Fellowship

Fellowship

Preamble

The Board of Directors of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC) elects members as Fellows, designated by the initial FCPA, to formally recognize those members who have rendered exceptional services to the profession, whose achievements in their careers and/or whose contributions in the community have earned them distinction and brought honour to the profession.

The purpose of this guide is to assist members wishing to nominate a member of CPA British Columbia (CPABC) to be considered by the Member Recognition Committee of the CPABC Board for consideration for recognition as a Fellow (FCPA). This guide details each phase of the process and will serve as an essential reference 

  1. As a nominator, the first step is to review the admission criteria, specifically, the sections entitled “Nature of Achievements Under Review” and “Submission of Nominations.”
     
  2. The second step is to complete the nomination file by following the instructions for each section.  Please refer to the completed sample nomination form and sample letters of support to help you with the quality and quantity of information to provide.
     
  3. The final step of the process ensures that all nominations are carefully considered by the Member Recognition Committee, which will make its recommendation to the CPABC Board of Directors.

The recommendations of the Member Recognition Committee and the decision of the Board of Directors will primarily depend on the care taken to describe the member’s achievements.

Once the CPABC Board of Directors elects the fellows, the recipients will be contacted directly. For unsuccessful nominations, the nominator will be contacted, as the nominee may not be aware that they have been nominated.

Objective

To formally recognize those members who have rendered exceptional service to the profession, whose achievements in their careers and/or whose contributions in the community have earned them distinction and brought honour to the profession.

Fellowship Video

Meet some of our past Fellowship recipients.

Eligibility criteria

  • Member in good standing
  • Recipients of equivalent legacy awards not eligible
  • Demonstrate significant achievements as outlined in the selection criteria
  • Not have been unsuccessfully nominated for election as a fellow three or more times during the previous seven years, and
  • The CPA member’s fellowship status has not previously been revoked

Selection criteria

The CPA profession has developed nationally harmonized fellowship criteria, and CPABC has adopted these.

Nominators must highlight the candidate’s leadership and the exceptional nature of the candidate’s performance in the following fields of activity:

  • professional career;
  • volunteer involvement in the affairs of the accounting profession;
  • volunteer contribution to professional, community or charitable organizations.

Candidates need not have made an exceptional contribution or demonstrated leadership in all three areas, but the nomination file should demonstrate that the candidate has made a remarkable contribution in more than one field of activity. Nominators must also demonstrate that the remarkable contribution of the candidate is common knowledge, i.e., that the acknowledged achievements make the member a recognized leader due to the quality of their significant contribution in more than one of the three fields of activity listed above. In addition, nomination files should highlight the fact that candidates clearly identify themselves as chartered professional accountants and that they are known and recognized as CPAs.

In very rare circumstances, a candidate may have made such an exceptionally outstanding contribution in one field of activity that the nominator feels that an FCPA is deserved, and the Member Recognition Committee will consider such applications. The outstanding contribution of the candidate must be common knowledge, i.e., that the acknowledged achievements make the member a recognized and prominent leader in the field(s) of activity selected.

References and Tips

Tips for Preparing a Fellowship Nomination

Because the information contained in it is used to evaluate the candidate, the nomination file needs to be prepared with care. Key points must be effectively highlighted in each section, and the information must be as exact and as complete as possible. Assume that the reader does not know the candidate you are nominating. 

When filling in the form, aim for clarity, comprehension, and highlight the candidate’s leadership and the exceptional nature of their performance—these are decisive elements.

Here are a few tips to help you, and in turn, your nominee.

Section 3 – Professional career

Describe the positions held by the candidate and their roles and responsibilities for each of the most remarkable achievements you want to highlight. 

It is important to highlight the way, the period of time, and the circumstances in which the candidate distinguished themselves. Discuss the candidate's vision, efforts, and results. Ultimately, the information you include in this section should make it possible to measure the candidate’s real impact over the course of their career in the various positions they held.

Section 4 – Volunteer involvement in the affairs of the accounting profession

Outline the candidate’s volunteer involvement in the affairs of the accounting profession, as well as the roles and responsibilities assumed as they related to their most remarkable achievements. 

It is important to specify the time in which the candidate was involved in the main committees or task forces and provide the necessary details on their remarkable achievements, such as: the amount of time spent on the volunteer activities mentioned; the changes in the candidate's roles if they were involved for several years; the impacts of the candidate's initiatives (or leadership) on the accounting profession; and the results achieved (or how their contribution positively affected or advanced the profession).

NB: If, for example, the candidate teaches a course (PD or for the CPA School of Business), this should not be counted as volunteer involvement in the affairs of the accounting profession, but rather mentioned in relation to their professional career (Section 3).

Section 5 – Volunteer contribution to professional, community, or charitable organizations

Here you describe the candidate’s volunteer contributions to professional, community, or charitable organizations, his or her roles and responsibilities, and the real impact of these activities. It is important to specify the time in which the candidate carried out their most important volunteer activities and provide the necessary details about their outstanding achievements. These could include the initiatives or activities that resulted from the candidate's efforts, the benefits to the targeted community, the amount of time spent on the volunteer activities, and the changes in the candidate’s roles if they were involved for several years. 

Section 6 – Letters of support

The importance of the letters of support cannot be emphasized enough. 

They provide real examples and personal insight into the way the candidate is perceived by someone who has observed the candidate’s significant contributions to the advancement of a cause, the development of an organization, or the completion of a major project. For that reason, the letters of support must highlight the candidate’s achievements, the expectations that were placed on them, and the results they achieved. Specifically, the letters need to describe the difference that the candidate's contribution has made.

Letters of support should also highlight other key points. 

  • How long has the letter writer known the candidate? In what context did the supporter observe the candidate's contribution? How does the candidate stand out and in which activities do they shine? What is remarkable about the candidate and what impact have they had? 
  • If you refer to an organization that you believe is not well known, it may be a good idea to describe its mission and the candidate's influence and impact on it.
  • Highlight the key points of each letter of support in the appropriate section of the nomination file. This will reinforce the achievements that have been mentioned.
  • The service and accomplishments of the candidate throughout their career – not simply their career as a CPA – will be taken into account when determining how far the nomination proceeds.
     

Nominations are now closed.