Visit the site to access our award-winning training materials, many of which are CPE eligible.

    Challenge yourself Challenge Yourself is another new feature on www.pwc.tv on Channel 1 that presents engaging case studies about timely business issues. In the current edition featuring two case studies, visitors can help fictional clients address a financial crisis and the problem of data and identity theft. A third case to be posted this Fall will address sustainable tax savings. We also have a "Leader's Guide" posted on the home page of the "Challenge Yourself site" (in the top right corner) containing discussion questions, team activities and supplemental reading for each case.

    paying taxes 2010
    Paying Taxes 2010
    Paying Taxes, a unique study from PwC and the World Bank Group, measures the ease of paying taxes across 183 economies worldwide by assessing both the cost of taxes and the administrative burden of tax compliance.

    This year's study was conducted against the backdrop of a global recession, which has meant falling tax revenues around the world, and the need for governments to make difficult tax policy choices. Despite this, it is clear from the study that tax reform remains high on governments' agendas.
    Get Ready for Sweeping Changes in Accounting Rules
    Get Ready for Sweeping Changes in Accounting Rules
    This article presents an overview of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) convergence projects, as well as the impact of the associated changes on many areas of a company's business. It was originally written for Financial Executives International by Michael Gallagher, U.S. National Office Leader for PwC.



    Point of View: Slowing Down the Pace of Standard Setting
    Point of View: Slowing Down the Pace of Standard Setting
    The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) are working on several joint projects designed to improve financial reporting information for investors while aligning U.S. and international accounting standards. While convergence is an important component of achieving a single set of high quality global accounting standards, some question whether the 2011 deadline can be met given the multitude of convergence projects. Click here to access the current edition of Point of View.
    We welcome your feedback and appreciate hearing from you on how PwC can best support you as faculty members. We can be reached at paul.and.peters@us.pwc.com.

    We thank you for the outstanding work you do with the thousands of students who enter our profession each year. We look forward to collaborating with you to positively impact the future of PwC, and also the profession as a whole, for generations to come.

    Best Regards,
    Holly Paul
    US Recruiting Leader
    Julie Peters
    Faculty Relations Leader


  • April 2010

    Dear Educator:

    As we shared last month, Bob Daugherty and Jean Wyer will be retiring in June. We would like to thank them for their wonderful years of service to our Firm. We wish them much happiness and enjoyment as they move into the next phase of their lives.

    To begin our April newsletter, we would like to highlight the new leaders of our US Recruiting team. In addition, we would like to share our recent efforts to support diversity initiatives and announce our 2010 PwC INQuires recipients. We also feature some technical resources which may be of interest to you including our new Point of View reports, current webcasts and a reminder about our PwC Subscription Management System.

    New PwC Team Leaders

    Paula Loop: We are very pleased to announce Paula Loop as our new US and Global Talent Leader. In this role, and consistent with the vision of our Global Human Capital strategy, Paula will be responsible for driving PwC's talent agenda in the US and across the global Network which will include oversight of US Recruiting.

    Since joining PwC in 1983, Paula has worked in the Assurance practice in the San Francisco, Los Angeles and Stamford offices. She has served as the Global Engagement Partner on Jarden Corporation, L'Oreal USA, Elizabeth Arden, Maidenform and Sotheby's. In 2007, Paula became the Managing Partner of the Stamford office, and most recently served as the New York Metro Retail and Consumer Leader.

    Holly Paul: Holly draws upon her more than sixteen years of experience in a variety of roles across PwC's organization as she now assumes the role of US Recruiting Leader. Most recently, she served as PwC's National Recruiting Operations Leader for campus and experienced recruiting. In this role, she was responsible for the business operations and financial management of the recruiting organization, as well as direction of campus and experienced recruitment strategies and initiatives.

    Holly started her career at PwC serving clients as an Assurance and Advisory professional. She has led the human resource operations of PwC's Internal Firm Services group and served for a decade as a human resource leader in PwC's Carolinas and Washington, D.C. metro markets. Holly is a frequent speaker and subject matter expert on recruiting, human resource management and career related topics, appearing on college campuses around the country and interviewing with numerous media to offer perspective on such issues. Going forward, Holly will serve as the primary point of contact for faculty with the assistance of Julie Peters, our US Faculty Relations Leader.

    PwC announces $500,000 in grants to support diversity initiatives

    As part of a broader effort to promote and support the recruitment and advancement of diverse students within the accounting profession, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) announced earlier this month that we are awarding $500,000 in grants to four universities. The four schools - Bryant University, the University of Southern California, Wake Forest University and Florida International University - will use the funds for scholarships and hands-on career exploration programs for students from groups that have historically been underrepresented in the accounting field, including African-Americans/blacks, Latinos and Native-Americans. The initiative is part of PwC's broader efforts to identify, attract and develop talent and foster an inclusive culture. Click here to view the full press release: PwC Diversity Grants

    2010 PwC INQuires Awards

    2010 PwC INQuires Awards

    We are excited to announce the recipients of our 2010 PwC INQuires grants. We will be awarding approximately $100,000 to fund 11 grants which are listed on our faculty site in the INQuires section. Congratulations to our grant recipients!



    Point of View

    As the pace of change continues to increase, businesses must face ever new challenges from competitors, markets, regulatory bodies, and governments. To contribute to a better understanding of the likely impact of these challenges, we are introducing Point of view. These brief reports will describe a current issue of business concern, highlight the major ramifications, offer PricewaterhouseCoopers' opinion on it, and close with a Q&A back page addressing some of the more important questions surrounding the issue.

    We hope you will find each Point of view informative and useful.



    US Tax Services Webcasts:

    Our US Tax practice hosts frequent webcasts on hot tax topics. CPE credits are available for those participating in the LIVE webcast. Archives are posted for viewing after the webcast.
    • PwC's webcast on 2010-9, including recently released draft schedule and instructions, with IRS Chief Counsel and PwC tax specialists
      In this webcast, hosted on, April 23, 2010, a panel our tax specialists and William Wilkins, IRS Chief Counsel, have a discussion addressing key questions currently being raised on the IRS's proposals, including those surrounding the recently released draft schedule and instructions that certain taxpayers will be required to use to report uncertain tax positions on tax returns.
    • Appetite for Change: Staying abreast of environmental and regulatory developments
      During this webcast, held on May 4, 2010 from 12:00-1:00 pm (ET), we offer an overview of the key survey findings in our recent publication, Appetite for Change, from the point of view of businesses and policy makers, and discuss the practical implications for US businesses, including the 2010 domestic agenda for climate change legislation or regulation, and the key steps businesses should consider taking action on today.
    • State legislation 2010: Significant developments impacting corporate taxpayers
      This webcast, scheduled for May 18, 2010 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. (ET), addresses many of the key 2010 state tax legislative enactments and ongoing legislative matters. States have addressed record budget deficits by employing a variety of solutions. Their actions affect most major taxes and impact a broad spectrum of businesses. Panelists provide their insights into legislative trends as well as an analysis of major enacted state tax legislation.

    Assurance Events and Webcasts:

    Our Assurance practice hosts webcasts to address current accounting and reporting developments, current Assurance topics and IFRS. CPE credits are available for those participating in the LIVE webcast. Archives are posted for viewing after the webcast.
    • Implications for Companies entering Year 1 and Year 2 of the SEC XBRL Mandate
      Reporting processes for many public companies have already been, or will soon be, impacted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) XBRL Mandate. Companies that are entering their initial or second year of the mandate will need to ramp up their efforts to comply with the SEC requirements. The second year of the SEC mandate will result in compliance challenges that will impact nearly 2,000 of the world's largest public companies. Our May 20, 2010 webcast (3:00-5:00 pm ET), addresses how companies can avoid common XBRL compliance pitfalls and other potential risk areas.
    • IFRS webcast series: US update & next steps for international subsidiaries
      Hosted on April 6, 2010, in this webcast our panel reviews recent US developments, including the SECs February 24, 2010, statement on IFRS. We also address global IFRS adoption - where its happening - the impacts on US companies - and what companies need to do about it. This video webcast archive includes perspectives from the IFRS project leader at a large US multinational, examining that companys ongoing IFRS initiative. Join us to learn from their experiences and witness how they are managing the global adoption process.

