Business fraternity looks to extend international network to finance-minded Bruins

For students seeking knowledge and networking opportunities in
the fields of accounting and finance, a new campus honors society
may offer them a professional experience unavailable in any other
financial organization on campus.

The Beta Alpha Psi fraternity is currently in the transitional
period, with a “start-up” group working to get it to
the petitioning chapter status by this fall.

Beta Alpha Psi will stand out among other business fraternities,
thanks to its “outstanding international network,” said
Max Unger, a fourth-year geography and accounting student who is
president of the group.

“Beta Alpha Psi has been around since 1919, and we have a
very strong alumni network,” Unger said. “There are
over 250 chapters internationally, so the alumni connection is very
important.”

The academic requirements to join Beta Alpha Psi are similar to
those for the accounting minor. All members must have at least
sophomore standing, and need to have completed certain management
and economics classes with a pending minimum GPA requirement.

“Beta Alpha Psi is an honor society,” said Brett
Trueman, incoming chair of the accounting area in Anderson and a
faculty co-adviser for Beta Alpha Psi. “So you need a certain
average and you need to show more commitment to it than other
accounting organizations.”

Trueman added that having a Beta Alpha Psi chapter at UCLA is
appropriate because of the school’s excellent accounting
program.

Once Beta Alpha Psi is a petitioning chapter, it will begin to
hold various events designed to promote the study of finance,
accounting and information systems.

“We will be speaking with accounting firms and will give
lessons on interviewing skills, resume writing and interpersonal
communication skills,” Unger said. “It’s
important for business students to learn these things and I
don’t think (the existing organizations) adequately address
them.”

Beta Alpha Psi will not only benefit students, but also
recruiters from accounting firms looking for qualified UCLA
students.

“I expect students as well as recruiters will flock to
this organization,” Trueman said. “Firms are always
looking for top students, and they will be very interested in
recruiting Beta Alpha Psi students.”

Thao Hoang, a second-year business economics student, agrees
with Trueman. She hopes that joining an accounting fraternity can
help her get an edge over other students.

“There is so much competition between business
students,” Hoang said. “Beta Alpha Psi sounds like it
may help me out a lot.”

The start-up group has approximately 20 members right now, but
that number is expected to grow once official recruiting begins in
fall.

But Unger said despite its recruitment and pledging, Beta Alpha
Psi is not to be confused with a regular Greek fraternity. It has a
strict no-alcohol policy, and its social events will be geared
toward networking, not partying.

Unger said the other business fraternities put a stronger
emphasis on their social events than Beta Alpha Psi will, but that
he is not against the idea of a appropriate social activity, such
as a golf tournament with members and some professors.

Beta Alpha Psi may not be an official chapter until 2006 because
of all the tasks it needs to complete before getting chartered, but
those involved are optimistic about its future.

“It’s so important to have a strong Beta Alpha Psi
here because it improves the reputation of our accounting
program,” Trueman said. “On most prestigious college
campuses, Beta Alpha Psi is the predominant accounting society and
I expect the same will be true at UCLA.”