School of Business Student Organizations
Objectives
Beta Alpha Psi is an honorary organization for Financial Information students and professionals. The primary objective of Beta Alpha Psi is to encourage and give recognition to scholastic and professional excellence in the business information field. This includes promoting the study and practice of accounting, finance and information systems; providing opportunities for self-development, service and association among members and practicing professionals, and encouraging a sense of ethical, social, and public responsibility.
Beta Alpha Psi was founded in 1919. There are 296 chapters on college and university campuses with over 300,000 members initiated since Beta Alpha Psi's formation.
Membership
Membership in Beta Alpha Psi includes those persons of good moral character who have achieved scholastic and/or professional excellence in the fields of accounting, finance, or information systems, who have been initiated by an existing chapter and who remain in good standing.
Minimum scholastic requirements for undergraduate membership are set forth in the by-laws. Graduate student initiates must have been accepted and matriculated into a masters degree level program. Individual chapters may establish higher admission criteria.
Organization
Beta Alpha Psi is governed by a constitution and bylaws. The governing body is the Board of Directors. The Board consists of thirteen financial information professionals or professors of Accounting, Finance or Information Systems, the chair of the International Advisory Forum, and two alumni representatives. The alumni representatives are chosen from recent graduates who were active in Beta Alpha Psi chapters.
For more information please contact faculty advisor:
Jim Martin
785.670.1588
Mission
The mission of the international honor society Beta Gamma Sigma is to encourage and honor academic achievement in the study of business, to foster personal and professional excellence, to advance the values of the Society and to serve its lifelong members.
The Mission is supported by the five Objectives of the Society:
- Encourage and honor high academic achievement by students of business and management through chapters in business programs accredited by AACSB.
- Foster in Beta Gamma Sigma members an enduring commitment to the founding principles and values of the Society: honor and integrity, pursuit of wisdom, and earnestness.
- Support the advancement of business thought and practice to encourage lifelong learning.
- Enhance the value of Beta Gamma Sigma for students and alumni members in their professional lives.
- Advance the visibility and reputation of Beta Gamma Sigma.
Students tapped for membership is BGS are in the top 10% of their graduating class.
For more information please contact faculty advisor:
David Sollars
785.670.2045
Delta Sigma Pi is a professional business fraternity created to promote the study of business in universities, to encourage diversity and involvement within the university and the community, to prepare members to be ethical leaders in their careers and throughout their lives, and to strengthen relationships between the commercial world, students of commerce, commercial ethics, and culture. By becoming a member of the Washburn Colony of Delta Sigma Pi, students can strengthen skills and gain opportunities in professional development, diversity and ethics, service and philanthropy, leadership and networking, while also creating connections with alumni.
For more information please contact faculty advisor:
Jayme Burdiek
785.670.1305
The International Business Club was formed in 2004. The objective of the organization is to study the changing international business environment. The club has most of its meetings at ethnic restaurants in the area and invites individuals to speak at the meetings who are in some way involved in international business. Speakers include those in the management of firms doing business internationally, agricultural firms, banks and government. Members are encouraged to consider a minor in international business and to study abroad. Students who have studied abroad talk to the club about their experiences. The IBC is open to all students at Washburn who are interested in international business.
For more information please contact faculty advisors:
Michael Stoica
785.670.1592
or
Dmitri Nizovtsev
785.670.1599
SHRC aims to help students learn more about human resource management. Members have opportunities to develop a network that will help you find internships, jobs and scholarships. Members have access to a wide variety of resources that the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Topeka Local Chapter of SHRM (Local Chapter #0428) have available. Human Resources is the hub of many academic disciplines. The spokes of the HR wheel include law, sociology, psychology, operations management and finance. Human Resources is a laboratory where theories from the social sciences, law, and business studies can be tested and refined.
For more information please contact faculty advisor:
Liviu Florea
785.670.1603
The Washburn Finance Society attracts students from all areas who are interested in finance. WFS was formed in 1993. Since then, many student members have gone on to graduate studies at prestigious schools and have attained key financial positions in the business world. WFS holds ongoing social events, sponsors guest speakers and educational trips – including visits to the New York Stock Exchange. Other activities typically include involvement in homecoming festivities, charitable works, and fundraisers.
For more information please contact faculty advisor:
Shane Van Dalsem
785.670.1600
Washburn Innovation Club was organized to study the exciting world of venture creation and entrepreneurship. The club is open to any student enrolled in any program at Washburn. Building bridges, fostering initiative and innovation among students are keywords defining the club. Members present business ideas in iClub meetings. Each year they invite entrepreneurs from Topeka and northeast Kansas to share their new venture stories. The club also sponsors the E-FIG, the Entrepreneurship Freshman Interest Group.
For more information please contact faculty advisor:
David Price
785.670.3258
Objectives
Washburn Institute of Management Accountants (Washburn IMA) is an organization for students interested in accounting, finance and information systems. The student chapter is associated with the professional organization Institute of Management Accountants, whose purpose is to “empower accountants and financial professionals to drive business performance,” putting accountants into leadership positions in the strategic management processes of business, not-for-profit, and government entities.
IMA’s mission is to provide a forum for research, practice development, education, knowledge sharing, and the advocacy of the highest ethical and best business practices in management accounting and finance. Washburn IMA does this by exploring financial management through worksite visits, networking with professionals, and promoting credentialing through the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam.
Washburn IMA was founded in 2014 and participates in regional and national activities and conferences with student chapters of IMA.
Membership
Membership in Washburn IMA includes Washburn University students who have an interest in accounting, finance, and information.
Members are encouraged to become student members of the national organization Institute of Management Accountants through application and annual dues payment to the national IMA organization. To qualify for student membership in IMA, students must be enrolled in at least six credit hours of college coursework.
Organization
Washburn IMA is governed by a constitution and bylaws as a Washburn student organization and associated with the Kansas City chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants and the Heartland Regional Council of the Institute of Management Accountants.
For more information please contact faculty advisor:
Barbara Scofield
785.670.1804
WMBAA exists to improve the Washburn University experience by adding value to the education of MBA students through extracurricular community, corporate, organizational, and student activities. This organization was formed to promote an association between faculty members and MBA students, to develop relationships shared by professionals in the business world and MBA students, and to enhance social interactions among faculty, alumni, and MBA students.
For more information contact Faculty advisor:Bob Boncella
785.670.1308
Rotaract brings together adults ages 18-30 to take action in their communities, develop their leadership and professional skills, and have fun. Rotary clubs sponsor them, but Rotaract members manage and fund their clubs independently.
For more information please contact faculty advisor:
Liviu Florea
785.670.1603
Washburn Sales and Marketing Executives (WSME) is open to any student who has an interest in marketing, sales, advertising, public relations or any other area of marketing. The group works closely with Sales and Marketing Executives of Topeka.
Once a month, students are invited to attend the SME Topeka monthly dinner meeting, where students get to network with area professionals. The group has gone to Chicago twice and to New Orleans to tour area businesses and attractions. The group engages in several fundraisers to earn money. Every year, WSME assists Junior Achievement with its annual fundraising auction and with the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame Dinner. WSME holds meetings twice a month to discuss current business topics or to hear a guest speaker from the community.
For more information please contact faculty advisor:
Tom Hickman
785.670.1601
GET IN TOUCH WITH School of Business
School of Business
Henderson Room 114
1700 SW College Ave.
Topeka, KS 66621
Phone & Email
Ph: 785.670.1308
Fax: 785-670-1063
business@washburn.edu