Aside from the classroom, few settings within the walls of the SBA's Elliott Hall promote learning as much as its student organizations, says Professor of Accounting Gadis Dillon. It’s in these groups where students transform from students to professionals, from learners to doers.
“Being involved in student professional organizations is one of the most important experiences a student can have,” says Dillon, who serves as faculty advisor for the SBA’s National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) chapter. “I consider it every bit as important as being in class.”
In student organizations, members learn what it takes to thrive beyond college, Dillon explains. “It’s not something that’s in the textbooks; it’s a tremendous learning opportunity as far as understanding what they need to do to prepare for the business world.”
Daniel Ring, former president, Beta Alpha Psi (BAP), has experienced these benefits first hand since taking an active role in the honorary organization for finance information students. “I am a better person than I was before I got involved,” says Ring, an accounting major from Clawson. “I’ve had lots of life experiences I probably wouldn’t have if I had not been in this organization. I’ve gained useful tools, including time management, and I’ve developed my skills as a leader.”
Student organizations also expose members to valuable sources of advice, says Assistant Professor of Marketing Janell Townsend, faculty advisor for Graduate Business Leaders (GBL). “Student organizations in the business school can provide an excellent interface between the professional community and the student body,” Townsend says. “Students can have one-on-one interaction with business executives through these groups.”
Assistant Professor of Management Jennifer Yugo, faculty advisor for OU's Society for Human Resource Management chapter, has positive memories of her own years in student organizations. “They are critically important for developing leadership skills and management abilities, for conceptualizing goals and learning to take an organization in a new direction,” Yugo says.
The SBA’s numerous student organizations are some of the more active on OU's campus, recognized nationally, and represent a vast range of studies.
Read further for highlights of a selection of SBA's student organizations.
Association for Information Systems
The new Association for Information Systems (AIS) Student Chapter at OU's SBA is one of the association's founding student chapters. The OU chapter affiliated with AIS in late 2009, the same year the national AIS organization began creating chapters for undergraduate and graduate students.
“AIS focuses on promoting the Management Information Systems major and networking with local businesses and organizations,” says Amy Rutledge, faculty advisor, and visiting special instructor of MIS. “We partner with OU Career Services to bring interesting, relevant speakers to discuss IS topics and network with MIS majors.”
The OU chapter also connects member students with information from prospective employers about full-time professional positions and internship openings.
MIS major Billy Polaczek, who helped organize the chapter with the support of Rutledge and the SBA, says the organization has had a significant impact on him.
“I have a newfound sense of leadership, and I'm excited and proud to be a part of the professional technology community,” says Polaczek, the chapter’s newly elected president. “To me, it's exciting. I just want to bring that excitement to others.”
Though the academic year is over, the OU AIS chapter is hard at work this summer partnering with University of Michigan-Dearborn, Baker College, Michigan State University and Wayne State University to promote a student-business networking event at the AIS's Americas Conference on Information Systems, (AMCIS), which will be held in Detroit for the first time.
“We are very honored to be a part of this event, which will be the first AIS student chapter event held at an AMCIS conference,” says Rutledge.
Details: www.stuorgs.oakland.edu/ais.
American Marketing Association
OU’s AMA chapter won several awards this year during the 33rd National Collegiate conference in New Orleans.
The organization was recognized for outstanding fund-raising, community service and membership during the conference, bringing together 500 AMA chapters from across the globe, along with numerous marketing professionals.
The chapter’s community service last year included a concert to benefit Jack’s Place for Autism, a benefit race for the Special Olympics of Michigan and its Muddy Buddy Run and Ride, which directed a portion of its proceeds to the Challenged Athletes Association.
Chapter members raised nearly $600 during the last year, which financed their trip to the National Collegiate Conference.
Efforts to boost membership included a So You Think You Can Dress? Fashion Show with the Association for Women in Communications. The show, which drew more than 120 people, offered advice on interviewing and career dressing.
AMA regularly hosts guest speakers at its meetings. Recent presenters included Ron Wade, marketing director for the Detroit Tigers; Tonita Cheatham, public relations and marketing director for the Detroit Medical Center; and Amy Wellington, recruiter with Campbell Ewald.
Details: http://www.wix.com/amaoakland/ama
Beta Alpha Psi
Networking is a major focus of BAP, which serves accounting, finance and management information systems majors.
During the chapter’s Networking with the Firms event, students shared a meal with area business professionals.
The chapter also hosts regular speaker meetings – open to all students -- with Oakland Accounting Students Information Society (OASIS) and NABA. Speakers ranged from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP representatives to the controller for the City of Sterling Heights.
Members also network during BAP’s spring banquet, which brings in representatives from a number of accounting firms and other organizations. The evening is an opportunity for students to get to know area business representatives and seek their advice.
In addition to collaborative and BAP-member meetings, the chapter devotes time to recruiting, fund-raising and service efforts. Chapter members volunteer with the Accounting Aid Society to provide free income tax preparation for low-income clients. BAP also supports Lighthouse of Oakland County’s Adopt-a-Family holiday outreach efforts.
