Student group receives award from national human resources organization
June 22, 2017
Roanoke College's student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management received a 2016-2017 Superior Merit Award from its national organization for providing growth and development opportunities to its members.
Of the 327 student SHRM chapters across the United States, Roanoke was one of 149 award winners. Roanoke's chapter has 19 student members and eight executive board members.
The SHRM student chapter merit award program began in 1972 to encourage student chapters to require ongoing excellence in the following areas - student chapter requirements, chapter operations, chapter programming and professional development of members, support of the human resource profession and SHRM engagement.
The student chapters have the opportunity to earn an award based on the number of activities they complete during the merit cycle.
"The Merit Award is recognition that the student chapter at Roanoke College is active, and committed to the Human Resource Management profession," said Dr. Johanna Sweet, an assistant professor in Roanoke's Business Administration & Economics department who advises the chapter. "It is recognition that the student chapter is actively pursuing education and experiences that will develop and prepare students for successful careers."
During the 2016-2017 academic year, Roanoke's SHRM chapter hosted a variety of professional development and learning activities for its members. These included a session on interviewing advice from a local business woman, a discussion about professional dress in the workplace with the College's director of Career Services and meetings with local business owners about the differences between working for small and large companies.
The chapter's executive board also met monthly, and there were several social and networking activities for members.
"These chapters truly represent the future of the HR profession," said Susan Post, who is east divisional director at SHRM and the lead for SHRM's student programs.