How does the Clerks and Treasurers Institute work?

The Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Institute consists of a three-year program of classroom instruction that takes place during one-week sessions recurring annually.

The Institute offers one week of classroom sessions during the third week of July. There is a curriculum track for Clerks and a separate curriculum track for Treasurers. The week consists of 33-34 contact hours per attendee. Each year the curriculum increases in difficulty, building on the knowledge gained the previous years. New students must sign up for Year One.

After three years when attendees have completed an accumulated total of 100 hours of programming, Clerks graduate from the Clerks Institute while Treasurers graduate from the Treasurers Institute.

Interactive Sessions

The UW-Green Bay Virtual Institute is a series of interactive, live online sessions via Zoom. Participants select and register for their track, and UW-Green Bay provides links so that participants can join the cohort live. The session length depends on the content.

In-person sessions will consist of hybrid classes with live moderators of the Zoom sessions to learn along with your peers.

Participation

Participants are required to have their camera on during these sessions to allow for verified engagement. UW-Green Bay expects that students limit outside distractions, remain in one location for the duration of the session (no driving/errands), and actively participate in group discussions and activities.

Attendance

Participants must attend the full program. Participants who miss 25% or more of a course and/or do not complete any associated assessments will not receive credit for the course.

Institute Programs: What Should I Do?

There are eight tracks to choose from at the Institute. People who have never attended the Institute should choose Year One.

• Municipal Clerks Institute - Clerk Year One, Clerk Year Two, Clerk Year Three, (optionally followed by Treasurers Completion)
  This track provides education and training on municipal clerk duties. (New students must sign up for Year One.)
  After completing three years of the Clerks Institute, the attendee graduates from the Clerks Institute.
• Municipal Treasurers Institute - Treasurer Year One, Treasurer Year Two, Treasurer Year Three, (optionally followed by Clerks Completion)
  This track provides education and training on municipal treasurer duties. This program does not provide basic accounting training. You should be able to post journal entries and perform T-account postings. (New students must sign up for Year One.)
  After completing three years of the Treasurers Institute, the attendee graduates from the Treasurers Institute.

The Year Four of instruction is known as the Completion Year. It is recommended and highly beneficial that clerk-treasurers come back to receive further instruction in the alternate track, compressed into one year. This track is also a good idea to take for those municipalities that want to cross-train their employees.

• Treasurers Completion - for people who have completed the Clerks Institute
  The Treasurers Completion program gives the clerk/treasurer the opportunity to learn the treasurer's duties, compressed into one year. Municipalities interested in cross-training their clerks in treasurer responsibilities would also benefit from this track.
• Clerks Completion - for people who have completed the Treasurers Institute
• The Clerks Completion program gives the clerk/treasurer the opportunity to learn the treasurer's duties, compressed into one year. Municipalities interested in cross-training their clerks in treasurer responsibilities would also benefit from this track.

Scholarships:

The Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association (WMCA) and the Municipal Treasurers Association of Wisconsin (MTAW) offer full and partial scholarships. The scholarship applications are available on their respective websites in January. Scholarships range from $100 to all tuition paid. The applications are easy to fill out and well worth the effort. Last year attendees received scholarships totaling over $19,000. Go to WMCA's website at www.wisclerks.org or MTAW's website at www.mtaw.org to get your application. If you have any Scholarship questions, please contact the respective organization.

Certificates:

We are the only authorized provider in Wisconsin

Earn all of the educational points for the following certifications upon completion of our Institute:

• Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) - through International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC) 
• Certified Municipal Treasurer of Wisconsin (CMTW) - through Municipal Treasurers Association of Wisconsin (MTAW) 
• Certified Public Finance Administrator (CPFA) - through Association of Public Treasurers of the United States and Canada (APT US&C) 
• Wisconsin Certified Municipal Clerk (WCMC) - through Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association (WMCA)