WLU’s Gary E. West College of Business to Sponsor Course in Wheeling Area
– Bob Rufus is passionate about forensics – but you probably won’t find him in the morgue, CSI-style. Rufus hunts data and his passion is teaching business professionals to find and prevent fraud. It’s the hot new field of forensic accounting, fueled by names like Enron, Arthur Anderson and WorldCom, and a recently announced partnership with the Gary E. West College of Business at West Liberty University is bringing the Forensic Institute’s Accredited Fraud Investigator (AFI) certification course to the Wheeling-area Highlands campus Nov. 30-Dec. 2, 2011.
Forensic accounting involves a wide range of activities designed to investigate and gather evidence to support legal proceedings, but these skills aren’t just the purview of accountants. Lawyers, law enforcement professionals, insurance agents and even small business owners can benefit from understanding who commits fraud, how to uncover it and how to prevent it. The AFI course involves three intensive days of instruction on topics such as fraud examination, white collar crime, rules of evidence, attorney-client privilege, detection and deterrence, financial statement analysis, interviewing, quantitative tools and techniques, digital evidence and the psychology of the fraudster.
Rufus, who holds a doctorate degree in business administration from Nova Southeastern University, also is a Certified Professional Accountant and a licensed private investigator in Charleston, W.Va. He holds several professional designations in the field, including CFF (Certified in Financial Forensics), CVA (Certified Valuation Analyst) and the AFI certification. As the Forensic Institute’s program director, he brings over 30 years’ experience to the course.
Many of the case studies used during the three-day seminar are ones in which he actively participated. “I worked on these cases personally, so I can take students right into the heart of the case. Nothing teaches like experience,” Rufus said. Five other experienced instructors also will teach students in every area of forensic investigation.
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Dwane Tinsley, Rufus’ partner and an attorney, notes that CPAs and lawyers alike can receive 24 hours of CPE (Continuing Professional Education) or CLE (Continuing Legal Education) credit for attending the program. “We have had students tell us that this is by far the best CPE class they have ever been to. We are extremely proud of the quality of instruction, and it is evidenced by the positive comments we receive from those who have completed the course,” he said.
Loren A. Wenzel, dean of the Gary E. West College of Business, said he is pleased that the university can provide this career-enhancing opportunity to business professionals who want to open the door to a new or expanded area of responsibility. “Our outreach extends beyond the typical undergraduate and graduate classroom into the community, where business people need specialized skills to stay ahead of the curve. This course can certainly help accountants break into a new area, but it can also help a small business owner protect himself or herself from theft and embezzlement,” Wenzel said.
He added, “I have worked with Bob Rufus, and he truly is an expert in this field. As an accountant myself, I know how important it is for any business to have people on staff who know what to look for and who can put procedures in place to deter fraudulent activity.”
The AFI Certification course will meet from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. The course fee of $1,850 per participant includes all course materials, lunch, refreshments and the certifying exam. Participants must provide their own transportation and accommodation. For more information, visit go.westliberty.edu/westbusiness and click on the AFI link or call (304) 336-8418.
The Gary E. West College of Business at West Liberty University offers four-year bachelor’s degrees in business administration in the areas of accounting, finance, information systems, management and marketing, with specializations in many of today’s in-demand career paths. Interested students sh