How to Win the Superior Merit Award
The annual Merit Award program recognizes chapters for outstanding
activities and programs in four broad areas:
- Chapter support to the professional development of members.
- Chapter support of SHRM.
- Chapter support of the profession.
- Professional operation of the chapter.
All SHRM student chapters are invited to submit an entry and chapters can
earn awards regardless of their size. (You can read more about the Merit Awards
in the Chapter FAQ). Here are some tips for successfully competing
for these honors:
Appoint a Merit Award Vice
President
Designate one individual who will be responsible for completing the Merit
Award entry. If no one person is responsible, the task of tracking
chapter activities and completing the Merit Award entry can easily "fall
through the cracks." Many active chapters fail to get the recognition
they deserve simply because they don't take the time to complete an award
entry.
Work on the award application throughout the year.
Review the application at the beginning of the school year and plan your
strategy for accumulating the required number of points. Plan your
chapter activities to support your goal of winning the Superior Merit
Award. As you complete activities throughout the year, fill in the
appropriate spaces on the award application and keep copies of any
necessary documentation. Some chapters keep a notebook or file
specifically for the Merit Award so that all the needed information will
be in one place at the end of the year. If you wait and try to assemble
everything in March, the job will be much more difficult.
Read the directions carefully
The Merit Award application will seem complicated the first time you read
it, so allow plenty of time to read and understand the directions. In
most categories you simply write the requested information in the space
and the category is complete. Read carefully and be sure to provide the
information requested. However, for the categories marked with an
asterisk (*), you must provide additional documentation. Don't let this
scare you! Following are examples of appropriate documentation:
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Seminar sponsored by chapter
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Program or flyer from the seminar. Should list the chapter as a
sponsor or co-sponsor of the event, the time and date it took place.
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Company visit programs
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Flyer announcing the company tour or a sign-up sheet of people who
participated or a copy of a thank-you letter to the company.
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Bonus Activities
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Brief explanation of the event or project: who was involved? What
did they do? What was the result? Copies of any relevant flyers,
programs, letters, or articles can also be included. If there is a
tangible project such as a resume book, a research report, or a
certificate of participation, include a copy.
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When providing documentation, ask yourself: Could someone unfamiliar with
the chapter understand this event? Does this documentation provide
evidence that the event or project took place as described?
Practice “front-end loading”
Plan to get the majority of activities completed in the fall semester.
This way, if you fall behind you still have time to get the needed points
in the spring. Remember that "senior-itis" will strike in the spring
semester and chapter officers may be thinking more about finding a job
than about completing activities for the Merit Award. Completing a lot of
activities and projects in the fall (the "front-end" of the year) will
make it easier to follow through in the spring and win an award.
This Year's Winners
For a complete listing of this year's winners, visit Echoes Online and view the "Awards and Certification" section.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
If the Merit Award process seems overwhelming, go to your chapter advisor
or your liaison from the professional chapter, and ask them to help you
make sense out of it. They want to see you succeed and they are there to
support you. You can also contact Student Programs at SHRMStudent@shrm.org
for assistance in understanding the award application. The phone number is 1-800-283-SHRM x6084.
As you prepare your application, remember....
1. Provide documentation only for those categories marked with an
asterisk (*).
2. Make the entry easy to follow. Use tabs or other method to mark each
section.
3. Count each activity in only one category. Double counting of speakers
or conferences in more than one category is not allowed.
4. Keep a completed copy for your chapter. Merit Award entries will not
be returned.
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