VSU Human Resource Society Receives Superior Merit Award

VALDOSTA - Valdosta State University's chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management recently received the Superior Merit Award from the national organization, based out of Alexandria, Va.

The local group competed alongside 123 other chapters in this year's national merit award program, which recognizes the nation's top student chapters. VSU and more than 90 other groups were honored for doing an exceptional job providing growth and development opportunities to its student chapter members.

“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. These opportunities are extremely valuable to students preparing to enter the field of human resources,” said Chuck Salvetti, SHRM’s Student Programs manager. “All of our award-winning chapters should be proud of their accomplishments.”

Each group had the opportunity to earn an award based on the number of activities they complete during the merit award cycle, which ran from April 1, 2008, to March 31, 2009. Award levels were based on chapter size, with smaller chapters (those with fewer than 20 members) required to complete at least 35 of 60 activities to receive a Superior Merit Award and 25 to 34 activities for a Merit Award. Large chapters (those with 21 or more members) completed at least 46 activities to receive a Superior Merit Award and 34 to 45 activities for a Merit Award.

The VSU-SHRM Chapter received a specialized plaque to display at the university, and will be recognized in SHRM’s publications and at its conferences, said Student Advisor Jamie Tanner, classification and compensation analyst for VSU's Human Resources and Employee Development.

One of the local chapter's more recent activities was the creation of a resume booklet, which is comprised of multiple graduate student and professional resumes to be used as examples for undergraduate students. The chapter has also donated business-professional clothing to the local Goodwill and conducted several site visits to local HR offices. Visit the chapter's Web site at www.vsushrm.webs.com.

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 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. For more information about SHRM’s Student Chapter Merit Award program, visit http://www.shrm.org/Communities/StudentPrograms/Pages/awards.aspx.