Whitley Penn Talks: Universities React to Texas Senate Bill 262

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Are you a student planning to become a CPA? An educator shaping tomorrow’s accounting leaders? Or a professional navigating a shifting talent landscape?

What if the rules just changed and your journey, your curriculum, or your hiring strategy could look completely different?

In this episode of Whitley Penn Talks, host Kendall Jones Neukomm is joined by Valerie King, Associate Director of Early Talent at Whitley Penn, and Kirsten Cook, Director of the Lyons School of Accounting at Texas Tech University, to explore the new reality of CPA licensure in Texas following the passage of Senate Bill 262.

Building on a previous episode featuring policymakers, this conversation shifts to the educator and employer perspectives. Kirsten shares how SB 262, introducing an alternative pathway to CPA certification, could reshape accounting education, curriculum design, and student decision-making. Valerie offers a boots-on-the-ground view from college campuses, discussing how students are responding and what firms are considering as they adapt to the new reality.

Whether you're a student, educator, or employer, this episode offers valuable insights into how Texas is reimagining the path to becoming a CPA and what it means for the future of the profession.

Together, they unpack: 

• What SB 262 entails and its implementation timeline
• The challenges and opportunities for universities and firms
• Concerns around maintaining rigor and CPA exam readiness
• The potential long-term impact on the accounting talent pipeline

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