Eastern Washington University
Delta Sigma Chapter
by Suzanne Sutton

Often, as members of Beta Alpha Psi, we feel we have a 'home away from home' because of our affiliation with our fraternity. It wasn't always that way (think back to the first day at a brand new school), and often as we grow into new experiences we may have felt like an outsider, awkward & out of place. We have all felt that discomfort in new surroundings, only to be put at ease by a warm greeting and a group of individuals that made us feel welcome. That is one of the joys of being affiliated with such a fine group-- we can make people feel welcome. Not just students, but new faculty as well.

Organizations such as Beta Alpha Psi can help new faculty members establish roots in the community as well as the university. Some of the ways to extend a welcome are as follows:

• Invite the new faculty member to attending any and all functions that are appropriate. Do not think just of business & technical meetings, but of socials and community service events. Often times, a great way to make people feel welcome is to ask them to be involved.
• Draw upon their expertise. There is nothing like 'fresh blood' to rejuvenate an organization. Ask the new faculty member to give a presentation on their area of expertise, arranging the meeting around their new (and undoubtedly hectic) schedule.
• Ask for a vita on the new faculty member & write an article about them on your website newsletter and alumni mailing newsletter. This gives recognition not only to the new faculty member but also to the university for hiring innovative, experienced personnel as the institution grows.
• Acknowledge their efforts to become involved & help students. Publicize their efforts by mentioning them at the ΒΑΨ business meetings and to their supervising department heads.
• Offer Beta Alpha Psi tutoring assistance to their students. Give the new faculty member bookmarks that have the ΒΑΨ phone number & email address to distribute to students that may want some extra assistance. This allows a new faculty member to assist their students without a large time commitment on their part.

Faculty support is essential to the vitality of any Beta Alpha Psi Chapter. These are the people that will be the source of our education, in essence, the foundation for our professional careers. Extending a warm welcome from Beta Alpha Psi today is one way to actually develop the professionalism that will benefit us in the future.