| 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
Sara Freedman
Beta Gamma Sigma President 2004-2006
Deans of business schools have a multitude
of responsibilities. What made you say ‘yes’ to
the invitation to serve on the Beta Gamma Sigma board?
There were lots of reasons. I’ve been
involved with Beta Gamma Sigma since the time I was tapped
into it as a graduate student, and I was actively involved
as a faculty member before I became an administrator. And
of course, as an administrator, I saw the value for students.
So, when I had the opportunity, and I knew some of the people
on the board who were great folks, I felt like it was something
I should do and knew I would enjoy doing.
You were the first female to serve as the
president of Beta Gamma Sigma, what significance do you believe
this offered BGS members in their membership?
Well, I think probably the thing that I would
point to is that a large percentage of our members are female,
and it served as a recognition to them of the opportunities
that they would have when they went into the business world
as well as those that they had currently in their business
programs.
Do you believe that you provided a different perspective for
BGS?
I suspect that the things we did as a board
and that I did as a president were probably not all that much
different than they would have been if there had been a male
in that role. The thing that came about was really this opportunity
to say indirectly that women are doing great things in business,
and here’s an example of a woman who’s taking
a leadership role in an organization that’s very important
to business education.
BGS has grown quite a bit over the years.
We now have actually over 700,000 members coming from more
than 500 collegiate chapters. What impact do you see that
this large membership could have on the next generation of
business leaders?
Beta Gamma Sigma puts a great emphasis on
excellence in business education. But we recognize that that’s
only part of what our students need to be successful. The
other part comes from the values that the organization supports
and asks students to live with. It’s not just the wisdom
portion, but it’s also honor and earnestness as well
as honesty, integrity and ethical behavior. These are the
kinds of things we think students need to hear in context,
outside the classroom. And we believe the organization gives
an opportunity for that.
Certainly, we want our students to be successful
leaders. We want them to be the kind of leaders that will
make a difference for our companies, so the values are a very
important part of it. We tell our students that their achievement
requires that they make contribution. We tell them that when
they are in the business world, that they need to set the
standard for future generations.
BGS has established itself as the first truly
international honor society, and what we’ve certainly
learned over the years is that honor societies have not been
a phenomenon outside the U.S. Why has BGS been able to be
successful with this?
I think our connections with AACSB as a business
accrediting organization - who is now accrediting international
schools - gives us a bit of credibility when we talk to those
schools about establishing chapters. As the school learns
more about what Beta Gamma Sigma is all about, it becomes
more attractive. We’ve had probably an easier time than
other honoraries because of that connection.
BGS will be celebrating a century of
excellence in 2012-2013. With the proliferation of honor societies
on college campuses, what is it about Beta Gamma Sigma that
has allowed it to reach this milestone?
I think Beta Gamma Sigma has a unique role
on college campuses. It applies strictly to business programs
and to schools with AACSB accreditation of those programs.
It’s in a somewhat unique position as an honorary society.
I think that the involvement of deans of business schools
has also helped elevate its position as an honorary. And again,
I think that the services and the commitment of Beta Gamma
Sigma to the students is recognized when students start getting
involved and see what’s available to them through Beta
Gamma Sigma.
What particular Beta Gamma Sigma programs
do you see as good cornerstones as the Society begins to build
its second century?
I think the Alumni Chapters will continue
to be important. It’s hard to make them work except
in larger cities just because of the numbers, but as our kids
move a lot in different places in their careers, those are
a source of connections beyond the jobs that they might take.
And it’s a group of people with alike interests and
other kinds of things that they can reach out to when they
go into a new city. I think the Student Leadership Forum is
very effective for current students partially because of the
interaction with students from other schools, partially because
it encourages students to think about what they are and what
they’re going to be doing when they graduate.
I don’t know that I can point to a lot
of specific things that Beta Gamma Sigma should do over the
next 100 years, but I do suspect that Beta Gamma Sigma’s
activities will have to adjust as students change, as business
education changes and that it’s important for Beta Gamma
Sigma to be a part of those changes so that they incorporate
the effects appropriately into the activities and services
in Beta Gamma Sigma.
If you were speaking to business students
today who have been invited to join BGS, what would you tell
them?
In recruiting we have a session to talk to
students about what BGS is and why they should join. Basically
it comes down to several different criteria. First and foremost,
it’s a recognition of what they’ve done as a business
student at their institution and that that’s an important
acknowledgement of how committed they are to business education,
to understanding and making a difference in the business world.
Secondly, it’s an organization that will stay with them
for their lifetime. And it will stay with them not only as
an act of recognition, but as a variety of different services
and activities that they can get involved in. That’s
a great way of connecting with people, both on campus and
then after they graduate.
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