    PwC Subscription Management System

    We would like to again highlight our PwC Subscription Management System which was launched in November and is designed to deliver electronic thought leadership, alerts, and other PwC publications to subscribers via e-mail, free of charge. The system also maintains the subscription lists for various free PwC webcast series, many of which provide CPE credit. To manage your PwC subscriptions, go to http://publications.pwc.com and after signing in, make your selections. This tool can be used to ensure that you are receiving the publications and webcast information most important to you.

    In addition, we also encourage you to register for CFOdirect, our online resource for financial executives, which provides the latest accounting and finance updates from PwC, as well as the Firm's other thought leadership. To register, visit www.cfodirect.com.


    We welcome your feedback and appreciate hearing from you on how PwC can best support you as faculty members. We can be reached at paul.and.peters@us.pwc.com.

    As the current academic year is winding down, we will communicate with you again in August. We hope you have a wonderful summer and we look forward to seeing many of you at the AAA annual meeting.

    Best Regards,
    Holly Paul
    US Recruiting Leader
    Julie Peters
    Faculty Relations Leader


  • March 2010

    Dear Educator:

    We would like to share with you that we will both be retiring this year. By "retire", we mean that we will be moving on to the next phases in our great life journeys. Together, we have over fifty years of experience with the Firm. We value the time we have spent here, surrounded continuously by innovative and creative people. Also, we have greatly enjoyed our collaboration with all of you in academe as you shape the future of our profession through your students.

    While we will be here until the end of June, we want to take this month to celebrate our long connection with PwC. To ensure a smooth transition, next month you will receive our newsletter from a new mailbox. That communication will include information on the future of faculty affairs at PwC. For now, we focus, with gratitude, on the many joyful moments, significant contributions and important decisions we have shared with you over the decades.

    Our March newsletter highlights our PwC Internship Experience, our International Internship Program, and our Women Upfront initiative. We also feature our current issue of the View and current webcasts and technical publications.

    101: PwC Internship Experience

    As our winter interns are wrapping up and we prepare to welcome our summer interns into the Firm, we continue to focus on providing your students with a world-class experience during their time with us. We are continuously enhancing our program to provide a consistent experience for all of our interns across the country focusing on meaningful client experiences, personal career development and immersion into our PwC Values and Behaviors.

    In February 2010, Training Magazine honored The 101: PwC Internship Experience with a "Best Practice" Award. Congratulations to everyone involved in creating this experience for our interns! To view the article, click here.

    Our internship program is discussed in detail on our student website including video clips to hear directly from some former interns about their personal experiences. We encourage you and your students to visit this site to learn more about the PwC Internship Experience.

    Summer 2010 International Internship Program

    Summer 2010 International Internship Program:

    The International Internship Program was designed to increase PwC's global connectivity and awareness of our firm's international presence. This initiative promotes the importance we place on attracting and developing professionals with global viewpoints and experiences. It also serves to bring global mobility opportunities within our interns' reach.

    We have partnered with our UK (London), Germany (Frankfurt), Italy (Milan), and Malta (Valletta) offices, who will host US interns for three weeks during the course of the summer internship. In return, our New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Philadelphia offices will host international interns during that same time period. Our summer interns are submitting applications now to be considered for this exciting program.



    Our Office of Diversity recently launched our Women Upfront initiative, a new interactive community designed to connect our women with one another. Our 14,000 female professionals and 400 female partners are encouraged to create profiles and join in the dialogue. The site features profiles of female leaders, career resources and networking opportunities. New themes will frequently be introduced such as The Art of Negotiation, Juggling Work and Motherhood, Investing in Relationships and Managing Flexibility.

    View: issue 12

    The new issue of View features an interview with Harvard economist, Kenneth Rogoff, on new risks in the boardroom and how companies are positioning themselves for recovery. It also examines the steps forward-looking employers are taking to get more value from their healthcare dollars, how a business deal can position an organization for transformation, and why anti-corruption strategies are crucial for companies doing business in emerging markets.




    Current Accounting and Reporting Developments - Quarter One
    On March 18th, PwC hosted this webcast designed to keep you informed about emerging accounting, regulatory, and market developments impacting accounting and financial reporting. Our quarterly webcast series features insights from a broad range of PwC specialists, who will update you on the current state of technical topics and emerging issues that may impact your business. To access the webcast archive, utilize this link.

    PwC's Tax Accounting Q1 Webcast
    On March 24th, PricewaterhouseCoopers hosted a panel of our Tax Accounting Services (TAS) specialists for a discussion of timely and relevant tax accounting matters in advance of first quarter (Q1) reporting for calendar-year companies.

    Our panel will share insights and discuss specific issues, considerations, and areas often overlooked when accounting for income taxes during interim periods -- including discrete tax items and exceptions to the effective tax rate approach. In addition, our panel will discuss key tax accounting considerations associated with recent domestic and international legislative developments. To access the webcast archive, utilize this link.

    2009 Year-End Questions Audit Committee Members Should Be Asking

    The current regulatory reform activities and the moderate recovery of the economy are top-of-mind for most directors and management teams, and these challenging times cause audit committee members to consider what topics they should be focusing on during the 2009 reporting cycle. These inquiries coalesce around a few themes that PwC has structured into a series of questions for audit committee members to consider asking management and auditors. The questions focus on year-end reporting, disclosure, internal control, risk management and other issues including tax matters and IFRS. Click here to view the article.

    We hope you find this information to be useful. To close our final newsletter, we thank you for the opportunity to enjoy the rewarding partnership between the academic and practicing communities. As we move on to life's next step, we would like to extend our best wishes to all of you for continued success.

    Best Regards,

    Bob Daugherty and Jean Wyer

  • February 2010

    Dear Educator:

    We have enjoyed seeing many of you recently at the AAA sections mid-year meetings. We value the opportunity to connect with you at these conferences and identify ways to continue our ongoing collaboration. Our US Chairman, Bob Moritz, presented at the APLG annual seminar earlier this month sharing his views on the challenges facing our profession. Bob enjoyed the interaction and discussion with the audience.

    Our February newsletter highlights the communication that Bob Moritz sent directly to all of you earlier this month. In addition, we would like to share information on our Personal Brand Week initiative, update you on our xTREME game winners, and share some technical resources including articles, publications and webcasts which may be helpful for you.

    Message from our US Chairman

    Our US Chairman and Senior Partner, Bob Moritz, reached out to faculty earlier this month to continue dialogue and share his thoughts around the coming year. We regard you as strategic partners and know that current and former students will seek your advice. As such, we want you to be fully informed on our business and strategies.

    If you missed Bob's message, you can read it by utilizing this link: Bob Moritz Message. If you have any comments or ideas that you would like to share with Bob, please send them to: daugherty.and.wyer@us.pwc.com.

    Personal Brand Week

    Personal Brand Week:

    Many of your students may be finalizing their spring break plans right now, but there's likely another issue on their minds: Will they have a job or internship this summer? As you know, landing a job today requires more than just good grades. Students need to focus on and promote their individual strengths, stand out from their peers and tell a unique story. In short, they need a personal brand.

    With that in mind, on Monday, February 22, PwC launched "Personal Brand Week." This national initiative is designed to help students learn more about the critical importance of personal brand and the right way to approach it. Each day of the week of February 22nd, PwC focused on one of five elements we recommend that students master in order to develop personal brands that will help prepare them for their job search or first day on the job:
    • Monday, February 22nd - "Your Elevator Pitch"
    • Tuesday, February 23rd - "Your Passion"
    • Wednesday, February 24th - "Your Network"
    • Thursday, February 25th - "Your Online Brand"
    • Friday, February 26th - "Open to Change"
    The program was promoted on campus, and all content - including information, tips and action-oriented worksheets - is available both on PwC's Facebook page and at www.pwc.com/us/PersonalBrandWeek.

    We hope you will encourage your students to take advantage of the tools we have provided to assist them with developing their personal brand.



    Announcing xTREME winners . . .
    We have just completed another successful xTREME Case Competition. Our National Finals culminated weeks of competition among over 4,400 students from 79 schools. For both xACT and xTAX, teams from five schools earned $10,000 each and an all-expense paid trip to participate in the national competition. We hosted the xACT finalists in New York and the xTAX finalists in Washington DC where the students were required to present their case solution to a panel of PwC partners who judged the competition.

    PwC congratulates all of the national finalists:

    Special recognition to the team members from the following schools who took top honors in National Finals: xACT - University of Illinois and xTAX - Arizona State University.

    To learn more about our xTREME Case Competition, visit our xTREME website.

    Where Counting Counts

    We would like to highlight an article recently submitted by Mike Fenlon, our people strategy and US Tax Human Capital Leader, to HR magazine. Mike writes about our Firm's experiences in gathering internal data on our satisfaction in working for our Firm and utilizing the information to drive measurable change. Our leadership used this data as a tool to align human capital strategies, the needs of our clients and the needs of our top talent. Click here to view the article: Where Counting Counts.

    Tax Policy in challenging times: 2010 Legislative Update

    President Barack Obama and Congress this year are expected to focus on job creation policies, including tax incentives, in advance of the 2010 Congressional elections. At the same time, the priorities the Obama Administration set in 2009, including health care reform, climate change, and international tax reform, have carried over, leaving Congress with a full agenda of tax-related issues in an election year. In this publication, PwC's Washington National Tax Services (WNTS) offers a preview of the challenges facing the Congress in 2010, including economic growth and job creation, expired tax provisions, international tax reform proposals, deficit reduction, tax-related priorities such as health care reform and climate change, and other tax policy matters of importance to today's business leaders. Click here to view the publication: 2010 Legislative Update.

    Corruption crackdown

    A new anticorruption era is forcing companies to change their behaviors to adapt to the financial and reputational risks that come with global expansion, especially in areas where geopolitical risk and corruption are pervasive. An aggressive international push to fight corruption has moved beyond well-intentioned rhetoric and toward hard results, with Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) investigations and enforcement actions spiking over the last several years—a trend which is likely to intensify in the days ahead. Business leaders and board members should take notice: How well companies prepare for geopolitical risk and anticorruption compliance could make or break the viability of doing business in new markets. Click here to view this publication: Corruption crackdown.

    Appetite for Change 2010

    This new thought leadership report from PwC's global Sustainability & Climate Change Tax network, provides unique insight into the views of the international business community on environmental regulation, legislation and taxes. In almost 700 interviews, conducted in 15 countries, executives shared their perspectives on the impact of climate change; the role of government in protecting the environment; their preferred environmental policy tools; and the ingredients they see as necessary for a global climate change deal. To view the report, click here: Appetite for Change.



    Focus on sustainability & climate change - 2010 outlook: Where we've been, what lies ahead
    Moving into the new year - and a new decade - companies are facing a fast-changing, uncertain landscape for sustainability initiatives. In the aftermath of Copenhagen, companies continue to struggle with uncertainly regarding global greenhouse gas reduction targets and are also looking ahead to President Obama's State of the Union address and FY2011 budget for clarity on domestic initiatives. This webcast, hosted on February 4, 2010, discussed the 2010 domestic agenda, the Administration's FY2011 budget, the outlook for climate change legislation or regulation, going forward after Copenhagen, and preparing for future change. To access the webcast archive, utilize this link.

    International tax proposals in the Administration's FY 2011 budget
    On February 1 the Administration released the FY 2011 Budget and the companion Green Book, which provides general explanations of the budget's revenue proposals. The Budget's international tax reform section, scored to increase revenues by $122 billion over 10 years, carries over most of the provisions from the FY 2010 Budget, but with significant changes. On February 9, 2010, we hosted a webcast to address these significant provisions. To access the webcast archive, utilize this link.

    We hope you find this information to be useful. If there is anything we can do to be more helpful or responsive to your needs, please contact us at daugherty.and.wyer@us.pwc.com.

    Best Regards,

    Bob Daugherty and Jean Wyer

  • January 2010

    Happy New Year and welcome back to campus! We hope the new semester is getting off to a great start. As the mid-year section meetings for the American Accounting Association begin, we look forward to having our Chairman, Bob Moritz, participate in the Accounting Programs Leaders Group conference in Albuquerque in mid-February. We hope to see many of you there.

    In this newsletter, we are excited to provide an update on our IFRS Ready program including our new grant recipients and updated instructions for accessing our student materials. We would also like to remind you that we are accepting proposals now for the PwC INQuires program. In addition, we have highlighted this year's PwC Corporate Responsibility event and some new webcasts and firm materials on a number of topics for you.

    IFRS Ready rogram

    The PricewaterhouseCoopers Charitable Foundation, Inc., a section 501 (c)(3) public charity, has awarded over $250,000 to fund 15 proposals for the IFRS Ready grant program this year. We thank everyone who applied for funding and congratulate this year's winners. Our total funding for these curriculum grants is now over $1million for 38 proposals over 2 years. A complete listing of grant recipients is posted on our faculty website.

    In addition, we have refreshed our student website and there are new instructions for accessing the IFRS Ready materials posted there. To find them go to www.pwc.tv, move the cursor over "Feed your Future"; choose Channel 1: Build your career now and the links will appear when you move your cursor to the black IFRS Ready box. You can also get to these materials through the IFRS Ready page of our faculty site by using the direct link appearing in the section discussing the "student materials". To receive the instruction materials designed for faculty, the IFRS Ready page has a request link and the materials will be sent to you by email.

    PwC INQuires

    PwC INQuires

    As mentioned in our December 2009 newsletter, PwC is now seeking proposals for PwC INQuires, which is a program of funding for applied research. PwC initiated this program in the Spring of 2007 to assist faculty and PhD students seeking to increase the knowledge base that contributes to the practice of auditing and tax. Since the program's inauguration, PwC has awarded over $1.2 million to 70 researchers across the country. PwC is now seeking proposals for the 2010 PwC INQuires program. This year the program will provide $10,000 grants to support individuals who are in the tenure pipeline or are studying for accounting doctoral degrees. The deadline for submissions for the current year program is February 19, 2010 and grant decisions will be announced in early April. Once selected, funds will be available for use during or after the summer 2010 term. Click here to view the Request for Proposals.



    Project Make [it] Count
    We are excited to be visiting many of your campuses over the next few weeks to launch this year's PwC Corporate Responsibility program. Project Make [it] Count will entail a proposal competition among campuses across the country. We are asking business student organizations to collaborate, reach a consensus and submit an idea describing how they would use funds provided by PwC to make a difference on their campus or within their community. We will select 20 proposals to receive $5,000 maximum from PwC to implement their ideas. Winners will be announced in mid-March. We look forward to seeing your students' ideas!



    2010 Federal Tax Legislative Outlook
    PricewaterhouseCoopers Washington National Tax Services (WNTS) invites you to hear Lindy Paull, former Chief of Staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation, Don Longano, former Chief Tax Counsel to the House Ways and Means Committee, Brian Meighan, former Accountant for the Joint Committee on Taxation, and Peter Merrill, former Chief Economist for the Joint Committee on Taxation, in a discussion of the Federal tax legislative outlook for 2010. Click here for the archive.

    Tax accounting quarterly update: Exploring fourth quarter reporting period considerations
    Join a panel of PricewaterhouseCoopers' Tax Accounting Services (TAS) specialists for a discussion of timely, relevant tax accounting matters in advance of year-end reporting for calendar year companies. Our panel will share insights and discuss specific tax accounting considerations associated with recent legislative developments -- including tax law changes in the United States, Mexico and other foreign jurisdictions. Click here for the archive.

