EMU Today

YPSILANTI – The Eastern Michigan University chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, a national accounting honors organization with a strong emphasis on community service, has been recognized internationally as a superior chapter for the 21st consecutive year.

In a letter announcing the honor, Beta Alpha Psi Chapter Services Manager Lisa Wicker praised the club’s efforts during a difficult year.

“You and your students should be proud of this achievement during this especially challenging year,” Wicker said. “We thank you for all your efforts and look forward to another great year for your chapter.”

Howard Bunsis, a professor of accounting at Eastern, is in his 21st year as faculty adviser, and the chapter has been honored as "superior" each of those years.

Club members help community with tax returns

The EMU chapter performs hundreds of hours of community service each semester, including work on behalf of other organizations such as Meals on Wheels, the Walk to Fight Cancer, Habitat for Humanity and Food Gatherers.

In addition, this winter members of Beta Alpha Psi again filled out the tax returns for low-income people in the Ypsilanti community, an annual activity for the club.

In addition to its community service and social activities, the group hosts meetings with potential employers. The firms speak about resume preparation, how to conduct yourself at an interview, and the environment for professional accountants in Michigan. Speakers from industry leading firms help guide members toward careers in audit and assurance, financial advisory, tax services and information technology.

 “Achieving superior status again, for the 21st consecutive year, is something we are very proud of, and this designation is due to the ongoing dedication of our student leaders and members and their focus on the community,” Bunsis said. “These students continue to exemplify what is best at Eastern."

‘Unstoppable!’

“Our Beta Alpha Psi chapter is unstoppable,” said Kenneth Lord, dean of the EMU College of Business. “That marks an unbroken run of two decades in which our chapter has achieved this national distinction. It’s a fantastic run, and emblematic of the leadership of professor Bunsis and the commitment of the club members to leadership in the profession and to community service.”

Beta Alpha Psi, founded in 1919, is headquartered in Durham, NC. There are more than 300 chapters on college and university campuses worldwide, with over 300,000 members initiated since Beta Alpha Psi’s formation. The primary objective of Beta Alpha Psi is to encourage and give recognition to scholastic and professional excellence in the business information field.

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves nearly 18,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering and Technology; Health and Human Services; and, its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.