FAQ
What are the Membership Requirements?
See Membership Qualification Levels
What is considered a Professional Activity?
Professional hours are earned through BAP or outside of the organization. For every professional hour earned within BAP, one Professional hour can be earned outside of the organization.
Examples of inside BAP hours are: Weekly meetings (1 hour), posting resume on Joblink (1 hour), meet the professionals (2 hours), and career day (4 hours). Examples of activities earned outside of BAP include: IMA, ASWA, AICPA, UACPA, NAMA, Finance Club, IS Club, Women in business, and Beta Sigma. Other activities not mentioned can be approved through the BAP officers.
What is considered a Service Activity?
Service hours are earned through BAP or outside the organization. For every service hour earned within BAP, one service hour can be earned outside of the organization.
Examples of inside BAP hours are: Juvenile diabetes walk (2-3 hours), DESB telethon (4-8 hours), Festival of trees (1-2 hours), Vita (4-10) hours, Tutoring (4-10 hours), Officer/Committee Chair (10 hours), Etc. Examples of activities earned outside BAP include: Volunteer work at hospitals, shelters, schools, or non-profit organizations. These must be bona fide services that are aimed at helping others. The National BAP office is often picky on these activities.
What is considered a Social Event?
Local firms and companies usually sponsor social events as a means of recruiting. Examples are: barbeques, bowling nights, tailgate parties, and open houses. They provide an opportunity to meet professionals in a casual setting and show your interest in learning about different companies.
What is the Initiation Banquet?
An initiation banquet will be held in the fall and spring to induct new pledges into BAP. Distinguished and Superior membership status recognitions are also awarded at these banquets. Professionals from local firms and companies do attend these functions. You will need to pay for the Fall Banquet (approximately $15-20). The cost of the Spring Banquet is included in your dues. It is important to attend these banquets to show support to new members and they are a good opportunity for networking.
What does BAP offer me as a Student?
The opportunity for you to mingle with representatives from public accounting firms and private companies.
-The chance to get to know other accounting majors at the University of Utah.
-Additional information about other aspects of the accounting field outside of the classroom.
-Tours of local accounting firms and companies.
-Job Shadowing with accountants already working in the field.
-Have the opportunity to help beginning accounting students with problems and exercises.
-Be a part of an 80-year tradition that spans over 200 campuses nationwide.
What is VITA?
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) is a national program providing free assistance to low income, elderly, limited English proficient and disabled individuals who require assistance in preparing their tax returns and cannot afford the services of a paid professional tax preparer.
The VITA Program is a valuable community asset as many taxpayers are in need of assistance in preparing and filing their returns. The complexities and the nature of tax law are obstacles that discourage and frustrate many low-income taxpayer's efforts to complete their own returns. In fact, many taxpayers who are entitled to refunds do not even file a tax return at all because they do not understand the various credits and deductions to which they may be entitled.
What is the BAP ListServe?
BAP ListServe ensures that you are always kept informed and updated on any changes to the schedule. It is also used to notify students about career fairs and job opportunities.
What is considered Business Casual and Business Professional?
BAP events will specify which business attire is appropriate.
Business Casual for Women
Appropriate business casual attire for women includes: skirts, which are no shorter than 3 inches above the knee; blouses, sweaters, polo-style shirts, jumpsuits, khaki pants, which are neither too loose nor too tight, and which are not too faded, frayed or otherwise distressed. Boots, dressy sandals, and pumps are examples of acceptable footwear. Examples of inappropriate attire are: novelty tee shirts (those with printed writing, slogans or numbers), shorts, spandex pants, crop tops, tank or halter tops, sweatshirts, sweatpants, hats, sundresses which are backless or have straps less than 1 inch in width, leather pants, and flip flops.
Business Casual for Men
Appropriate business casual dress for men includes: dress slacks, "Dockers" style slacks, sports shirts, polo shirts, and sweaters. Clean topsiders and loafers are examples of appropriate footwear. Examples of inappropriate attire include: shorts, novelty tee shirts (those with printed writing, slogans or numbers), sweatshirts, sweatpants, tank tops, cropped tops, hats, and flip flops.
Professional Dress (Business Attire) for Men
Suit and tie with dress shoes. Dress shirt is normally light blue or white, but certain stripes are appropriate. Suits should be dark in color (navy, grey, or black). Quiet pinstripes or patterns are fine. Ties should be appropriate. Avoid cartoon figures, pictures of people, beer cans, and other assorted non-traditional ties.
Professional Dress for Women
A suit is the best option for business professional. All types of suits would be appropriate including: pants with a suit jacket, dress with a suit jacket, or skirt with a suit jacket. The favored colors tend to be darker colors such as navy blue and black.
What is Meet the Firms?
Meet the Firms is a career fair for BAP students featuring
Public accounting and private industry companies that recruit primarily accounting, but also finance and computer science majors at the University of Utah.