Oakland’s Eta Phi chapter of BAP has earned superior status during all but one year. To achieve that recognition, during the academic year, the chapter's membership must accumulate hours of community service and attendance at professional meetings that average 32 hours for each active member.
Oakland’s chapter also is a 2010 recipient of BAP’s national Ernst and Young Diversity Award.
Details: w3.sba.oakland.edu/studorg/bap/Site/Home.asp.
National Association of Black Accounts
NABA, which has more than 50 student chapters nationwide, was established in 1969, when there were only 136 African-American certified public accountants (CPAs) among approximately 100,000 in the U.S. (Today, NABA estimates, more than 200,000 African-Americans work in accounting, and more than 5,000 of them are CPAs).
OU’s group was a petitioning chapter for three years and was formally granted a charter in June 2010.
The group now has about a dozen members who work closely with OU’s other accounting organizations, as well as other NABA chapters around the state.
The group regularly organizes networking events and provides settings for members to interact with business professionals.
In addition to the programs NABA presents with OASIS and BAP, it hosts NABA-only meetings once a month with guest speakers.
Oakland Accounting Student Information Society
SBA students automatically become members of OASIS when they pledge BAP.
The 100-plus member accounting club is open to anyone interested in the accounting profession. Not only does OASIS work closely with BAP and the NABA to organize weekly meetings with business professionals, OASIS plans two major events each year.
Its Golf Outing with the Accounting Firms, held each September, provides an informal setting for networking. Participating firms pay a fee for a business professional to play golf and have lunch. Each firm representative is grouped with three students on the golf course.
Another OASIS mainstay, the annual Spring Accounting/Finance Banquet, typically draws 150 to 200 attendees. The banquets feature a guest speaker, and OASIS presents accounting/finance scholarships and awards.
Details: w3.sba.oakland.edu/studorg/oasis/Site/Home.asp.
Financial Management Association
FMA, which focuses on sharing knowledge about financial decision making, welcomes the OU student body to its speaker presentations featuring area representatives from the financial industry.
FMA coordinated the latest series in cooperation with OU’s Society of Applied Investing and Financial Education and Alpha Kappa Psi chapters, which also serve students interested in finance.
Presentations included such speakers as financial advisor John Lesser, SBA ’92, of Plante Moran, who spoke about estate planning. Additional speakers were Kevin Marsh, a founding Principal Member of Angle Advisors, and Dev Shah, an analyst at Amherst Partners.
The final presentation featured OU alumna Stephanie Goodrich of Merrill Lynch, who talked about personal and career development.
Details: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2201959596
Graduate Business Leaders
Launched in the 2009-10 academic year, GBL targets OU’s MBA candidates.
“The purpose of GBL is to help MBA students develop a professional network and professional skills, and provide them with a community,” Townsend says.
An organization is especially valuable to this student population, Townsend adds, which includes a number of part-time and commuter students.
“This builds cohesion within the MBA program while helping students upgrade their professional skills.”
GBL members participated in a resume-building workshop with Jody Guastella Jones, senior talent acquisition diversity consultant, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan. “She gave them great insights into how the job process works these days,” Townsend remarks.
The group also hosts a mix-and-mingle every semester with MBA faculty, students and alumni. “It just gives everyone a chance to get to know each other better,” outgoing GBL president Sarah McKinney says.
A GBL speaker series featured presentations on entrepreneurship. Presenters included the owner of Bean and Leaf Café in Rochester and Mark Simon, associate professor of management, who discussed his book about entrepreneurship. Simon recently developed an entrepreneurship minor for the SBA.
In another GBL program, MBA alumni shared their experiences and advice for current MBA students through a panel discussion.
In addition to its monthly programs, GBL supports the efforts of Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan each Thanksgiving, as the nonprofit organization assembles food baskets for low-income families in the community.
Details: stuorgs.oakland.edu/gbl/
Society for Human Resource Management
While SHRM primarily services human resources majors, this organization and its events have something to offer all SBA majors, says Yugo, who completed her first year as the organization’s faculty advisor.
The chapter was founded in 1988 by Lizabeth Barclay, professor of management.
SHRM presents four to eight events a semester. One program featured Lance Richards of Kelly Services, who provided career advice for undergraduates. Chapter programs are organized by its members.
“The organization is very student driven,” Yugo says. “We want officers to feel empowered to take on whatever they want.”
SHRM welcomes SBA alumni participation, Yugo adds. “They can attend meetings, speak or help students with projects. That’s something the students have requested.”
Details: w3.sba.oakland.edu/studorg/shrm/SHRM/index.html
By Flori Meeks
Aside from the classroom, few settings within the walls of the SBA's Elliott Hall promote learning as much as its student organizations, says Professor of Accounting Gadis Dillon. It’s in these groups where students transform from students to professionals, from learners to doers.
“Being involved in student professional organizations is one of the most important experiences a student can have,” says Dillon, who serves as faculty advisor for the SBA’s National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) chapter. “I consider it every bit as important as being in class.”
In student organizations, members learn what it takes to thrive beyond college, Dillon explains. “It’s not something that’s in the textbooks; it’s a tremendous learning opportunity as far as understanding what they need to do to prepare for the business world.”