    Renewable Energy: What We've Learned Since the Stimulus
    The Federal government has released guidance on several key stimulus provisions, including the opportunity to obtain Treasury grants in lieu of renewable energy tax credits, and the ability to apply for several incentive opportunities for energy projects. These incentives could be applicable to any company; they are not limited to traditional energy businesses nor to those in loss positions. In the months since the stimulus provisions were announced more details have emerged, not only in terms of additional guidance from Treasury but also in practical terms as companies have begun to take advantage of the opportunities around renewable credits. On this webcast, our speakers will explain the available incentives and how they relate to your business, talk about the new grant-in-lieu guidance and the IRS notice on the advance energy manufacturing property credit, and discuss practical application for companies trying to claim the special depreciation deduction for energy efficient commercial property. Click here for the archive.

    PwC INQuires

    We Recognize How Busy You Are...

    ...so we are asking for just 10 minutes of your time to explore issues that we believe you'll want to understand and act on in the near future. Without mincing words, each 10Minutes piece is designed to distill key information and insights on a corporate, legal, or regulatory topic relevant to your classroom discussions. If we can make the process easier for you, it will be 10 minutes well spent. Here are some of our recent issues.

    10Minutes on Business Continuity
    The best disaster survival manual may be obsolete if it doesn't anticipate major disruptions to the supply chain or at outsourced operations. As a result, business continuity management (BCM) programs are being designed to continually assess-as well as counter-risks stemming from the interdependencies integral to running a business.

    BCM is about making sure your organization is prepared to survive a catastrophic event that is either man-made or natural, either a one-time or longer-term event, like a pandemic outbreak, or a significant disruption at a critical supplier.

    10Minutes on maximizing internal audit
    10Minutes on Maximizing Internal Audit shares PwC's point of view on the role of internal audit and its place in an organization's risk management process. It can be argued that broadening Internal Audit's role can reap risk management opportunities, but careful review and transition is needed to overcome challenges of shifting audit's role from the more traditional financial compliance monitoring to include emerging risk areas.

    10Minutes on post-crisis boardrooms
    According to PwC, several pending policy issues-healthcare, greenhouse gas emissions, financial regulation, and executive compensation-will influence corporate boards' perspectives and actions as we emerge from the economic crisis. In a recent survey of boards of directors by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Corporate Board Member magazine, directors say what they've been thinking and doing a year after the financial meltdown. Some appear to be postponing key changes to operations and business models until regulators and Congress resolve key policy issues.

    10Minutes on monetizing carbon
    Broader mandatory reduction of GHGs will affect all companies, not just heavy emitters. The latter will feel a direct impact through the monetization of their carbon emissions-whether it be via EPA fines or cap-and-trade-while other companies will feel the effect indirectly, in how their energy will be sourced, delivered, and priced going forward.

    Cleantech revolution

    Cleantech revolution

    Recent trends of government and private investment into the build-out of smart infrastructures will cause companies across all industries to determine how they may benefit by assessing what role they might play-either directly or peripherally, and in the near and long-term-in the growth of smart infrastructure markets. This white paper offers information on the move to smart grid and other new technologies.


    We would like to thank everyone who participated in the recent Public Accounting Report Survey. We value feedback from all sources and appreciate your acknowledgement of our efforts in supporting you and your students. We will work hard to continue our collaboration and partnership with you.

    Be on the lookout for a communication directly to all of you in the coming month from our Chairman. If there is anything we can do to be more helpful or responsive to your needs, please contact us at daugherty.and.wyer@us.pwc.com.

    Best Regards,

    Bob Daugherty and Jean Wyer

  • December 2009

    Dear Educator:

    As the Fall term comes to a close, we would like to take a few moments to wish you the best during the upcoming holiday season. We hope that you are able to enjoy time with family and friends.

    Our December newsletter highlights our 2009 Holiday Giving as a Firm to help those less fortunate during these difficult times. In addition, we are glad to announce the 2010 PwC INQuires program.

    Happy Holidays

    Happy Holidays

    Our firm has been focused on making the right decisions around our plans for the upcoming holiday season. For the second consecutive year, in lieu of holiday parties, we will be donating $1.5 million to charities selected by each of our markets across the country. Our donations will support the development of youth through various organizations as well as help provide for families in need during this holiday season. The US Firm's Corporate Responsibility Website highlights the impact that we are having in our communities.

    In keeping with that spirit, we have decided to switch from our traditional paper-based holiday card program to specially designed email greetings. This decision actually has two important benefits. The first is the obvious benefit to the environment by reducing our carbon footprint. The second is the opportunity to continue to expand our charitable giving and further our firm's reputation as a responsible corporate citizen. The dollars saved will be redirected to national environmental charities through Earthshare, to the MIND Research Institute in support of their math-focused education programs, and to UNHCR, the United Nation's agency for refugees where we have started a global effort to build schools for the children of Darfur.

    Last school year, to highlight on campus our commitment to Corporate Responsibility, we offered students the opportunity to vote on how to best donate funds previously spent on PwC giveaway items during career fairs and other campus activities. The students responded positively to our GiveBack idea and helped us direct $200,000 in charitable donations. The results include donations to MIND Research Institute and UNHCR as well as Service Nation, Warren Easton Senior High School (New Orleans) and Project Belize Scholarships.

    To further the firm's efforts with the "Project Belize" program, our summer interns connected and corresponded with approximately 2,000 students in inner-city Belize while also collecting and donating over 30,000 individual school supplies. These supplies were delivered to the students in Belize in November with an elaborate celebration that included members of the Ministry of Education, Principals from the four schools, Peacework representatives and a current PwC associate who is originally from Belize.

    PwC is committed to being responsible leaders in the marketplace and making our actions count towards a sustainable future.

    PwC INQuires

    PwC INQuires

    PwC INQuires is a program of funding for applied research. PwC initiated this program in the Spring of 2007 to assist faculty and PhD students seeking to increase the knowledge base that contributes to the practice of auditing and tax. Since the program's inauguration, PwC has awarded over $1.2 million to 70 researchers across the country. PwC is now seeking proposals for the 2010 PwC INQuires program. This year the program will provide $10,000 grants to support individuals who are in the tenure pipeline or are studying for accounting doctoral degrees. The deadline for submissions for the current year program is February 19, 2010 and grant decisions will be announced in early April. Once selected, funds will be available for use during or after the summer 2010 term. Click here to view the Request for Proposals

    Happy holidays to you. We look forward to our continued collaboration with you as we enter 2010 and wish you a happy and prosperous new year!

    Best Regards,

    Bob Daugherty and Jean Wyer

  • November 2009

    Dear Educator:
    During this season of Thanksgiving, we would like to begin this edition of our newsletter by extending our thanks to all of you for the great work you are continuously doing with your students -- the future of our profession. We are very grateful for our partnership with you in these endeavors.

    We have had the opportunity to visit many of our markets and campuses over the past several weeks and, in this newsletter, we would like to share some of our observations from these interactions and offer suggestions which may help your students. Additionally, we have provided an update on the successes of our xTREME case competition and highlight some available webcasts and publications that may be of interest to you.

    PwC in the News . . .

    PricewaterhouseCoopers ranks #2 in Global Survey
    We are excited to be able to share with you the latest external validation. PwC was recently ranked #2 in Universum's Global Top 50 Most Attractive Employers. Click here to view the article.

    PricewaterhouseCoopers named "Top company for working families" by DiversityInc
    PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) has been named as "Top Company for Working Families" by DiversityInc, publisher of the annual DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® ranking. The award recognizes PwC for its consistent leadership in diversity and inclusion practices, as well as its continued commitment to work/life flexibility, support for working parents and corporate responsibility. Click here to view the article.

    Guidance for Students in this Challenging Environment

    As we spend time with students on your campuses, the impact that the economy is having on them personally is understandably top of mind. The good news is that our profession continues to be a strong career option as evidenced by Business Week's most recent ranking of the Best Places to Launch a Career where the Big 4 Firms once again top the list.

