Accounting & Finance Association (AFA)
Membership in the SUNY New Paltz Accounting & Finance Association (AFA) is open to all SUNY New Paltz undergraduate and graduate students with a major or intended major in Accounting or Finance. Membership in the AFA provides its members with an excellent opportunity to explore career opportunities in Accounting and Finance by enabling, promoting, and facilitating the discussion and exploration of pertinent topics outside the traditional classroom setting.

Regular activities of the AFA ordinarily include speeches and panel discussions by fellow students, faculty and professionals; field trips; and a variety of social and service (to school and surrounding community) activities.

In addition to the regular group activities, students wishing to further develop their leadership, organizational, interpersonal and communication skills will have the opportunity to run for AFA Executive Board positions (which are filled periodically by majority vote of the membership).

The opportunities offered by membership in the AFA to explore career opportunities and to network with fellow classmates, alumni, faculty and industry professionals are intended to help our Accounting and Finance students make better and more informed career decisions, as well as help prepare these students for the transition from college to full-time work in their intended fields.

For information about joining the AFA, please e-mail the advisor, Professor Ahmed Ebrahim, or visit the AFA Web site.

American Marketing Association (AMA)
Students today are increasingly aware of the importance of continuing their education outside of the classroom experience. They seek opportunities to understand more fully the role of marketing in today's society, look to develop professional marketing skills, and desire to serve individuals and organizations who are in need of these marketing skills. Students can meet these objectives through the American Marketing Association - the largest international organization dedicated to helping students. Through the AMA Collegiate Activities, the AMA directly serves its student membership. The AMA has a faculty advisor who, as a volunteer, is committed to working with students on this educational and extracurricular level. In the past 5 years the New Paltz Collegiate chapter has completed dozens of marketing research studies and strategic market plans for small or nonprofit organizations. This provides marketing students with the opportunity to learn the process of marketing in a real business situation, not a contrived one. Essentially this "hands on" experience provides both a practical and educational opportunity and in many cases the opportunity to earn a stipend. The AMA also sponsors "Business Day", which attracts hundreds of business students from the Mid Hudson Valley area, and offers a series of workshops and seminars as well as the opportunity to have one on one dialogue with well known marketing professionals. During the semester, both independently and in concert with other professional student chapters, the AMA offers programs of interest to both marketing and business majors, i.e., speakers and field trips. For information about joining the AMA, please e-mail the advisor, Professor Ted Clark, or visit the AMA Web site.

The Business Law Society
The Business Law Society was formed during Spring 2006 semester. The intent of the Society is to introduce business students, and students from other majors, to advanced law-related topics in greater detail than available through available courses through seminars, guest speakers, field trips, and internships with corporate law departments and law firms. The Society also intends to provide guidance on the law school application process and the LSAT.

For information about joining the Business Law Society, please e-mail the advisor, Professor Bruce Mather.

Dean's Student Advisory Board (DSAB)
The Dean's Student Advisory Board (DSAB) is a student-centered team of selected undergraduate and graduate School of Business students who are committed to act as a confidential liaison between the students and the dean. The DSAB's primary objective is to advise the dean and devise solutions to issues that are of primary concern to the School of Business students. Their aim is to foster a cooperative relationship and promote ideas that contribute to the advancement of the School of Business students as they prepare to enter a dynamic business environment. Students are nominated by the DSAB and appointed by the Dean.

For information about joining the DSAB, please e-mail the advisor, Danielle Semenchuk, or visit the DSAB Web site.

The Management Association
The Management Association (MA) provides SUNY students with an opportunity to explore the field of human resources (HR) as a career, to learn more about the HR function in business, and to develop and participate in professional internships. MA is affiliated with the Mid-Hudson Human Resource Association (MHHRA), and is a Superior Merit Award winning student chapter of the national Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Members of MA include undergraduate and graduate students from diverse majors and concentrations such as Management, Finance, Accounting, Marketing, and Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

Each semester, MA coordinates numerous events and workshops that provide students with a better understanding of management and business. Past MA events have included workshops on HR's strategic role in business, leadership, ethics in business, ways job applicants can differentiate themselves, and time management. In addition, MA arranges for students to attend professional conferences and visit local businesses to develop a firsthand look at the daily tasks of a manager. Members also have the unique opportunity to participate in an academic competition known as the HR Games in which participants answer human resource questions in a Jeopardy style game show format. Student members of MA have the chance to take advantage of networking opportunities with prospective employers and business professionals of MHHRA and other SHRM professional chapters.

One of MA's highlight events is the annual Student Development Conference that MA's executive board and members organize and plan on campus for students of SUNY New Paltz and the local community. This professional development conference is a full day educational event that allows students to gain knowledge and skills to help assist in their career advancement. At this conference, students take part in several workshops and educational exercises that provides attendees with the know-how to promote themselves as students and employees. In addition, MA also sponsors the annual Business Symposium employer panel that orients students with characteristics prospective employees look for in job candidates and to learn about various career fields.

For additional information about MA please contact Professor Backhaus, MA's faculty advisor.

Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE)
SIFE is open to all students of SUNY New Paltz. Its mission is to provide students the best opportunity to make a difference and to develop leadership, teamwork and communication skills through learning, practicing and teaching the principles of Free Enterprise.

For more information contact the SUNY New Paltz Sam Walton Free Enterprise Fellow and SIFE's faculty advisor, Professor Rief Kanan or Professor Bruce Mather.

Student Organization for Business Ethics and Research (SOBER)
SOBER is a student-centered organization aiming to explore, learn and promote ethics among business students and in the business world. The primary objective of the organization is to provide students with a vibrant test lab to expand their theoretical understanding and turn theory into sustainable business practices. SOBER will also promote business practices that contribute to the development of trust between local communities and the business world. SOBER activities will include research on international context of ethics that is necessary for the business to sustain in the future. SOBER values the ideas that channel benefits of a global and multicultural existence in the business world.

For information about joining SOBER, please e-mail the advisor, Professor Bruce Mather.

World Business Association (WBA)
The WBA was formed in the Fall 2007 and is the first national chapter of the National Hispanic Business Association in New York State. As an independent chapter, their mission is to promote the growth of all SUNY New Paltz business students through educational, professional, and networking opportunities, to encourage diversity, and contribute to the development and growth of future leaders. The WBA members have various benefits, one of them, priority over other applicants every time they apply to any position, internship, and scholarships at any of the more than 20 sponsor companies. The WBA plans to attend and host conferences, as well as a career fair.

For information about joining the World Business Association, please e-mail the advisor, Professor Shuguang Liu.