Higher Education Consulting and Accounting

Mission-critical organizational intelligence for higher education

BerryDunn’s dedicated higher education team brings deep experience to both public and private colleges and universities, with a keen ability to analyze complex organizations and develop actionable strategies to better fulfill your mission.

Our team is comprised of a diverse group of consultants with a deep understanding of industry trends, a thorough awareness of best practices, and an independent perspective that informs clear, objective recommendations tailored to each client’s circumstances.

Areas of expertise

Our higher education teams work collaboratively and cross-functionally to provide services tailored to your institution’s unique challenges and opportunities.

Audit and assurance services

Insights and guidance to protect your institution from risk

Tax services

Tax solutions to help you maximize opportunities

Business advisory services

Outsourced accounting and employee benefit plan services to extend your team

Digital transformation

Expertise to create technology solutions to meet your challenges

IT governance, risk, and compliance

Risk management solutions to help ensure business continuity

Human capital management

Strategies to empower your employees to thrive at work

Data governance and strategy

Services to help you fulfill the potential of data at your organization

Audit and assurance services

We offer a wide range of audit and assurance services to meet the specific needs of higher education institutions. We focus on building strong client relationships that stand the test of time, helping colleges and universities minimize risk and maximize efficiencies.

Financial statement audits

Our auditors help you clarify organizational results and enable you to make the best decisions for your institution.

Reviews and compilations

We evaluate your records to determine areas of improvement and decide whether a full audit is necessary.

NCAA agreed-upon procedures

We advise on internal controls and reporting requirements and help your institution avoid risk and remain NCAA-compliant.

Uniform Guidance audits

We are experienced at Uniform Guidance audits related to federal awards compliance, including student financial aid and R&D clusters.

Employee benefit plan audits

Our benefits experts bring deep experience to employee benefit plan audits, and work collaboratively with you to add value, meet regulatory requirements, and encourage employee engagement.

Tax services

BerryDunn brings a deeply experienced, multidisciplinary team and extensive resources to each institution’s unique tax situation. We work closely to develop comprehensive, coordinated strategies to help ensure tax compliance, limit exposure, and optimize performance.

Nonprofit tax

We understand the unique challenges faced by higher education institutions and help you develop the best tax strategies for state, local, and international taxes.

Credits and incentives

Our tax experts help you gain a tax advantage with federal, state, and local tax credits and incentives for higher ed institutions.

State and local tax

BerryDunn’s tax advisors can help you gain control of the ever-shifting landscape of state and local tax rules.

International tax

We help you navigate US international tax rules and regulatory processes to mitigate the risk of IRS penalties.

Business advisory services

Our team is here to assist colleges and universities in business advisory services including outsourced accounting and employee benefit plan services. Consider our team an extension of your own for support when you need it most.

Outsourced accounting

We offer the expertise of a fully staffed accounting department for short-term assignments or long-term engagements, for support during peak times or periods of transition.

Employee benefit plan design

We guide you through available alternatives to design a plan structure that meets and balances goals, while ensuring compliance with the vast array of evolving tax rules.

Digital transformation

Our experienced higher education technology team helps guide colleges and universities through intentional organizational, cultural, and process changes to effectively leverage technology, improve outcomes, and reduce institutional risk.

ERP consulting

Our team has led dozens of institutions through ERP change with various technologies, guiding clients from the system selection process through implementation.

SIS consulting

We provide system assessment, evaluation, and implementation services for Student Information Systems (SIS), supporting clients at every stage of the system life cycle.

IT assessments and planning

We help you assess existing IT services and operations and provide insights on your performance relative to peers.

Software assessment and selection

We can help you develop an RFP, evaluate proposals, compare products, coordinate vendor demonstrations, facilitate scoring, and lead contract negotiations.

Business process improvement

Our team works with you to evaluate current business processes and workflows, and document and map a path to improvement.

Change management

We develop practical, effective plans to communicate change strategies at every level of the organization.

IT governance, risk, and compliance

BerryDunn draws on industry frameworks to perform security and risk assessments for colleges and universities. We can help you establish IT governance policies, comply with data security and privacy rules, and plan for remediation.

Cybersecurity assessment

Our customized cybersecurity assessments will give you a clear picture of your current strengths and weaknesses.

Risk management

We help you understand your risk maturity level and develop actionable plans to mitigate risks and strengthen your risk management program.

Disaster recovery and business continuity

Our team partners with you to develop, implement, and test disaster recovery and business continuity plans.

Human capital management

Our human capital management consultants help you empower your employees to achieve their full potential, adapt to change, and thrive at work. From strategic planning to well-being consulting and culture and organizational assessments, our team focuses on holistic organizational transformation.

Well-being consulting

We take a detailed approach to well-being, considering the whole person and the work environment to design programs that are inclusive, equitable, and integrated.