    We have been speaking to student audiences recently on how to focus on something they have power over right now- the establishment of their personal brand. We are highlighting actions they should be taking both now and later to best position themselves in this challenging world. Students can proactively take control of their futures by working to differentiate themselves from others by building their professional reputation, image and skill sets. Whether in their first position or later in their career, students should know the significance of effective networking and building trust-based relationships, the value of keeping their business/global knowledge current and the importance of bringing passion to everything in all they do. Also in today's world, professionals who experience the most success are those who have the flexibility to accept challenges in unfamiliar areas allowing them to re-engineer their career as opportunities arise. We shared with you last Spring the tools which we continue to make available through our student website to "Recession-Proof Your Job Search". We encourage you to make your students aware of this Career Resource - which can be found at www.pwc.tv under "About PwC"- as a valuable tool to help them navigate this challenging time.



    Since 2002, we have hosted the xTREME games, PwC's tax and accounting case competitions. The xTREME challenges are competitive, team-oriented learning experiences designed to give college students an opportunity to solve real-world tax, accounting and business related issues while furthering their interpersonal, organizational and presentation skills. xTAX is the tax competition and xACT is the financial accounting competition. This Fall, approximately 4,400 students at 79 universities participated in xTREME. Each winning campus team will receive a $1,000 prize and will be eligible to be considered as a National Finalist. Teams of PwC partners will review videos of the campus winning tapes to narrow it down to the five National finalist teams for each competition. In January 2010, we will host the xTAX National finals in Washington DC and the xACT National finals in New York. Each of the five finalist teams will receive a $10,000 monetary award.

    We would like to thank all of our 2009 xTREME participants who invested much time, energy and enthusiasm in this valuable learning opportunity. For more information, visit our xTREME website at www.pwc.com/xtreme.



    Recent Developments in State Tax Controversy
    The PricewaterhouseCoopers State and Local Tax practice hosted a webcast on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 from 12:00 PM- 1:30 PM (ET). With the current economic environment, state revenues have reached an all-time low in many states. Revenue shortfalls could give rise to increased audit activity by state tax agencies. In turn, corporate tax departments will face a prolonged and difficult controversy life cycle at a time when their own resources and personnel are stretched thin.

    Panelists discussed recent audit issues and state income, franchise, and sales-use tax developments, with a specific focus on New York, Florida, and California. The panelists highlighted ways a company may successfully manage these controversies and reduce the potential adverse impact of the states' increased audit activity. To access the archive of this webcast, click here.

    Current Accounting & Reporting Developments Webcast - Quarter Four
    This webcast, held on Thursday, December 3, 2009 from 1:00 - 2:30 PM (ET), discussed hot topics and recent activities of various regulatory bodies including the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the Securities & Exchange Commission. To access the archive of this webcast, click here.

    It pays to go green and build America: Understanding the tax benefits and financial reporting impacts of new incentives
    Governments around the globe have implemented initiatives to spur economic growth and incent companies to go green — particularly in emerging industries like renewable energy. On Monday, November 23, 2009 from 2:00-3:30 PM (ET), PwC hosted a webcast that discussed the range of new green and stimulus incentives. To access the archive of this webcast, click here.

    The Similarities and Differences between IFRS and US GAAP
    "What is the difference between IFRS and US GAAP?" That is one of the most frequently-asked questions we hear from companies. In this webcast, hosted on Tuesday, November 17, our panelists examined some of the more commonly found differences US companies will encounter as they prepare for IFRS adoption by certain non-US subsidiaries as well as for the eventual adoption of IFRS. They highlighted certain GAAP differences as a result of the ongoing convergence of US GAAP and IFRS. They also provided an update on recent SEC activity and other developments related to IFRS. You or your students may access the archive of this webcast, click here.

    10Minutes on Combating Corruption

    10Minutes on Combating Corruption discusses the increase in prosecutions and fines being brought under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the spread of United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) regulations, and the importance of developing an anti-corruption compliance strategy. It also discusses how to safely expand into foreign markets by conducting forensic due diligence and utilizing corporate intelligence.

    PwC Subscription Management System

    The recently launched PwC Subscription Management System is designed to deliver electronic thought leadership, alerts, and other PwC publications to subscribers via e-mail, free of charge. The system also maintains the subscription lists for various free PwC webcast series, many of which provide CPE credit. To subscribe, go to http://publications.pwc.com/ and after signing in, make your selections. This tool can be used to ensure that you are receiving the publications and webcast information most important to you.
    As always, we hope you find this information helpful and informative. We welcome your feedback and appreciate hearing from you regarding ways we can further assist you. Again, thank you for all you do and we look forward to continued collaboration with you over the coming months.

    Best Regards,

    Bob Daugherty and Jean Wyer

  • October 2009

    Dear Educator,
    Fall is upon us and we hope that the new school year is off to a great start for everyone.

    In this issue, we would like to remind you about our IFRS Ready program. We have also highlighted items to keep you abreast of current developments in our profession including two recent Tax publications, a perspective on off-balance-sheet financing, the new View magazine, and current Thought Leadership Pieces.


    PwC IFRS Ready Grant Program

    PwC IFRS Ready Grant Program is an opportunity to receive funding in support of curriculum development. We are accepting proposal submissions through November 1, 2009. Further information can be found in the Request for Proposals posted on our website at www.pwc.com/faculty under IFRS Ready.

    Managing the tax function through a weak economy

    When times are tough, companies rethink their businesses and recalibrate their resource and investment decisions. Though the short-term benefits of budget and head count cuts may seem attractive on paper, CFOs and tax VPs have a few options to consider when evaluating the tax function. Click here to read the article: Managing the tax function through a weak economy.


    Transfer pricing and the green agenda

    The green agenda will unquestionably trigger many transfer pricing issues. Challenges will arise, but among them will be significant opportunities for effective planning so that businesses can understand the implications of their present and planned green agenda strategies. To learn more about the key issues and why companies should begin to address them now, click here to view our publication: Transfer pricing and the green agenda.


    A perspective on off-balance sheet financing

    This piece shows how upcoming changes to off-balance sheet reporting may affect the way companies design and manage future transactions and strategic relationships. It then recommends specific action steps that companies can take to prepare today…before the new rules take effect.

    Utilize this link to visit our 10Minutes site or enroll to receive monthly 10Minutes publication updates.

    View: fall 2009

    This fall 2009 issue of View, PwC's business magazine, asks -- How does innovation happen -- and what role does failure and discipline play? We also look beyond the hype of cloud computing and examine what the technology really means for businesses. Our corporate responsibility (CR) article discusses why in today's economic climate businesses should embrace -- not cut back -- their CR efforts. Also featured is an interview with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, plus articles on the future of retailing, managing talent here and in emerging markets, supply chain relationships, and better decision making through new technology.

    Thought leadership highlights & Subscription to monthly updates

    Every day, our people bring their experience and insights to the challenges our clients are facing in these volatile times. And every month, PwC delivers a range of thought leadership that captures our firm's leading thinking on the issues that matter most to business leaders around the world. You can view our Thought Leadership publications at www.pwc.com/us/insights.

    We recently launched a new monthly update titled 'US Thought Leadership Highlights' to help you learn more about the business issues that are most important to you, and inform you of the pipeline of publications planned for the month ahead. This electronic announcement will feature 8-10 of our most recent thought leadership publications. To receive the 'US Thought Leadership Highlights' please subscribe to monthly updates via the pwc.com/us/insights page.

    We hope you find this information helpful in supporting the good work you do with your students who are the future of our profession. We look forward to continued collaboration with you over the coming months.

    Best Regards,

    Bob Daugherty and Jean Wyer



  • September 2009

    Dear Educator,
    Welcome back to campus for another academic year! We hope you had the opportunity to enjoy some relaxing time away from work during the summer break. Continuing PwC's decades long tradition of working together with educators, we are committed to staying connected to you and we look forward to an exciting year. Also, we recognize that the current challenging times make both our roles more difficult, but we are optimistic that our continuing collaboration will bring good results for your students and our profession.

    Over the last few months, through campus visits, informal conversations, our Symposium and Colloquium, and the AAA Annual Meeting, we and our leadership have had the opportunity to discuss many issues with you. The breadth of viewpoints in the academic community has been well represented as many perspectives were shared in our conversations. We thank you for your valuable input.

