Beta Alpha Psi
Fisher School of Accounting Council
National Association of Black Accountants
Student Senate
Center for Accounting Research
This honorary accounting fraternity has 115 chapters nationwide. Upsilon Chapter at UF was the 18th chapter founded (in 1938) and is recognized as one of the best chapters in the country.
An active professional program to promote professional awareness is conducted by Beta Alpha Psi each year, including guest speakers, panel discussions, field trips and other activities. Beta Alpha Psi co-sponsors the Graduate Accounting Conference, which annually attracts more than 200 accounting practitioners, and co-sponsors the spring banquet.
Beta Alpha Psi accepts applications for membership every semester. Membership requirements include high ethical standards and a minimum grade point average. Scholastic requirements in Beta Alpha Psi include:
The Fisher School of Accounting Council (FSOAC) is part of the campus-wide Board of College Councils. Student Government funds the FSOAC through student activity fees. The council serves as a liaison between accounting students and faculty. At the beginning of the fall and spring semesters, each accounting class selects a student to represent them at FSOAC meetings and functions. All students accepted to the Fisher School of Accounting are eligible to be non-voting members of the council; after attending three consecutive meetings, students are eligible to vote. Students on the council can participate on a number of committees. Officers are elected by the voting members at the end of each semester to serve the following semester.
The council participates in many activities throughout the year, including the school’s orientation program, Career Expo, Footnotes (weekly announcements to accounting classes) and publication of The Fisherman (the Fisher School of Accounting newsletter). The council also is involved with UF Homecoming and Gator Expo in the fall, and the spring awards banquet. Finally, the council presents professional programs to accounting students, often in cooperation with Beta Alpha Psi or the Florida Accounting Association. These programs expose students to accounting in public, private, industrial and government practices.
The National Association of Black Accountants, Inc. (NABA) was founded in December, 1969 by nine African-American accountants in the New York area. The founders decided that there was a need for a professional organization of minority accountants. Their goal was to establish a national organization that dealt forthrightly and effectively with the many common problems faced by the growing number of African-American professionals in the world of accounting.
The mission of NABA is to address professional needs that enable minorities to maximize their career potential in the accounting profession. Since the founding of NABA’s first chapter in August, 1970, in New York, the membership has grown to approximately 5,000 members in over 130 active professional and student chapters in major urban areas and at universities across the nation. NABA’s membership is diverse and includes individuals serving in accounting, auditing, finance, and general management positions. Experience levels range from entrepreneurs and senior executives to staff accountants, providing a unique environment for both leadership and development.
The Fisher School of Accounting elects one senator to the Student Senate. The Student Senate meets weekly to handle various student concerns and business matters, including the distribution of student activity fees.
The Center for Accounting Research provides an umbrella for research. The research component of the center encourages and facilitates theoretical and applied research by accounting faculty and students. The center publishes the Journal of Accounting Literature, sponsors research seminars and a biannual conference, produces a working paper series, and serves as a research information source for faculty and students.