Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) recently became the second college or university in the state of Indiana to meet the guidelines for human resource education set by the Society for Human Resource Management.

The College received a letter from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) indicating that SMWC's bachelor of science degree in human resource management fully aligns with the SHRM HR curriculum guidelines. The only other institution in the state of Indiana to meet these guidelines is Ball State.

“This is a major recognition for the College, as SHRM continues to be at the forefront of human resources in the business world,” said Frank Whittle, assistant professor of business at SMWC.

The letter from SHRM states that the organization conducted an analysis of the bachelor of science in human resource management degree program at SMWC, engaged faculty in discussions and information sharing, and then determined that the program fully aligns with the suggested minimum core content guidelines.

The letter states, “We hope that this letter serves as a welcome addition to your university's credits, and that future students will not only recognize your university because of the quality and thoroughness of its HR degree program, but will potentially seek more information about becoming a degree candidate at your university.”

Based on results derived from and identified using a multiple quantitative and qualitative research methodology, SHRM devised the SHRM HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates in 2005. The goal was to provide colleges and universities a resource for tracking HR curricula against a common, minimum skill set needed by employers who seek to fill HR professional positions.

An important feature of the HR curriculum template is that it offers HR academics flexibility in devising HR courses while providing a minimum level of standardization for HR content being taught.

To increase flexibility, creativity and innovation to universities in designing HR curricula, the Guidebook identifies 13 minimum core HR topics that should be required curriculum in every HR degree program as well as 11 elective HR topics to complement the required core. The sample course module templates identify a variety of options to aid universities when developing courses that combine HR content, personal competencies essential to HR and the application of relevant business or policy skills. All sample modules allow faculty to organize topics in a variety of different ways.

SMWC takes pride in providing human resource management students with the business background that they need and the liberal arts education that employers seek. The College's liberal arts general studies requirements help students understand the environment in which organizations operate, and they also gain the skills they need to adapt to organizations' changing needs. The general core of business courses prepare students to understand business as a whole, and the specialized courses in human resource management prepare students for entry-level positions in this field.

SMWC also partners with Indiana State University to sponsor the Wabash Valley Collegiate SHRM Chapter. The group plans to expand next year to include participation from students at Harrison College and Ivy Tech Community College.

“We are so pleased that the Society for Human Resource Management has recognized the quality of the human resources curriculum at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College,” said Dottie King, SMWC vice president for academic affairs. “Students who pursue this major will be blessed, not only with caring and committed faculty, but also with excellent preparation for a career in human resource management!”

At SMWC, students can pursue human resource management as a major or minor in the campus-based program or the Woods External Degree (WED) distance-learning program. For more information, contact the SMWC Office of Admission by email at smwcadms@smwc.edu or by phone at 812-535-5106 or 1-800-926-SMWC.