| Over the course of its first century, Beta Gamma Sigma has gone through some significant changes. While many individuals have been involved in the Society's evolution, few had a greater impact than Beta Gamma Sigma's presidents.
 A
conversation with
Quiester Craig
Beta Gamma Sigma President 2000-2002
What prompted your own school’s entry into Beta Gamma Sigma? Why was it important to have a BGS chapter at North Carolina A&T State University?
When the invitation came, it was for membership in Beta Gamma Sigma. We had just been accredited. It was an achievement that was new in our particular region here, and since membership—being accredited by AACSB is a prerequisite for membership—actually, one of the advantages of accreditation was being able to have a chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma. So, therefore it was a natural follow-up of the achievement of AACSB accreditation and then joining this great society of respected individuals. So, I really didn’t have a choice. It was just the idea of a natural follow-up to the AACSB accreditation. Plus, my kids were proud of their accreditation. I wanted them to be even more proud of what accreditation would lead to, and Beta Gamma Sigma was one of those advantages.
What was it then that kept you involved for as many years as you were on the board and serving as president?
The thing that kept me involved for the number of years I was on the board was, primarily, the people. The staff of Beta Gamma Sigma, the mission of Beta Gamma Sigma, the excitement of my students of being eligible for Beta Gamma Sigma.
The other thing, was just the idea of reaching across the land, reaching across schools—large and small — and shouting the praises that it’s okay to be academically talented. It’s important for our top students in management education to be recognized. The pride in watching them be recognized is what kept me involved.
As the first representative of a historically black college or university (HBCU) to serve as president for BGS, what significance do you think that gave to the BGS membership as a whole?
First of all, I was flattered. It was a joy because I had met these people, and I believed in Beta Gamma Sigma. It never occurred to me that I would be asked to serve as president. But when it happened, I didn’t hesitate.
Quality comes in various sizes and shapes. A lot of times, people have an idea of quality only to the schools that they know about. But I think when I became president of Beta Gamma Sigma, the general industry would say that, “There must be some quality in schools like North Carolina A&T. Otherwise, the membership would not even have considered a representative from North Carolina A&T to be president.”
I truly believed in what we were doing, and when I was able to move around the country, making speeches, representing Beta Gamma Sigma, it was just a tribute to this. But most importantly, it was just flattering.
Do you think you provided a different perspective than previous presidents?
No, I don’t think so. I don’t think I provided too different of a perspective because I had already been involved with Beta Gamma Sigma. The one thing that I probably, maybe leaned on a little harder was to make certain that smaller schools, predominantly minority schools—and that wasn’t so much from a Beta Gamma Sigma standpoint, that was from the standpoint of these schools—get involved and take advantage of their eligibility for Beta Gamma Sigma.
You can call that a perspective, but I think it was a type of mandate. But as far as the leadership and so forth, I was part of a team. We were in a continuing flow to try and advance the mission and virtues of Beta Gamma Sigma, and I just happened to be from an HBCU.
What was your most memorable accomplishment during your tenure as BGS president?
Well, my tenure as BGS president had a lot of achievements, a lot of accomplishments, but I think the most memorable accomplishment was trying to expand the membership, trying to expand the awareness of BGS on the campuses, especially in terms of the campuses of underrepresented students. A lot of this work was done on predominantly minority campuses, because many of these schools were not accredited. So, I was somewhat of a role model and, hopefully, a mentor.
In terms of your local impact on BGS, how do you feel like your presidency and your membership on the BGS board had an influence on the campus community?
First of all, it was a first. I was the first African-American president of this outstanding organization. The university, then, was associated with my presidency, which had taken place, and therefore, the community was made aware of the idea. Beta Gamma Sigma is about quality, management education, accreditation. Therefore, in the role of president, that was a great attachment to the role of quality and the representation of leadership with that quality. The other thing was involving the community, welcoming people into the induction ceremony, having honorary members in the community inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma. I think this proved to be a tremendous asset to A&T State University, but also to the community.
We’ve noticed that a lot of our board members, when their terms are up, continue to stay involved. A lot of our presidents continue to stay involved. Our past presidents are some of our biggest advocates. What is the value that you continue to see in Beta Gamma Sigma and why you choose to still be involved? What is it that inspires you and makes you want to stay active?
The thing that makes you want to stay active with this, is that you believe in what you were doing during that period. Deans are busy, so you have to carve out time, and it’s easier to carve out time for those things that you truly believe in.
