May 15, 2018
50 years of Beta Gamma Sigma Inductions
** Click here for a special 50th Anniversary video featuring Dr. Bearden**
The James H. Bearden Induction Ceremony for spring 2018 new members of the ECU Chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) was recently held at the Murphy Center at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
This induction ceremony marked the 50th anniversary of ECU’s BGS chapter.
About the 50th anniversary and the BGS chapter’s early days, Dr. Bearden said, “I think it was one of the proudest moments for the university many years ago when we were eligible to be a member. Back at that time, there was only one other school or college in North Carolina that was accredited.”
Senior MIS student Phillip Kinney of Durham said, “Simply, it’s truly an honor…to be invited to such a prestigious society.”
On joining BGS, Junior Jacqueline Fernandez of Raleigh said, “Being a member of Beta Gamma Sigma has given me the reassurance that everything that I’ve worked hard for has been worth it.”
Junior Luke Holloman of Greenville is excited to join BGS during the same year as the entity celebrates its 50th anniversary. “It (the invitation) encourages me to keep working hard because of that long history; it’s great history.”
The College of Business inducted 73 new members into BGS, the honor society serving business programs accredited by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The BGS tapping ceremonies – the presentation of BGS invitations during class time – took place earlier in the spring of 2018.
Beta Gamma Sigma membership is the highest recognition a business student can achieve. Two times each year, the College of Business inducts eligible students and faculty into Beta Gamma Sigma. Membership is by invitation only and is based upon eligibility criteria, including those who rank in the top 10 percent of the second-semester sophomore, junior and senior classes, as well as the top 20 percent of graduating graduate students within the College of Business. Before nomination, College of Business faculty reviews each candidate to ensure he or she meets the standards of character and integrity that membership represents.
Tina Williams, an instructor with the College of Business, currently serves as faculty advisor and president of the BGS chapter.