For the first time in Ivy College of Business history, the national accounting honor society, Beta Alpha Psi, was designated a Platinum Chapter.
“We have consistently been a Gold Chapter over the last decade, but only 10 chapters from across the world can be designated as platinum,” said Mike Bootsma, chapter advisor and Dean’s Teaching Fellow and teaching professor in accounting.
Beta Alpha Psi is a national honor society and scholastic/professional accounting fraternity, also open to finance and management information systems (MIS) majors. Founded in 1919, its primary objective is to encourage and give recognition to scholastic and professional excellence in the business information field. This involves the advancement of accounting, finance, and information systems; the provision of opportunities for self-development, service, and professional engagement; and the promotion of ethical, social, and civic responsibility.
Joseph Dubsky, a sophomore double-majoring in accounting and business analytics from Naperville, Illinois, and Beta Alpha Psi’s social media chair, first became involved with Beta Alpha Psi in his freshman year, looking for more career-oriented campus involvement. As Dubsky attended meetings, he loved building connections with other accounting students and having conversations with various campus recruiters. Dubsky became inspired by the previous officers and was encouraged to run for the executive board of Beta Alpha Psi. His favorite experience was having the chance to travel to San Antonio, Texas, with fellow executive board members, where they got to learn and grow their skills alongside hundreds of chapters. It was at this meeting that they were recognized and received the platinum level title for their many accomplishments and work ethic from the members of the organization.
“Being recognized as a Platinum Chapter is a huge honor and reflects the effort and commitment of our members and leaders. It highlights the strong community we’ve built together, sets us apart nationally, and shows firms that we take both our organization and professional development seriously.”
— Kendall Kenis
There are over 300 chapters on college and university campuses with over 370,000 members initiated since Beta Alpha Psi’s formation.
“The Platinum Status has been very important to our organization as it displays to our sponsors and members that we strive for excellence in all that we do. We uphold a certain attention to detail as we provide special opportunities for career development, skill conditioning, and networking to our many great members of our Chapter,” said Dubsky.
The benefits of being a Beta Alpha Psi member are the opportunity to balance professional growth and community. Students gain exposure to top firms, leadership opportunities, and career resources, while also building friendships with other members who share similar goals and aspirations.
Kendall Kenis, an accounting student from Albert Lea, Minnesota, and Beta Alpha Psi’s president, first got involved during her freshman year while looking for a community within the Ivy College of Business. From the start, Kenis was welcomed by supportive and driven peers, quickly realizing the number of opportunities there were, both through Beta Alpha Psi itself and the connections with the firms involved. Her favorite part of Beta Alpha Psi since joining has been the people. Meeting so many people with similar interests who are motivated, supportive, and ambitious is what she values most, as well as the community and networking opportunities with professionals.
“Being recognized as a Platinum Chapter is a huge honor and reflects the effort and commitment of our members and leaders. It highlights the strong community we’ve built together, sets us apart nationally, and shows firms that we take both our organization and professional development seriously,” said Kenis.
The 2025 Platinum Challenge Competition, sponsored by KPMG, recognizes that many chapters go beyond expectations — aiming not just for excellence, but for long-term impact. Students had to meet numerous requirements to be eligible. As part of the platinum challenge application, they also had to make a video demonstrating what sets their chapter apart. The goal of the video was to generate interest in becoming a member of Beta Alpha Psi. View the video.
Learn more about Beta Alpha Psi.