You contribute to the advancement of management education; contribute to your students; contribute to students worldwide in terms of Beta Gamma Sigma. Management education does not operate within a vacuum. In other words, if more and more schools are celebrating quality student performances, then management education as a whole has advanced. That keeps me involved.
Let’s talk a little about the society’s growth. Beta Gamma Sigma now has over 675,000 members, 500+ chapters around the globe, members in 160+ countries, chapters on six-plus continents…it goes on and on. What are some of the things, some of the specific things that you see as reasons for that continued growth?
Beta Gamma Sigma’s growth is tied to accreditation, the advancement of management education. You get the additional schools that are being accredited worldwide. Many of the most recent schools accredited are international chapters, international schools. And we want to recognize their academic quality.
I chaired the athletic committee here for years, in which we recognize the athletic quality that takes place. And they wear their jerseys, and they do this. The university is primarily in business for the advancement of education, academic. And athletics are important, but why shouldn’t we recognize academic performances in management education? We want students to aspire, we want them to know about Beta Gamma Sigma early to inspire the performance that would make them eligible to be involved with this.
It’s a win-win situation. Not only will they aspire to high academic performance, but then, of course, that would lead to an increased number as far as membership of Beta Gamma Sigma.
What do you see as the potential, in terms of future leadership and the success potential of these members?
Take the Student Leadership Forum. Students—from large schools, small schools, HBCUs—come together at these conferences. It’s magnificent for students to be able to interact and learn about each other. It develops confidence, it develops collaboration and longstanding friendships. And sometimes that confidence and collaboration leads to the types of things that will stand them in good stead later as they go to develop in that area.
Let’s look ten years down the road. Where are they? We would probably get the shock of our lives as far as the number of leadership positions, advanced degrees, the success stories.
In the more than30 years that your school has had a BGS chapter, I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of people get the invitation to join the Society. Any particular reactions to that invitation that stand out to you?
Students are excited to receive that invitation. This is something they worked for. They hear about this their freshmen year. They see the banner in the university. We have a bronze key on the outside. They see the symbolic nature of this key. But the key excitement is when their parents become aware their freshmen year. And that excitement is matched by their parents’ excitement when they get an invitation. That type of excitement is a sense of achievement.
When you look at the other way, at a student who for whatever reason doesn’t quite make it, that’s when you can see the excitement of the other students and the disappointment of a student who might not make it the junior year. Then they just get a little different premium gas, and they come back their senior year, and they get the letter their senior year.
If you were speaking to a group of students, and the question, “What’s the value of Beta Gamma Sigma? Why should I want join?” comes up, what would you tell them?
As one firm said, “I need to get to know more about North Carolina A&T. I don’t know much about you, but I know about Beta Gamma Sigma because I’m a member. So, if you’re a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, you affirm that you’re a university that we need to pay attention to.”
This is a tough economy now and these are tough economic times. Students need a competitive advantage. Beta Gamma Sigma on your resume, the pin, the relation to the mission of Beta Gamma Sigma. All these things, we believe, give students a competitive advantage.
If you had to put it into words, what does lifetime membership mean to you?
Well, it simply means the same virtues of Beta Gamma Sigma. You need to remind yourself. You have to have those virtues, and keep them in mind. Why shouldn’t honor and integrity be lifetime? Why shouldn’t wisdom, continued learning, the idea of learning to learn, why shouldn’t that be lifetime? And why shouldn’t earnestness be lifetime? This is what lifetime membership means. You have earned this, now let’s keep earning it every day of our lives.
Beta Gamma Sigma is approaching its Centennial, and on February 19, 2013, we’ll be one hundred years old.
Absolutely—and I haven’t been a member that long.
What do you think it is that has allowed Beta Gamma Sigma to reach that one-hundred year milestone?
I think the thing that has allowed Beta Gamma Sigma to reach that milestone has been its values and what they represent in the area of business. We just feel that there’s no greater honor that a student in management education can get than Beta Gamma Sigma. There’s no greater honor - no greater recognition - that a student can get in management education than Beta Gamma Sigma.
We continue to instill programs, benefits and other types of things that are benefits to the members that enhance that, that provide a foundation.
Any final thoughts as we move towards the Centennial?
I’m proud to be a continuing member of Beta Gamma Sigma. Beta Gamma Sigma through time has made an impact. I think that’s the final analysis as we come up to 2013. What difference did Beta Gamma Sigma make? What difference did it make in the lives of students? What difference did it make in the universities to have Beta Gamma Sigma chapters? What difference did it make to business and industry? What difference did it make to the future of this global economy? And I think if Beta Gamma Sigma started listing that, the list would be long, and it would be one that all of us would be extremely proud of.
|
