Advocate for transparency receives honorary award

‘Passionate’ advocate for transparency receives honorary award

A “crusader” for transparency in accounting has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the University of Waikato.

Dr David Coy, who is widely credited with almost single-handedly introducing a new methodology for external reporting by tertiary institutions, received the Honorary Fellowship for his significant contribution to the University’s Waikato Management School.

The University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Roy Crawford said Dr Coy’s development of measurable key performance indicators had changed tertiary institutions’ manner of reporting forever.

“Thanks to his innovative efforts, universities and polytechnics throughout the country had available to them, for the first time, data that was much more meaningful than had ever previously been the case.

“Transparency of performance and accountability of personnel and institutions resulted from his passion to improve the quality of external reporting.”

Professor Crawford noted that his initiatives had been enthusiastically adopted in other sectors, including the electricity industry where, similarly, a broader reporting methodology with much more meaningful data became available.

In his 13 years as a member of the University’s Department of Accounting – four as joint chairperson, Dr Coy had left an indelible impression on his colleagues in the department and the Waikato Management School.

For eight years, he had managed the ‘499 programme’ for which the school had become noted, which required students in their final fourth year of study to undertake a report of an investigation for an outside organisation or company.

Professor Crawford said Dr Coy, an innovator in his field, enjoyed wide respect among his professional colleagues and students alike.

Dr Coy joined the University in 1992, retiring last year.

ENDS

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