    One particular dialogue brought together an outstanding group of experts with interested professors. PricewaterhouseCoopers sponsored a session at the AAA Meeting on "Lessons Learned from Diversity Programs on Campus". We were honored to be joined by Manuel Espinoza (CEO ALPFA); Richard Ramsey (CEO of LEAD); Frank Ross (one of the founders of NABA) and our Partner Bob Calabro. Jennifer Allyn from our Office of Diversity facilitated an active conversation with the panel members and the audience. We appreciate the assistance of the Diversity Section in helping us publicize this event.

    The September 2009 newsletter includes information on our PwC IFRS Ready Grant Program, a PwC website update, a PwC Firm leadership update, an invitation to our Focus on Sustainability webcast, our tax publication entitled "Paying Taxes 2009: a global picture", and an invitation to our "Current Accounting and Reporting Developments" webcast.


    PwC IFRS Ready Grant Program

    PwC IFRS Ready Grant Program is an opportunity to receive funding in support of curriculum development. We are accepting proposal submissions through November 1, 2009. Further information can be found in the Request for Proposals posted on our website at www.pwc.com/faculty under IFRS Ready.

    Website updates

    We have just completed an update to our faculty website and we hope you like our new look. Check it out at www.pwc.com/faculty. We also encourage you to visit our campus website at www.pwc.tv so you can see the various types of media we are sharing with your students to get them excited about our profession and our Firm. Our campus site focuses on news, entertainment and career advice with video clips and feature stories highlighting issues which are important to your students - programs, career opportunities, hot business issues, corporate responsibility and of course . . . the PwC 411.


    Firm Leadership Updates

    As previously announced, on July 1, 2009, Bob Moritz was appointed as our US Chairman and Senior Partner after previously serving as our US Assurance Leader. At our annual PwC Accounting Symposium and Tax Colloquium, Bob introduced our new US Assurance Leader, Tim Ryan (both shown in this photo taken at the program). Rick Stamm will continue his leadership of our Tax practice and Dana McIlwain will serve as the Advisory Leader.


    Focus on Sustainability

    We invite you to view our archived webcast on Renewable Energy: What We've Learned Since the Stimulus. which was recorded on September 9, 2009. The Federal government has released guidance on several key stimulus provisions, including the opportunity to obtain Treasury grants in lieu of renewable energy tax credits, and the ability to apply for a major new incentive for manufacturers of energy property. The manufacturing incentive includes extremely near-term timeline requirements that require immediate attention to assess opportunities for you. The grants in lieu of credits also require both a tax and an assurance component that requires careful planning. Further, there is yet another incentive for energy efficiency improvements that should be considered this year.


    Paying Taxes 2009: The global picture

    Paying Taxes 2009: The global picture provides a comparison of the world's tax systems from the point of view of a case study company. The aim is to provide insights and data, which will assist the process of tax reform and to gain a more in-depth understanding of the results. It is also important to look beyond the rankings to the underlying data. As well as the individual rankings on the ease of paying taxes around the world. The Paying Taxes study highlights how businesses are affected not only by corporate income taxes, but also by many other taxes. In addition, it shows how the procedural burden of tax compliance impacts companies.



    'Current Accounting and Reporting Developments' webcast series

    On September 14, 2009, we hosted our 3rd quarter webcast designed to keep you informed about emerging accounting, regulatory, and market developments impacting accounting and financial reporting. These quarterly webcasts feature insights from a broad range of PwC specialists, who will update you on the current state of technical topics and emerging issues that may impact your business.

    You can view the archive of the 90-minute webcast on hot topics and recent activities of various regulatory bodies including the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the Securities & Exchange Commission.


    This year, PwC expects to recruit over 4,000 interns and full time hires on campus. Your good work prepares these students and thousands of others to move into practice. That preparation is essential as your students move into the most challenging business environment we have ever experienced. We look forward to collaborating with you to positively impact the future of PwC and also the profession as a whole for generations to come.

    As always, we welcome your feedback and appreciate hearing from you on how PwC can best support you as faculty members.

    Best Regards,

    Bob Daugherty and Jean Wyer



  • May 2009

    Dear Professor,
    We are excited to share the results of the Diversity, Inc. Top 50 List and to announce 2009 PwC INQuires Awards. Through our grant competition, we will award $200,000 to 20 researchers bringing our three year research funding total to approximately $1.2 million.

    This month's newsletter also includes a link to the firm's on-line magazine "The View," updates on recent releases of 10Minutes publications, Tax resources, and information regarding CFO Direct.

    As the current academic year is winding down, we will communicate with you again in August. We hope you have a wonderful summer!


    Diversity, Inc. Top 50 List

    Diversity, Inc. Top 50 List


    Diversity Inc. recently released their 2009 list of Top 50 Companies for Diversity. We are pleased to share with you that our Firm was # 5 on the list and we were the only employer staying in the top 5 from the 2008 list. Over 400 companies applied for this distinction and the results will be covered in the June issue of the magazine.

    To view the full article, utilize this link.


    2009 PwC INQuires Awards

    We are excited to announce our 2009 PwC INQuires Awards


    View magazine: Spring 2009 edition

    View magazine: Spring 2009 edition

    We are happy to announce the spring 2009 edition of View, our magazine for business. Understandably, complex matters related to the economy remain center stage, and in this issue we examine the recession and its aftermath from several perspectives. As always, our goal is to present distinctive content that addresses your interests and concerns in a way that you will find both informative and engaging. Click here to access View magazine: Spring 2009 edition


    10Minutes publications

    10Minutes publications:


    We continue to get positive feedback regarding the quality of the subject matter and the delivery format of our 10Minutes publications. If you have not done so, we encourage you to consider subscribing to receive an electronic notification whenever a new 10Minutes publication is released.

    To subscribe, or to check out current issues, as well as a list of upcoming topics, click here: 10Minutes.

    Recent releases include:
    Tax Resources

    Tax Resources:


    Washington National Tax Services Insight

    For timely insights and analysis on emerging tax issues, visit our site developed by our professionals in our Washington National Tax Services practice. Utilize this link to access the most recent publications.

    Tax Publications:

    U.S. Tax Services has several recently released publications that may be of interest to you including 10Minutes on international tax increases; A tax perspective in implementation, IFRS-Tax plan; and State and local tax trends affecting business in 2009: Looking back, looking ahead. To view these and others, visit our Tax Publication site.


    CFOdirect

    CFOdirect


    CFOdirect provides targeted, customized insights and analysis of the latest news in the financial world. It can enhance your ability to provide up to the minute changes to the students in your classroom. As a member, you will receive timely invitations to webcasts on current topics and access to PwC resources such as the recently released Data Lines addressing FASB's New Guidance for Fair Value Measurement and Impairments.

    To register for a free membership, go to www.cfodirect.pwc.com, and click on the Register Now link in the Member Login box on the right hand side of the site. Then, complete the brief registration form and you will be approved to use the site within 48 hours of applying.


    As always, we welcome your feedback and appreciate hearing from you on how PwC can best support you as faculty members.

    Best Regards,

    Bob Daugherty and Jean Wyer



  • March 2009

    Dear Professor,

    This month, we have included a recent communication to faculty from our US Chairman. We have highlighted our current initiative to assist students with "recession-proofing" their job search. In addition, we have included details for accessing two upcoming webcasts offering continuing education credits and hot topic updates - our Assurance Quarterly Update and our Tax Accounting Update. We have also featured our latest 10Minutes document, 10Minutes on the US Stimulus Package.
     


     


    Message from Dennis Nally

    Message from our US Chairman:


    Following up on his December 23, 2008 communication, our US Chairman, Dennis Nally, reached out to faculty earlier this month to reiterate our strategy to continue to invest in our people during these difficult economic times. We regard you as strategic partners and know that current and former students will seek your advice. As such, we want you to be fully informed on our business and strategies. In addition, we will be connecting directly with our interns and new hires to confirm our steadfast commitment to each of them.

