PolyCentric University News Center

A College of Business Administration (CBA) student club has been named one of the best student accounting groups in the country, on par with those from UC Berkeley, University of Southern California and New York University.

The club, Beta Alpha Psi, received a 2007-08 superior chapter designation from its parent organization of the same name. This is the first time Cal Poly Pomona's chapter received the honor since its creation in 2000, and current Beta Alpha Psi President Roxanne Gutierrez knows why. Everyone, from club officers to rank-and-file members to faculty advisor Rose Martin, has emphasized teamwork, Gutierrez says.

The national organization of Beta Alpha Psi took note and awarded them a Superior Chapter as well as the designation of “significantly improved.” Only five Beta Alpha Psi clubs in the country received both titles.  

“It is an honor to be recognized as a Superior Chapter,” Gutierrez says. “For the 2008-09 school year, we are determined to continue the legacy and provide a club that will prepare students for the present and future.”

The national organization of Beta Alpha Psi was established in 1919 and has since become an organization for the best and the brightest in accounting, finance and information systems to meet and learn from each other. There are 279 Beta Alpha Psi chapters in colleges and universities across the country, and each member must have a 3.0 grade point average or higher and be in the top 35 percent of his or her university class.

To be considered a Superior Chapter, club members must demonstrate that they are active in the community and that they help students transition from college to the professional world.

As a learn-by-doing club, Beta Alpha Psi has been active at Cal Poly Pomona and in the local community, helping low-income people and the elderly file their income tax returns through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program and offering tutoring to all Cal Poly Pomona students taking accounting classes. The club also is devoted to professional development. Each quarter, there are at least a dozen opportunities for students to talk with industry professionals from accounting and consulting firms such as Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers.