Chapter Spotlight – State University of New York, Oneonta

On Tuesday, September 13^th 2016 and Wednesday, September 14^th 2016 the SUNY Oneonta chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma invited 13 new members to join the honor society. The President of the Chapter and Dean of the School of Economics and Business, Dr. Thomas, along with Co-Vice Presidents Dr. Flynn and Dr. Durkin, faculty advisor Dr. Buchan, and the members of the student leadership of the chapter were present to invite these new students. BGS Global HQ congratulates BGS SUNY Oneonta on a successful fall term. Keep up the good work!

Pictured, left to right: The invitee, Molly Van Der Poel, Dr. Buchan, Taylor Burrows (President), Ryan Hanley (Co-Vice President of Alumni Relations), Dr. Flynn, current member Matthew Albert, Dr. Thomas.

BGS Gear Giveaway Opportunity:

What are some topics that you would like featured in future chapter notes messages?

You have an opportunity to earn some free BGS Gear! In order to receive the BGS item all you have to do is respond to this email answering the above question. In each edition of our Spring 2017 Chapter Notes emails we will be asking a society based question. Ten (10) people who respond to the question will be sent a free BGS gear item to the shipping address on file. Keep an eye out in each Chapter Notes for the free giveaway question!

Reminders for Spring 2017:

Shipping Address: Be sure to verify your shipping address is correct in the CMS to ensure proper delivery of your BGS certificates and supplies this spring. If it needs to be updated, email the new shipping address to BGSHonors@betagammasigma.org.

Student Officer: Make sure you’ve reported your Student Officer names, positions and emails to your Chapter Manager. We will be providing Student Officer resources this spring and chapters earn points for reporting this information.

Reminder: Membership Fee Change: Reminder, the standard one-time membership fee increased this past September from $67 per member to $75. Please make any necessary adjustments as you begin planning for the spring.

New Certificate Order Schedule: Beginning in the 16-17 academic year the standard certificate shipment schedule changed. Chapters will now only receive one order prior to the ceremony date. Please contact your Chapter Manager for more information.

Update on BGS Membership Goal: As we shared in an earlier Chapter Notes edition, Beta Gamma Sigma Global HQ has a goal of inducting 28,600 members between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017. As of January 1, 2017, we have inducted 4,808 new lifetime members. Please be sure to input all your invited members in the CMS to help us meet our goal!

Upcoming Collegiate Chapter Training Seminar (CCTS)

As you prepare for the busy spring ahead, don’t forget to attend a Collegiate Chapter Training Seminar (CCTS). These trainings are an invaluable opportunity to interact with BGS Global Headquarters staff and other collegiate chapter contacts. Join us in Dallas, TX or Seattle, WA to update us on your chapter, share best practices, get the latest information on Society updates, stay informed on BGS, and more. Dates and registration links are below. 

As a reminder, chapters will earn five (5) points per attendee for three consecutive years on the Collegiate Chapter Honor Roll by sending representatives to the trainings. Representatives may include deans, Chapter Advisors, administrative staff members, and other faculty working with the chapter.

Dates and Registration Links:

Dallas, TX | February 16-17, 2017
Seattle, WA | March 9-10, 2017
* Registration cost includes meals, breaks and seminar materials. Chapters are responsible for the representative’s travel and lodging.

Collegiate Chapter Honor Roll Recognition Program

As you gear up for the spring, please keep in mind the Collegiate Chapter Honor Roll. The Collegiate Chapter Honor Roll is a points-based system in which chapters can earn recognition for a combination of membership acceptance rates and engagement activities. Chapters can qualify for three different tiers of recognition: Highest Honors, High Honors, and Honors. Benefits vary based on the level the chapter achieves. The Chapter Year in Review Survey must be completed by the July 7, 2017 deadline for the chapter to be considered for recognition, regardless of acceptance rate. This survey is currently in development and will be sent to Chapter Advisors in March.

You can review all the Collegiate Chapter Honor Roll point earning opportunities HERE. 

BGS Global HQ Staffing Changes for 2017

We have had some Global HG staffing changes to share with you this new year:

• Denise Cage (dcage@betagammasigma.org), formally Senior Manager of Chapter Operations, has been promoted to Associate Director of Programs and Events. Her main duty will now be to oversee all Society-wide programing. Her chapters may continue to contact her until her former position is filled.
• Lynn Zoellner (lzoellner@betagammasigma.org) has taken over the role of Senior Manager, Chapter Operations. She will now act as the lead Chapter Manager, while continuing to work with Collegiate Chapters.
• Olivia Young (oyoung@betagammasigma.org) has joined our team as the new Manager, Alumni & Chapter Operations. She is primarily responsible for the BGS Alumni Network and will also periodically assist with Collegiate Chapters.

University Promotion Opportunities with Beta Gamma Sigma

Looking at ways to recruit the best students to your graduate programs and promote your business school? Beta Gamma Sigma has several affordable options to connect you with the best in business!

1. Spring Top Tier, the virtual graduate school fair runs February 20^th through March 10th.
2. Spring HONORS magazine, which mails a print version this April to all recent inductees as well as select BGS alumni, and is shared electronically with more than 300,000 BGS members via email distribution
3. Society Spotlight, our monthly e-newsletter, sent to more than 300,000, BGS members the first week of every month
4. New Member Welcome booklet has opportunities available for a limited time. This booklet is included with the membership certificate mailed to every new BGS member.

