Date
Dear Dean XX:
As a representative of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), I am writing this letter to
inform you of helpful, state-of-the-art resources that SHRM has developed as part of its decade-old
Academic Initiative to support your school’s HR curriculum. As revealed in a recent Conference Board
CEO Challenge Survey (2013), the top concern of CEOs globally is managing human capital. Thus, as
universities look to keep their core classes current and relevant for graduates in the contemporary work
world, degree program coursework should help graduates develop skills in attracting, identifying,
developing, and rewarding talent are critical. SHRM’s view is that people management will always be a
critical skill to possess, regardless of the profession in which a business graduate eventually builds his or
her career. Thus, business graduates will be best-served by studying HR as part of the business core
coursework.
The mission of SHRM’s Academic Initiative is to help create better-prepared entry-level professionals
through education, internships, competencies and assessment. To aid your university in its periodic
curriculum review efforts, SHRM offers many complimentary resources, including the free, researchbased white paper on “Moving HR into the Business Core: Critical Information and Creative Ideas,”
enclosed with this letter. This white paper can help committees, advisory boards, faculty and
administrators better understand the current skills needed by business graduates—particularly the
importance of acquainting business students with concepts, skills and experiences in managing human
capital. The white paper presents multiple ideas for moving human resource content into a business
school’s core requirements and presents the pros and cons of each approach, so that your school can
adopt the most suitable approach given its strategy, context and stakeholders. To further help you share
the ideas in this white paper, a complimentary PowerPoint presentation, complete with presenter
notes, is also available online at
http://www..shrm.org/academicinitiatives/employers/Documents/ExecutiveBriefingPresentation.pptx
For further support, SHRM offers undergraduate- and graduate-level course materials in the area of
human capital management. These complimentary case study and learning module teaching resources,
created by respected leaders in the field, include syllabi, lecture materials, assignments and complete
instructor support supplements. For more information about these ready-made instructional resources
and how they can support your business curriculum, please e-mail academics@shrm.org.
Additionally, please be advised that SHRM offers “SHRM-aligned status” to any degreed program, major,
concentration or emphasis in human resources that meets certain content requirements. SHRM’s HR
Curriculum Guidelines integrate the HR Competency Model, which focuses on nine competencies most
relevant for HR professionals. If your school offers a degree or concentration in human resources, please
be sure to apply for this prestigious status by e-mailing academics@shrm.org.
Finally, since 2011, SHRM has been offering its Assurance of Learning Assessment® for Graduating HR
Students. This capstone exams serves the purpose of helping a university meet its accrediting body’s
requirements for direct assessment at the program level. Full details are available at
shrm.org/assessment or by e-mailing assessment@shrm.org for more information.
As a representative of SHRM in the local <INSERT CHAPTER/STATE COUNCIL NAME>, I am interested in
speaking with you about how local HR professionals can become involved with your university and its
many business-related efforts, such as providing guest lecturers, speaking to student groups about the
HR profession, serving on your business school’s advisory council, and filling other emergent needs as
they occur. Please contact me at <INSERT AUTHOR’S NAME>. In the meantime, if you have any
questions on SHRM’s resources for HR educators, the SHRM staff can respond to your questions.
I look forward to speaking with you about becoming involved with <INSERT NAME OF UNIVERSITY>’s
business school.
Sincerely,
<INSERT AUTHOR’S NAME AND TITLE>
Enclosures: White Paper “Moving HR into the Business Core”