Monday, January 16, 2006
Accounting to get honorary professional fraternity chapter
 The area vice president for Beta Alpha Psi conducted a site visit at the University of Southern Indiana in November following up on the petition from USI accounting students and faculty to establish a chapter of the honorary business professional fraternity on campus. During her visit Sally Webber said she was impressed with what she knew about the USI accounting program prior to her visit, but amazed at what she observed during her visit. Four points summarized Webber’s thoughts on the USI accounting program: .prepared and enthusiastic students .caring faculty members .supportive administrative staff .strong community support from the Accounting Circle With her recommendations, the chapter is moving forward. A chartering ceremony and banquet will be held Friday, February 17 in Carter Hall of the University Center. Andrew Eddmenson, president of the chapter, said the installation with be a lavish event. Area and national representatives of the organization are expected to take part in the ceremony. “A team effort,” said USI student Leslie Kerney as she described the work of accounting students while petitioning for membership as a Beta Alpha Psi chapter. “The students completed community service and participated in chapter meetings and other activities for self development. We have had guest speakers from the accounting profession and members volunteered as bell ringers for the Salvation Army, ” she said. Kerney served as president of the group during the fall semester. Dr. Mehmet Kocakulah, professor of accounting, and Dr. Brian McGuire, chair of accounting and business law, are the faculty advisors. The accounting students became eligible to petition for Beta Alpha Psi membership after the accounting program earned Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) accreditation in 2003. Such accreditation is a requirement for becoming a chapter of the professional fraternity. The College of Business earned AACSB International accreditation in 1997. Beta Alpha Psi encourages and recognizes scholastic and professional excellence in the business information field, provides opportunities for self-development, and encourages a sense of ethical, social, and public responsibility. Eddmenson and Kerney are sterling examples of students the chapter seeks out for membership. Eddmenson is a junior who is a member of the Accounting Team that took first place in state competition this fall. He said, “We did feel the pressure to win, and it paid off because we took first place for a second year in a row.” He added that the students from other universities and colleges took the USI team seriously this year. Eddmenson is from Madisonville, Kentucky, and he has a 3.94 grade point average. He came to USI as a transfer student, and during the first semester he didn’t get involved with any organizations, but that changed the second semester. He used the Accounting and Professional Services Club as a platform to meet other students and build a relationship with the faculty. He is also a member of Toastmasters. Eddmenson is an Accouting and Professional Services major. This summer Eddmenson will be working in Indianapolis as an intern on military payroll in Defense Finance, a U.S. Department of Defense division. His career plans include forensic accounting with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and his long term goal is to teach forensic accounting on the college level. Kerney is a senior, and she holds a 4.0 grade point average. She served as co-chair of the Accounting Extravaganza, a recruitment event held in the fall to introduce the accounting program to students on campus. She is majoring in Accounting and Professional Services. Active in the University chapter of Tostmasters and the Accounting and Professional Services Club, Kerney attributes such extra activities, plus the interest and help of the USI faculty, toward her perfect academic record. She is completing a GE Plastics (Mt. Vernon) co-op this spring semester. During her first rotation in the co-op, she worked in inventory accounting reconciliation. She liked the co-op because GE gave her accounting assignments. “I worked with GE data and contributed to the work of the company. It was not grunt work.” Kerney completed three semesters at Ball State University before enrolling at USI. The Muncie campus was larger than USI, and it was further from her Posey County home. She transferred to USI in her second year. Twenty-five current students in the fields of accounting, finance, and information systems, have earned Beta Alpha Psi membership and will participate in the February ceremony along with accounting faculty and members of the Accounting Circle. |
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