Youngstown State University’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi is preparing for the Midwest Regional Meeting after being named a superior chapter for the ninth consecutive time last year.
The conference will take place April 5 and 6 in Chicago. It is one of eight regional conferences in the United States that will present a Best Practices competition during which chapters can showcase their ideas in front of BAP members and a panel of judges.
“The Midwest region is the largest region of Beta Alpha Psi in the world,” said Raymond Shaffer, co-faculty adviser of Kappa Xi. “Usually only 15 to 20 schools present.”
This year, the three categorical topics for 2013 regional meetings are inspiration, innovation and imagination. For its topic, innovation, Kappa Xi’s presentation will focus on developing character strengths of individual BAP members to benefit the strength of the organization as a whole.
Jordan Moy, president of Kappa Xi, said that the honors society, an organization composed of 300 chapters, is a successful chapter for accounting and finance majors.
“We have a lot of opportunities for accounting and finance majors, and we’re trying to get a lot of underclassmen more involved so that we can continue to be successful,” she said.
Moy said it will be her first time participating at the conference, but there is a definite standard that they must uphold.
The Kappa Xi chapter of BAP has been awarded a superior rank since 2004. In 2011 and 2012, they were selected as one of 144 chapters deemed superior, along with Kent State University, the University of Akron and Ohio State University.
“I look at the past nine years, and I think that it creates value for students that education alone is unable to provide, and it allows a student to establish a good solid foundation among the world’s leading accountants,” said Chad Mighell, vice president of Kappa Xi.
Hadassah Baum, BAP executive director, said Shaffer’s leadership is essential to the group’s success. Wayne Counts, co-faculty adviser of Kappa Xi, agreed.
“When you look at this, you have to give a lot of credit to Dr. Shaffer and his leadership, to making sure the students are aware … when deadlines are coming up and things that need to be done,” Counts said.
If Kappa Xi wins first place in the best practices competition at the Midwest Regional Meeting, the chapter will present its work at the national meeting.