    You can read Dennis' message by utilizing this link: Dennis Nally Message. If you have any comments or ideas that you would like to share with Dennis, please send them to: daugherty.and.wyer@us.pwc.com

     

    Career Resources

    We understand that your students are likely experiencing some anxiety during these difficult times. To help address this issue, we have partnered with Lindsey Pollak, career development specialist and author of Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join The Real World, to offer a comprehensive website offering valuable tools and tips to assist students with their job searches. The website content includes a top 10 tips video, man-on-the-street style question and answer videos, career worksheets, and even a blog where students can share, view and post questions as well as track and receive answers from Lindsey.

    We have shared this information with approximately 200 Career Services offices at universities across the country. We know that Career Services offices are being inundated with students seeking employment and we are glad to provide this great resource to schools as our strategic partners. This website contains information relevant to students at all levels. We encourage you to share this helpful tool with your students.

    You can view this information on our student website at www.pwc.tv by clicking on "Career Resources".

     



    Q1 webcast

    Q1 Current Accounting and Reporting Developments Webcast:

    On Wednesday, March 25th at 1PM (ET), PwC presented a 90-minute webcast on hot topics and recent activities of various regulatory bodies including the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). In addition, this webcast will update you on current developments on the Washington scene in light of the recent changes in the administration and economic markets. To view the archive, utilize this link: Q1 Webcast

     

    Q1 webcast

     


    Tax accounting update: Exploring first quarter reporting period considerations:

    On Tuesday, March 24th, from 2:00-3:00 pm (ET), a panel of our Tax Accounting Services (TAS) specialists discussed timely and relevant tax accounting matters in advance of the first quarter reporting period for calendar-year companies.Our panel shared insights on the:
    • Complexities in valuation allowance assessments
    • Impact of current market conditions on quarterly tax reporting computations, presentation and disclosure
    • Tax accounting impact of recent tax law developments

    To view the archive, utilize this link: Tax accounting update

     

     


    PwC's 10Minutes Release: 10Minutes on the US Stimulus Package

    PwC's 10Minutes Release: 10Minutes on the US Stimulus Package


    We have recently released two 10Minutes pieces that may be of interest to you: 10Minutes on the US Stimulus Package. You can subscribe to receive email notification when a new topic is released. To subscribe, or to check out current issues, as well as a list of upcoming topics, click here: 10Minutes.

     

    As always, we welcome your feedback and appreciate hearing from you on how PwC can best support you as faculty members.

    Best Regards,

    Bob Daugherty and Jean Wyer






  • February 2009

    Dear Professor,

    As the pace of change accelerates, we hope you will find these updates a helpful addition to our ongoing collaboration and dialogue on today's accounting and reporting landscape.
     


     


    PwC University for Faculty Update

    PwC University for Faculty Update


    As Dennis Nally shared with you in December, during this time of economic crisis, we see our people, your alumni who work for us, as a critical investment in our business that we are not willing to sacrifice for a short-term payoff. As such, we are not currently planning any significant or unusual reductions in our staffing levels. Instead, our strategy during this uncertain time is to closely scrutinize all of our expenses. Therefore, we have decided to defer PwC University for Faculty for 2009. We regret that the current economic situation makes this necessary.

     

     


    Training Magazine

    We are excited to share with you that we have again been named #1 by Training Magazine, the industry standard in terms of ranking organizations that excel at professional development. For the second year in a row, we were the number one rated firm among all businesses.

     

     


    Business Week

    BusinessWeek 50 Best Internships

    BusinessWeek's 2nd annual list of the 50 Best Internships, released in late December 2008, ranks PricewaterhouseCoopers at #2; only Goldman Sachs finished ahead of us. We did not rest on our laurels after last year's #1 ranking and, instead, embarked on a two year improvement program that we have been executing. Our intern numbers this year will be consistent with last year. We look forward to hosting your students for a rewarding learning experience which will focus on valuable client service opportunities, community service and knowledge management --- all culminating in our Internship Development Program at Walt Disney World.

    The BusinessWeek rankings and accompanying article can be found here.

     

     


    PwC INQuires

    PwC INQuires


    PwC initiated the PwC INQuires program in the Spring of 2007 to assist faculty and PhD students seeking to increase the knowledge base that contributes to the practice of auditing and tax. Since the program's inauguration, PwC has awarded almost $1 million to 63 researchers across the country. In response to the 2009 PwC INQuires Request for Proposals, we received approximately 100 grant proposals which are currently being reviewed. Grant decisions will be announced in early April. Once selected, funds will be available for use during or after the summer 2009 term.

     

    XBRL webcast

    The SEC has now mandated that XBRL-formatted financial information be submitted. Consequently, many companies will now be ramping up their readiness efforts. During the webcast, our panel of experts will discuss the following key topics to help your company become more prepared:


    • Overview of SEC mandate and changes made from the May proposed rules including the implementation timeline and submission requirements
    • Key implementation considerations, such as adoption approaches, process implications of detailed tagging in 'Year 2', corporate website posting, considerations for choosing outsourcing partners and software, and internal quality control processes
    • Considerations for making key judgements and decisions related to XBRL, such as taxonomy selections and company-specific extensions
    • Assurance considerations for management and audit committees
    • Benefits beyond compliance—how XBRL can contribute to making your financial reporting process more effective and efficient
    • Implementation plan and project management considerations, including lessons learned from the Voluntary Submission Program—those who have already voluntarily filed

    To view the webcast archive, utilize this link.

     

     


    Tax policy in transition

    Tax policy in transition


    In this publication, PwC's Washington National Tax Services (WNTS) offers a preview of the tax landscape facing Congress, including economic recovery legislation, comprehensive tax reform proposals, tax-related priorities such as healthcare reform, climate change, and energy independence, and other tax policy matters of importance to today's business leaders.



     

     


    Tax IFRS readiness series

    Tax IFRS readiness series:

     This publication attempts to identify circumstances where tax accounting method changes may be required or desired and where Schedule M computations may change during an IFRS conversion with respect to the following:
    • Revenue recognition
    • Contra receivables
    • Inventory
    • Property, plant, and equipment (PP&E)
    • Intangible assets and goodwill
    • Impairments
    • Leasing
    • Liabilities

    We are hopeful that this document will provoke strategic thinking and assist companies in identifying and prioritizing many of the key US tax accounting method implications that may result upon the conversion to IFRS.

     

     


    Subscribe to PwC's 10Minutes updates

    Subscribe to PwC's 10Minutes updates


    As the tagline states, give us 10 minutes and we'll brief you on what senior executives (and faculty) need to know about emerging topics important to today's business. Many of you may be familiar with the 10Minutes updates on PwC's website. Now you can subscribe to receive email notification when a new topic is released. To subscribe, or to check out current issues, as well as a list of upcoming topics, click here.

    We have recently released 10Minutes pieces that may be of interest to you:

    As always, we welcome your feedback and appreciate hearing from you on how PwC can best support you as faculty members.

    Best Regards,

    Bob Daugherty and Jean Wyer





  • January 2009

    Dear Professor,

    Happy New Year and welcome back! We hope the new semester is getting off to a great start!
     


     


    Dennis Nally Holiday meassage

    For your reference, we have included the powerful message that our US Chairman, Dennis Nally, sent to all of you on December 23 regarding our approach for managing through this economic process. You can read the message by utilizing this link: Dennis Nally Message. In addition, click here to view the video referenced in his message. If you have any comments or ideas that you would like to share with Dennis, please send them to the following email address: daugherty.and.wyer@us.pwc.com.

     

     


    PwC INQuires

    PwC INQuires


    As mentioned in our December 2008 newsletter, PwC is now seeking proposals for the 2009 PwC INQuires program, which is funding for applied research. PwC initiated this program in the Spring of 2007 to assist faculty and PhD students seeking to increase the knowledge base that contributes to the practice of auditing and tax. Since the program's inauguration, PwC has awarded almost $1 million to 63 researchers across the country. The deadline for submissions for the current year program is February 16, 2009 and grant decisions will be announced in early April. Once selected, funds will be available for use during or after the summer 2009 term. Click here to view the Request for Proposals.