Organizational development

We invest the time to hear your vision, goals, and preferences to help you develop your workforce, improve performance, and strengthen the health of your organization.

Strategic planning

Our team can conduct planning workshops, develop your objectives and vision, and design a strategic plan that improves employee satisfaction and engagement.

Data governance and strategy

Data has the transformative power to drive decision-making, foster innovation, and contribute to operational excellence. Our consultants have deep expertise in empowering higher education institutions to navigate complex challenges to fulfill the potential of data.

Data assessment

We work with you to understand the current state of your institution’s systems, processes, policies, and personnel that support and maintain the data landscape.

Data strategy development

Our team provides a clear view of strategic improvements for maturing your data governance program through actionable data enablement plans.

Data literacy training

Our experience and people-focused methodology for improving knowledge and understanding of data can support your institutional objectives for advancing data literacy.

Data enablement implementation support

We work with you to help implement your institution’s goals for data enablement, providing project management and support services to help operationalize committees, implement tools, and manage institutional change for enabling data.

Data governance

We help you establish a clear data governance policy, integrating change management best practices and paving the way for successful adoption.

Who we serve

Our experienced higher education consulting team partners with a wide variety of institutions and systems, including:

Private colleges and universities

Community colleges

State systems

Research universities

Institutional foundations

Meet our professionals

Joe Traino

Governance, Risk, and Compliance Consulting

David Houle

ERP and SIS Consulting

Emily Parker

Audit and Assurance Services

Mark LaPrade

Audit and Assurance Services

Ryan Gough

Audit and Assurance Services

Tucker Cutter

Digital and Organizational Transformation

Melissa Magoon

Tax Services

View all professionals

Featured content

featured news + insights events success stories

Podcast

Uniform Guidance

Resource

Data governance action plan for higher education leaders

Video

An introduction to our higher education consulting services

Podcast

ERP Systems in Higher Ed

Conferences and tradeshows

Podcasts

Speaking engagements

Success Stories

Testimonials

"We have engaged BerryDunn for the performance of two NIST/GLBA risk assessments over the last two years. Each time the consultants were professional, knowledgeable, and provided great insight with specific knowledge to the higher education industry."

Alicia Porter

Ohio University

"After working with larger CPA firms in the past, I am impressed at how we see the same staff from BerryDunn return year after year, how well they understand the higher education audit requirements and the time they take to really understand Hartwick College. Their knowledge of the College and its financial statements and their willingness to consult with us during the year is invaluable. Working with BerryDunn has been a pleasure."

Karen V. Zuill

Vice President of Finance

Hartwick College

"Colby-Sawyer has used a number of audit firms in the 22 years I've been here. BerryDunn is far and away the best. You take for granted that CPA firms will be knowledgeable and familiar with Education, and can complete the audit compliance requirements. However, BerryDunn goes beyond that. Their staff has become trusted advisors in all the financial aspects of the College and has helped us become more efficient in each phase of our operations. We seek their advice throughout the year on debt issues, compliance issues and in designing systems and procedures for new programs or services. They have taken the time to thoroughly understand Colby-Sawyer and have certainly contributed to our success."

Doug Lyon (retired)

Colby-Sawyer College

"The time spent developing a strategic plan with the guidance of BerryDunn has proven to be invaluable to our organization and has provided us with a clear roadmap moving forward for the next several years. The additional work on an IT Assessment and coaching made this a very worthwhile engagement. Working with Joe and his team was a great experience and I hope we have an opportunity to work with them on future initiatives."

Marc Drescher

Santa Monica College

"The BerryDunn team provided top-notch service and shepherded us through the implementation process smoothly and provided a lot of learning opportunities along the way."

UNCG

"BerryDunn has been a trusted advisor to WPU for several years. We know we can pick up the phone, or send an email, and they will respond promptly and thoughtfully to our question or request. It's great to know they're in our corner."

Doug Wade

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Warner Pacific University

"The audit team, led by Mark LaPrade and Ryan Gough, has maintained the highest standard of professionalism while providing the utmost level of expertise during each engagement. Throughout the course of the year, the audit team is readily available to consult with the University on various tax, accounting and regulation questions in a timely and assiduous manner. The audit team has established a collegial relationship with both the Finance Committee and the Board of Trustees; their service has been nothing short of outstanding."

John Parker, DBA, CFO

Former Vice President for Finance and Administration

Rivier University

Higher education

Specialized expertise for colleges and universities

Mission-critical organizational intelligence for higher education

Areas of expertise

Audit and assurance services

Tax services

Business advisory services

Digital transformation

IT governance, risk, and compliance

Human capital management

Data governance and strategy

Who we serve

Meet our professionals

Featured content

Articles

Podcasts

Press Releases

Resources

Conferences and tradeshows

Podcasts

Speaking engagements

Success Stories

Testimonials

Contact us