We Are Proud to Present... Our New Honor Society

Beta Gamma Sigma inducts first SOM members at UTD chapter installation

By Patricia Schoch


Honor. Integrity. Earnestness. The pursuit of wisdom.

These are the bywords of all that is ethical in the leadership and
practice of business.

They are also the bywords of Beta Gamma Sigma, The University of Texas at
Dallas (UTD) School of Management's newest affiliation, an international
business honor society that focuses on such ideals, considered to be more
crucial than ever.

In November, 130 students and recent graduates of The School of Management
(SOM) became the first UTD inductees of the prestigious society. UTD
President Dr. Franklyn Jenifer, Executive Vice President and Provost Dr.
Hobson Wildenthal, and immediate past chairman of the SOM Advisory Council
Gerald H. Hoag also were inducted as honorary members at ceremonies hosted
by SOM Dean Hasan Pirkul. Professor Thomas Gutteridge, dean emeritus of
the University of Connecticut School of Business and a member of the Beta
Gamma Sigma Board of Governors, presided over the installation.


Underlining business ethics and leadership

Professor Gutteridge, who has been involved with the organization
throughout his professional career, says he has seen Beta Gamma Sigma
chapters make a difference on college campuses.

Chapters on some campuses "use the organization as a catalyst to enrich
the academic experience, to go beyond the academic experience."

Such chapters have involved their members in service projects such as
Habitat for Humanity or 5K runs that raise money for charity. Some
chapters have also instituted research projects on how business can help
the community. "These chapters lead the way for their members and others
on their campuses to be involved in activities that can benefit someone
other than themselves," Professor Gutteridge says.

He notes that the organization - which recognizes academic achievements of
students from only those collegiate business programs accredited by AACSB
International - The Association to Advance Collegiate School of Business -
also offers leadership forums at its annual national convention. Forum
topics address such issues as human rights in today's economy, challenges
of leadership, and what it means to be a leader in today's business
environment.

SOM faculty involved with the UTD chapter say having Beta Gamma Sigma on
campus underlines the emphasis the school places on business ethics and
leadership.

Dr. Constantine Konstans, professor in SOM's Accounting and Information
Management Program, and president and faculty adviser of the new UTD honor
organization, notes that Beta Gamma Sigma stresses a code of the highest
ethics and values. "I see the UTD chapter becoming a vehicle that can,
through various activities, help shine a light on the importance of
ethical behavior in business," Professor Konstans says.


Recognizing 'hallmark achievements'

SOM Dean Hasan Pirkul agrees and points out that having a chapter brings
prestige. "Establishing a Beta Gamma Sigma chapter here at UTD is a
hallmark achievement for both our school and students," Dean Pirkul says.
"It allows our top students to be counted among those who have gained the
highest recognition a business student anywhere in the world can receive
at the undergraduate, graduate or doctoral levels."

To be eligible for membership in Beta Gamma Sigma, a student must rank in
the upper 7 percent of the junior class, upper 10 percent of the senior
class, or upper 20 percent of the graduating master's class. Doctoral
candidates are automatically eligible following completion of all
requirements for the degree. The international organization has a
membership of more than 480 thousand.

Jyoti Mallick, who is the new chapter's secretary-treasurer and
administrative adviser, points out that making membership available at UTD
will allow the students who work the hardest to gain the recognition they
deserve. "Our top students will now be able to list this on their résumé
and to network with top professionals," she says. Ms. Mallick is director
of The UTD School of Management's Cohort MBA Program.

Professor Gutteridge, who has been a Beta Gamma Sigma member for more than
30 years, stresses that membership can potentially have a lifetime impact.
Members can be involved not only as students but also later, in
professional chapters whose members are the top business people in a
community, he says.

Even more importantly, belonging to an organization that promotes the
loftiest ideals will prompt members to incorporate those ideals into their
personal and professional lives, he says. "All too often, people think of
the term 'business ethics' as an oxymoron. But, Beta Gamma Sigma members
are reminded that their organization does stand for something." One
organization goal is that "as Beta Gamma Sigma members, they will stand
for the same ethical ideals."