MMTA in the UP
The MMTA in the UP will be held on June 1, 2012 in the City of Marquette at the Lakeview Arena. We will be working with the Northern Michigan Public Service Academy to offer the one-day seminar. The MMTA in the UP Committee is planning an educational agenda filled with pertinent treasury information.
34th Annual Fall Conference
The 34th Annual Fall Conference will be held October 7-10, 2012 at Boyne Falls in Boyne Falls. More information will follow as the planning is finalized.
Future Fall Conferences:
October 20-23, 2013 - Grand Traverse Resort, Traverse City
October 5-8, 2014 - Bavarian Inn, Frankenmuth
September 20-23, 2015 - Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids
Public Treasury Institute
The Public Treasury Institute works with public investors and issues, the APT US&C Education Committee, private sector firms and independent authors and instructors to create manual-based and web-based training geared exclusively for public finance professionals and staff.
By bringing training courses to the venue of your choice, the Institute makes it possible for townships, villages, cities and counties in our State with limited staff and/or out-of-state travel budgets to receive nationally recognized training.
Manual and web-based training is available to all governments, associations and universities in the areas of investments, fraud, cash and debt management, banking, internal controls and related public finance topics.
In addition, the Public Treasury Institute has several books available that have been authored by members of the APT US&C that you may find helpful in your job as a treasury or finance official. All of these books are available at a discounted rate for APT members through the Public Treasury Institute at www.publictreasuryinstitute.com.
College Credit & Scholarship Information
BASIC INSTITUTE: FAQ’s ABOUT EARNING COLLEGE CREDIT
Over the years numerous students have taken courses through Central Michigan University (CMU) in conjunction with the week long, three-year Basic Institute. Indeed, we are proud to say that several students have completed their bachelor’s and master’s degrees using Institute class credits.
So how does this college credit thing work?
Central Michigan University has established that Lewis G. Bender, Ph.D. serves as the instructor of record. As a student in the Institute you have forty (40) contact hours of instruction through the week. This provides the basis for arranging to take a Special Studies Class - PSC 390 for undergraduates or PSC 590 for graduate level students. You are eligible to sign up for college credit (equivalent to a 3 credit hour class) each of the three years that you attend Basic Institute.
The process includes:
- Apply for admission ($50 non-refundable fee) with Central Michigan University.
- Sign up for PSC 390 or 590 and pay the tuition for the class. This has varied each year and you will need to check with CMU regarding the current rates. In the past it has been about $400 per credit hour. Contact Ms. Kim Greening at (800) 950-1144 ext 3505 or via email.
- Create a program of study for the course with Dr. Bender.
- Complete the readings and paper that will be assigned as part of the course.
- The final grade will be submitted to CMU and become part of your student record.
Are the class credits transferable to other colleges and universities?
Absolutely. These are fully-accredited class credits that can be applied to other college and university programs. Usually these become part of the electives portion of your degree program. If you are currently enrolled in a program at another university, it is important to discuss this with your academic advisor before you pay the tuition at CMU.
It should also be noted that CMU has an extensive statewide program that may be convenient for completing your degree program.
What are the expectations in the class?
The class involves the following elements:
- You select a topic area from the classes offered through the week that is of particular interest and/or use to you. You and Dr. Bender will discuss the topic and identify how you should proceed in researching it.
- You will be asked to develop a research paper outline that will involve a statement focusing on the goals and outcomes of the research effort. You and Dr. Bender will discuss the outline and the readings that you are suggesting as part of the research effort.
- Depending on the subject, you will read 2-3 books (3-4 for graduate level) and some articles as part of your research effort.
- The final product in the undergraduate effort will be a 15 page research paper (25 pages for graduate level) that will be submitted for final grade. A key part of this paper is to write on a topic that is useful or interesting to you. Several students have written on topics that they have directly applied to their organizations. For example, one student totally revised his organization’s performance appraisal process.
How much time do I have to complete the work?
The semester in which you will be enrolled will not start until a couple of months after the Institute. This means you can have a head start. If you do not complete the paper within the semester you are enrolled, you will automatically receive a grade of “I” which is incomplete. That means you then have one year to complete the course requirements. This isn’t encouraged but is sometimes necessary. The bad news is that if you don’t complete the course in the year, you automatically receive an “F” for your grade.
Closing thoughts
This is a wonderful opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Clearly education, experience, knowledge and degrees are key elements for a successful career. You may contact Dr. Bender at (231) 797-5536 or lewbender@aol.com with any questions you may have regarding MMTI college credit.
Scholarships
If you'd like to participate in MMTA educational events, scholarships are available for any MMTA-sponsored function that MiCPT or CPFA points are awarded for attending. Download the application here.