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Competency Framework

ACUBO COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK

The Association of College and University Business Officers (ACUBO) is a collaborative partnership among the five associations of college and university business officers (CACUBO, EACUBO, NACUBO, SACUBO, and WACUBO).  The ACUBO organizational structure includes a Steering Committee and Innovation Council.  The innovation counsel consists of four association first vice presidents and professional development representatives, plus a NACUBO board member, president, and senior vice president. Their role is to identify new issues and oversee development and delivery of collaborative programs, products and services, and process enhancements.The steering committee’s role is to determine priority professional development issues and establish what needs to be addressed and by whom.  They provide oversight of the PREP Coordinating Group and other groups as appointed and serve as champion and primary communicator to partnering boards on the ACUBO efforts.  Members of this committee include the associations’ President, First Vice President, and Professional Development Representative, plus NACUBO’s current and incoming Board Chair, President and Senior VP.A Professional Resource and Event Planner tool (PREP) was designed to help those who work in the higher education financial management and administration community to find high quality professional development programming and resources.  These resources are aligned with the curriculum framework and the competencies identified in the competency survey. Launched to the ACUBO membership in January 2008, PREP can be accessed at http://www.nacuboprep.org

Competency Study

An ACUBO study was completed to identify key competencies and the professional development needs of finance and business professionals in higher education institutions. The defined target audiences included chief business officers, staff in the business office, and administrators in academic and other units with business/financial responsibilityCompetencies as defined in the study are those behaviors you exhibit or actions you take when performing a complex task.  These behaviors are built over time through experience and are required for a high-quality experience.  They are different from the knowledge, skill, and abilities needed to perform the basic elements of entry level performance.

Competency Categories

• Core: needed by those involved in business operations in higher education
• Technical: associated with the specific business activities, i.e. tax compliance
• Organizational: supports performance management and organizational oversight
• Leadership: related to determination of institutional direction and enabling/ encouraging others to achieve the goals

Top competencies for Chief Business Officers (CBO)

CORE

• Compliance with governmental, regulatory, professional, and accreditation agency regulations at the federal, state, and local levels
• Institutional mission, strategic planning and decision making
• Interrelationships among access, quality, cost, resource allocation, accountability, and community

TECHNICAL

• Budget models and techniques
• Accounting and financial reporting
• Multi-year financial planning

ORGANIZATIONAL

• Demonstrating effective written, oral communication, and presentation skills
• Demonstrating effective interpersonal relations (e.g., integrity, trust, diplomacy, negotiation skills)
• Creating, participating in, and leading teams

LEADERSHIP 

• Adhering to ethical business practices and promoting ethical behavior
• Fostering an environment of mutual trust including personal credibility and trust between and among stakeholders
• Business ethics principles
• Adhering to ethical business practices and promoting ethical behavior
• Fostering an environment of mutual trust including personal credibility and trust between and among stakeholders
• Business ethics principles

Top competencies for Business Office Staff (BOS)

CORE

• Roles of the business officer
• Budgeting and planning - public and private systems
• Higher education organization and key stakeholder roles (e.g., academic, research, auxiliary, athletics)

TECHNICAL

• Desktop applications (e.g., database, spreadsheets, query tools)
• Accounting reporting standards (e.g., FASB, GAAP, GASB)
• Internal control procedures (e.g., separation of duties, fraud prevention, risk assessment)

ORGANIZATIONAL

• Applying various communications techniques (e.g., listening skills, written communication, group interaction, presentations)
• Establishing needed policy (e.g., formulating the policy, communicating the policy, implementing the policy)
• Goal setting and implementation strategies

LEADERSHIP

• Demonstrating and modeling ethical behavior, integrity and trust
• Communicating effectively with diverse individuals and groups
• Working with and/or managing people with different behavior styles

LEADERSHIP

• Adhering to ethical business practices and promoting ethical behavior
• Fostering an environment of mutual trust including personal credibility and trust between and among stakeholders
• Business ethics principles

The competency framework will provide the tool to identify areas of strength and weakness that will provide a guide throughout your professional life. They are also very useful in guiding young professionals within your organization. While the technical knowledge and skills required are spelled out in most job descriptions, the competencies provide a more complete picture of the multifaceted world in which you operate and the complex issues we must deal with on a daily basis.