The Financial Management Association International has honored the College of Business Administration’s Financial Management Association (FMA) and the Finance Honor Society (FHS) chapter for their effective efforts to increase membership.
The FMA’s receipt of a Bronze Membership Development Award for 2005-2006 puts the college’s chapter in the elite company of other chapters that successfully recruited fifty to seventy-four student members during the academic year. The Bronze National Honor Society (NHS) Membership Development Award recognizes honor society chapters that recruited twenty-five to thirty-four new members.
“This year, only eight FMA chapters and only ten honor societies out of about 200 received the bronze award,” said Shannon Walsh, director of student programs, Financial Management Association International. “The contributions of the students and faculty of Florida International University are outstanding.”
“We are honored and excited that we have received this award from FMA International,” said John Gutekunst, president, FHS. “We believe that our chapter is one of the greatest resources in the country for students pursuing a career in finance. Earning this award is a perfect example of how great our chapter is.”
To increase membership, the chapter leaders:
- presented information about the chapter and its benefits to students during classes throughout the semester
- e-mailed recruits
- posted signs and flyers about general meetings
- talked to students and faculty about the organization
- added a vice president of recruitment to sustain momentum built last spring
- revamped the web site, which has been a significant recruitment tool
Giving credit where credit is due.
“The students were very entrepreneurial,” said Constantine “Gus” Kalogeras, professor, Department of Finance, and the organizations’ faculty advisor. “For example, they took a list of our finance majors that we had generated to determine scholarship winners and recruited from that list of superior students. Also, they developed interesting programs and meetings, and that is what keeps the new members engaged with the FMA.”
Gutekunst gives much of the credit to J. C. Mendoza, FMA president.
“He was a major contributor to recruitment and to us earning this award,” he said.
Last year, FMA also won a bronze medal for its surge in membership during the 2004-2005 academic year.
The chapter is being recognized worldwide on FMA’s international web site and in its international publications. In addition, the chapter received plaques, now installed in the Finance Department.
