THE FORUM: In the News

Student Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management Receives Superior Merit Award

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in Alexandria, VA, has bestowed the Superior Merit Award designation to the Atkinson Graduate School of Management Student SHRM chapter for an exceptional job of providing opportunities for growth and development to its student chapter members.

“SHRM’s Student Chapter Merit Award program exists to recognize our top student chapters. These chapters represent the best of our more than 450 affiliated student chapters and demonstrate this through their ability to provide innovative networking and educational opportunities to their members,” said Chuck Salvetti, SHRM’s Student Programs Manager. 

The SHRM student chapter merit award program, which began in 1972, exists to develop more effective student chapters, and to promote outstanding activities and projects by student chapters in four areas: basic student chapter requirements, chapter programming and professional development of members, support of the human resource profession, and partnership with SHRM.

The Atkinson Graduate School of Management Student SHRM chapter receives a specialized plaque to display at the university, and will be recognized in SHRM’s publications and at its conferences.

During the 2008-09 academic year, the AGSM student SHRM group invited lunch time speakers from HR Answers, Robert Half International, the State of Oregon, and Salem Hospita. In addition, the group helped to plan a two day trek to Seattle to visit Boeing, Microsoft, RealNetworks and Washington Port Authority. They supported local schools and the Salem Chamber of Commerce through participation in Ready to Learn-Ready to Work Program and collected food for the local food bank and stuffed animals for Salem Fire Department Emergency Responders.

Students from AGSM were also able to attend SHRM sponsored seminars and the Salem SHRMA chapter breakfast meetings. At one breakfast meeting AGSM students facilitated a presentation regarding on-boarding and the support use of current technology.   The event was very popular among HR professionals in the Salem-Portland area.

President of the AGSM Student Chapter for the 2008-09 academic year was Cheryl Berger. Academic year 2009-10 President is Eve Martinez. Feel free to contact Eve at egmartin@willamette.edu with your questions.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world’s largest association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 250,000 members in over 140 countries, the Society serves the needs of HR professionals and advances the interests of the HR profession. Founded in 1948, SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China and India.