     

     


    PwC INQuires

    IFRS Ready Grant Program


    The PricewaterhouseCoopers Charitable Foundation, Inc., a section 501 (c)(3) public charity, will be awarding over $790,000 to fund 24 proposals for the IFRS Ready grant program. A complete listing of grant recipients is posted on our faculty website.

     

     


    Cities of Opportunity

    Cities of Opportunity


    What makes a city thrive? It's a fascinating question. Today it's also an urgent one. This is especially true in the face of a pressing financial crisis. Cities offer the strength and resilience to lead our recovery through short-term stress and rebuild toward long-term growth. Click here to view our detailed study of the world's leading financial and commercial centers.



     

     


    Meeting the challenge of the current financial crisis

    Meeting the challenge of the current financial crisis


    The world has changed, and changed abruptly. The current credit crisis in the US has shaken financial markets, undermined consumer and investor confidence, and is threatening economies around the world. We have identified seven key steps that companies should take today in order to position themselves to successfully navigate the rough waters and emerge victorious -- identifying and managing risk to survive today and capitalizing on market opportunities to gain and sustain competitive advantage over time.

     

     


    IFRS conversion: Understanding the impact on your global tax footprint

    IFRS conversion: Understanding the impact on your global tax footprint


    On December 11, 2008, our experts hosted a webcast focusing on the major tax considerations of IFRS impacting today's global tax function, including what it will mean to a company and who will be impacted and how. The archived webcast can be viewed on our US IFRS Website.

     

    As always, we welcome your feedback and appreciate hearing from you on how PwC can best support you as faculty members.

    Best Regards,

    Bob Daugherty and Jean Wyer






  • December 2008

    Dear Professor,

    As the Fall term comes to a close, we would like to take a few moments to wish you the best during the upcoming holiday season. We have highlighted below our 2008 Holiday Giving as a Firm to help those less fortunate during these difficult times. In addition, we are glad to announce the 2009 PwC INQuires program.
     


     


    Holiday giving

    PwC Holiday Giving

    The old adage says that it's better to give than to receive. In times of economic hardship that's especially true. We have a long tradition of remembering those in need during the holiday season and this year, in place of our holiday events, we are dedicating an additional $1.5 million dollars to charities selected by each of our 19 markets.

    Click here to view the details as well as the video announcement from our US Managing Partner, Greg Garrison.

     

     


    PwC INQuires

    PwC INQuires


    PwC INQuires is a program of funding for applied research. PwC initiated this program in the Spring of 2007 to assist faculty and PhD students seeking to increase the knowledge base that contributes to the practice of auditing and tax. Since the program's inauguration, PwC has awarded almost $1 million to 63 researchers across the country. PwC is now seeking proposals for the 2009 PwC INQuires program. The deadline for submissions for the current year program is February 16, 2009 and grant decisions will be announced in early April. Once selected, funds will be available for use during or after the summer 2009 term. Click here to view the Request for Proposals.

     

    As always, we welcome your feedback and appreciate hearing from you on how PwC can best support you as faculty members.

    Best Regards,

    Bob Daugherty and Jean Wyer

    Happy Holidays!






  • November 2008

    Dear Professor,

    Our November newsletter contains a new perspective on the future of American businesses, information on the hot topic of climate change strategies and carbon disclosure reporting, and two helpful Tax resources. In addition, we continue our efforts to make tools available to you regarding IFRS. We are happy to announce the launch of our new IFRS Video Learning Center. We have also included a link to our IFRS webcasts where you can access an archive of our recent IFRS Conversion webcast.
     


     


    American perspectives

    American perspectives


    We've heard a lot of skepticism about the American economy this fall. Yet, the long view shows realistic reasons for optimism. We invite you to share some of the insights we gained from our 10-year planning process by visiting our new American Perspectives Web site.

    In late fall 2007, seeking to develop perspective on the decade ahead for our clients and for us, PricewaterhouseCoopers began our own reckoning into the future. We found our discussions with senior US executives, academics, public policy experts and PwC partners so valuable that we wanted to find a way to share them. The result is American Perspectives, which mirrors major threads of our discussions and conclusions and amplifies them in short essays and interviews. Besides reading individual articles from American Perspectives, you can also download a PDF or order a hard copy of this publication on the web site.

     

     


    Addressing the Carbon Footprint


    From the classroom to the boardroom, people are discussing the effects of climate change. Here at PwC we are very much involved in the dialogue.

    View

    View magazine warms up to climate change

    The cover story in the latest edition of View, PwC's on-line business magazine, examines how companies are building comprehensive climate change strategies in anticipation of the present and future impact on their business. It includes a checklist businesses can use to size up climate change risk and their carbon footprint.



    The Carbon Disclosure Project


    Carbon disclosure and climate change reporting is also becoming increasingly critical for investors, who want to fully assess their risks, liabilities and opportunities within their portfolios.

    The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), to which PwC has been appointed global adviser and report writer for the next three years, provides investors with a unique analysis of how the world's largest companies are responding to the challenge of climate change by publishing the results of the Global500, S&P500 and FTSE350 companies that have disclosed their activities.

    The reports provide real insight into how companies track their carbon footprint and consider the risks and opportunities of carbon on their business. It also shows how companies compare against their industry peer group and who is leading the field.

    For more information, please click here to go to the Carbon Disclosure Project Web site.

    PwC's Carbon Emissions Reduction Initiative


    Even closer to home, PwC recently announced our own carbon emissions reduction program in the United States. As a part of our corporate responsibility commitment, we plan a 20% greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction by 2012 compared to our 2007 emissions levels. This announcement is the culmination of 12 months of significant efforts by our Advisory practice to both measure the firm's carbon footprint (or baseline) and identify solutions to begin reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The analysis included a comprehensive inventory of activities, including infrastructure (workspace and meetings), supply chain, travel (air/auto travel, hotels, and mass transit) and employee commuting. The reduction goals include a broad set of engineered and behavioral solutions under three broad categories - Travel, Workspace and Commuting.

     

     


    Spotlight on tax resources


    Whether you'd like to hear about new developments in the Tax world, or read about them, PwC will keep you up to date with our podcasts and National Tax alerts.

    Tax Digest

    AudioDigest Tax Podcasts


    PwC's series of Tax-focused podcasts covers technical information and addresses practical implementation considerations. Many topics relevant to federal, state and local taxes are available, such as " Solving the mystery of IRS interest computations" and "On the Hill: Congress addresses state tax issues." Click here to go to the AudioDigest web site to see a full listing.



    Washington National Tax Services Insight


    This alert publication provides timely insight and analysis on emerging tax issues. Developed by professionals in PwC's Washington National Tax Service, WNTS Insight can keep you "ahead of the curve" with respect to the significant tax developments in today's ever-changing legislative and regulatory environment. To see the current edition, peruse the archive of past topics, or sign up for an email subscription, visit the WNTS Insight Web site.

     

     


    IFRS Resources


    IFRS Video Learning Center

    IFRS Video Learning Center


    The IFRS Video Learning Center features a series of on-demand IFRS technical sessions designed to assist companies in identifying the differences between IFRS and US GAAP, and to help them assess the areas of their business that will be most impacted. Featuring PwC IFRS specialists, each technical session contains three or four specific discussion topics that last approximately 30 minutes and can be individually viewed. New technical sessions will be released on a periodic basis.

    New webcast: IFRS conversion process: Phase 1 preliminary study


    As part of our ongoing IFRS series, we hosted a webcast on Thursday, November 20, to discuss a Phase 1 preliminary study of an IFRS conversion process, highlighting key considerations in light of today's environment, steps companies should take in developing their IFRS transition plan, and the benefits thereof. You can view the archive of this webcast as our IFRS Conversion Specialists discuss many aspects of an IFRS conversion and our approach to IFRS conversions, highlighting objectives, timeline, key considerations and insights. To view this and other webcasts on IFRS, use this link.

     

    As always, we welcome your feedback and appreciate hearing from you on how PwC can best support you as faculty members.

    Best Regards,

    Bob Daugherty and Jean Wyer