Don’t miss these opportunities! Contact Lakshmi Ramdas Sanjay at lsanjay@betagammasigma.org for more information.

Information Sessions and Tables

Information Sessions and Tables are a great way to promote the chapter and to earn points towards the Chapter Honor Roll. It is important to understand the difference between the two and how they can have different impacts. Having a table setup at school wide events allows you to show off some of your great BGS Swag. It will grab the student’s attention and allow you an opportunity to talk about the organization and what your chapter is doing specifically. An information session takes a little more involvement but can even bigger rewards. By hosting an information session, you can have focused time to share information about the organization but you can also create visuals like power points or videos to help highlight how great becoming a member can be.

CMS Webinars

BGS Global Headquarters will once again be hosting Chapter Management System (CMS) webinars this spring to provide additional training as you begin to use the system again or for the first time. Major updates were made to the CMS last fall, so every chapter contact is highly encouraged to attend a webinar, regardless of whether you are a returning user.

• Wednesday, February 8 at 1:00 PM Central
• Thursday, February 16 at 3:00 PM Central
• Tuesday, February 28 at 10:00 AM Central
• Tuesday, March 7 at 1:00 PM Central
• Wednesday, March 15 at 3:00 PM Central
• Friday, March 24 at 9:00 AM Central

These free one-hour webinars will detail the system updates and make sure that all participating chapter contacts are prepared to utilize the system going into the spring semester. As you may be aware, the Chapter Management System is utilized for all stages of inviting members and tracking membership acceptance. Register. All available dates are listed below:

If you have not already done so, we encourage you to review the Chapter Management System Manual to become familiar with the system. Please reach out to your Chapter Manager with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Student Officers - Hosting Events/Activities

A key factor for every successful chapter is Student engagement. This can be achieved through the efforts of your Student Officers hosting events/activities. It is no secret that students relate better to other students. With this being understood, we encourage every chapter to allow their student leaders to take on the responsibility of promoting the chapter and getting other students involved. Some great ideas for events are:

• Movie Night
• Invite a Small Business Owner to tell their story
• Hold a competition to see who can create the best business plan

New! Ethical Leadership Certification Information

This year, Beta Gamma Sigma partnered with The Center for the Public Trust to launch our new Ethical Leadership Certification Program. This in-depth online course is intended for students who are serious about honing their ethical leadership skills. With 6 self-guided modules totaling about 7 hours, The Center for Public Trust Ethical Leadership Certification Program gives students an extensive understanding of the broad range of ethical challenges in the workplace as it prepares them to handle those challenges with confidence when they arise.

In these modules, students will:

• Hear first-hand anecdotes and guidance from CEOs of Fortune 500 companies such as AT&T and Kimberly Clark
• Learn about concepts like groupthink, transformational leadership, and effectively influencing others
• Be prepared to conquer the ethical dilemmas that 80% of college graduates will navigate in their first years in the workforce
• Show potential employers their unique dedication to ethical leadership

Students have the ability to complete the course as they have time. A certificate will be available for them upon successful completion of the course.

Chapters have the ability to enroll a group of students in the program. You have the option to either pay half or the full registration amount for students or allow students to pay themselves. When chapter contacts complete the registration form, they will receive teaching aids to spark chapter meeting discussions around the topics covered in the Ethical Leadership Certification Program.

We hope that you and your students will take advantage of this valuable course!

For more information on the Ethical Leadership Certification Program, please visit our website here: https://www.betagammasigma.org/ethical-leadership-certification 

Founders Week

Beta Gamma Sigma commemorates its anniversary each year by celebrating Founders Week. This year, Founders’ Week will take place February 13-19^th, 2017. Founders Week is an opportunity for the Society and its chapters to reflect on our history of honoring the Best in Business while considering our impact on the future business world.

Since our inception in 1913, we have established more than 570 collegiate chapters in 28 countries and 30 alumni chapters worldwide. We have also inducted over 805,000 outstanding members. These members reside in all 50 states and over 190 countries around the world. Our members have served in numerous corporate, non-profit, government, educational, and other management positions.

During Founders Week, we encourage your chapter to do a number of things, including the following

• Hosting a collaborative event with your local alumni chapter
• Holding an information session
• Having your BGS members wear their key lapel pins all week
• Extending your tapping ceremony throughout this week

Work with your Student Officers to get events planned for Founders Week. Don’t forget to share with us how you plan to celebrate Founders Day!

For more information on Founders Week, visit our website here: https://betagammasigma.org/founders-week

BGS Gives Back

As Beta Gamma Sigma evolves into a more comprehensive society, values such as service are becoming increasingly important to our future. The society's mission statement touches upon this concept of not only recognizing honor, wisdom, and earnestness, but also leadership and service.

Today’s companies are seeking individuals of character who are skilled communicators, compassionate collaborators, systems thinkers, and capable of exercising moral authority. Getting your students involved BGS Gives Back affords them the opportunity to sharpen their talents while better defining their leadership style. By volunteering in the community, students can enhance their ability to listen, empathize, persuade, and conceptualize while working alongside fellow BGS members. 

We have extended BGS Gives Back from one day of service in the fall to any time during the academic year! Don’t forget to let us know what your chapter did by completing the BGS Gives Back form. Chapters that participate in BGS Gives back and submit the form will earn 10 points towards the Collegiate Chapter Honor Roll.

Be sure to share your event details and pictures with your chapter manger. We will be sure to highlight all the different ways BGS members are giving back to their communities and making a difference!