Notes from the Central Office

BGS Bronze Key

The Beta Gamma Sigma Key can be a symbol of academic excellence on your campus.

The Board of Governors of Beta Gamma Sigma encourages chapters to consider adding this symbol of academic excellence to their physical plant.
The Key, which is cast from a high quality bronze alloy, can be mounted either indoors or outdoors. The base should be obtained or built locally. Plans for acast concretebase are available from the Central Office, but native stone or other materials may be used.

The cost of the Key is $7,000 (U.S.) delivered. The Board of Governors is willing to support this project by allowing chapters to pay $2,000 (U.S.) at the time
of the order, with the balance to be paid in equal installments at the beginning of the institution's next
two fiscal years.

Staff members are prepared to assist chapters in fund raising efforts through BGS alumni of the chapter or potential donors in the area of the institution.

To find a list of BGS collegiate chapters with Keys on their respective campuses, click here.

For information concerning the purchase of the BGS Key for display on your campus, please contact Peggy Barnum at pbarnum@betagammasigma.org or download the informational Bronze Key flyer.

B-Mails

College chapter officers need to watch for when an e-mail from Beta Gamma Sigma indicates "B-Mail" in the subject line and make sure to open and read it. B-Mails contain information useful to chapters, including reminders and information on new programs that only take a short time to read.

B-Mails are sent year round, with more frequent communication taking place during the school semesters and other active periods.

To make sure you and other chapter officers and administrators receive the Connection and B-Mail, please add bgshonors@betagammasigma.org to your e-mail contact list. If this step is not taken, e-mail spam filters can prevent the B-Mail from being delivered.

Survey of Membership, 2011-2012

Please note that the 2011-2012 Survey of Membership Acceptance must be completed and submitted to Donna Binek at the Central Office by October 1, 2012. This determines whether a chapter will be a Premier or Exemplary Chapter as well as whtether they'll receive the various awards and scholarship programs associated with those acceptance rate results.

Even if your chapter does not expect to be named an Exemplary or Premier Chapter for this year, we hope ot receive your survey in order to monitor and track BGS chapter activities.

Surveys are due no later than October 1, 2012.

Find information surveys at the link here. Please contact Donna Binek with any questions at dbinek@betagammasigma.org.

Ph.D. Policy for Waivers

Please note that, as of January 2009, the BGS Board of Governors authorized the following:

Doctoral students who are not already BGS members should be invited to membership upon their completion of all doctoral degree requirements in business at AACSB accredited business programs and if this invitation is accepted by the degree recipient, the membership fee payable to Beta Gamma Sigma will be covered by BGS.

Invitation should be extended after the completion of all course requirements including successful defense of the dissertation.

Emergency Membership Fund (EMF)

• Several Collegiate Chapters have created a special fund (or have access to funds) to assist students invited to BGS who cannot afford the membership fee. Some of these chapters indicate they pay the fee for the student(s) but ask the student to repay them in the future when they are established in their job and can afford to do so.
  
  
• We hope that other Collegiate Chapters will consider creating a similar type of fund.
  
  
• For any additional students invited to membership who cannot afford the membership fee and the chapter cannot cover the fee locally, BGS has also created an emergency membership fund that is available to assist eligible students to become members when they cannot afford the membership fee.

Find more information at the BGS site, here.

Online Ordering System (OOS) Update

Please make sure you read over the below points in regard to BGS' Online Ordering System. If you are still experiencing difficulties in accessing the system after reading through the below information, please contact Donna Binek at dbinek@betagammasigma.org.

-Remind students that BGS certificates will be printed to reflect exactly what is completed on the MDP

-Students must complete the MDP prior to the shipping date to receive certificates on time. If not completed 14 days after the ceremony, the certificate will read as the chapter entered the name.

-Please make sure shipping information is accurate

-If the chapter advisor has changed, this will affect the ability to enter the Online Ordering System, and the chapter will need a new password.

- New members cannot register in the Member Directory until two to three weeks after they've completed the MDP. They must enter their names exactly as they were entered in the MDP, and member numbers sent by the Central Office must be used.

-Please allow extra time for shipping if shipments must go through customs. Note that any custom charges that are incurred are the responsibility of the respective chapters or institutions.

-Doctoral students must complete all requirements before being invited to join. We will need the students' defense dates. Then, the fee is waived, and the Board of Governors covers it.