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Newsletter of the MHRLR Program - Fall 2002Welcome New MHRLR Faculty MemberScott Adams joined us this fall after completing post-doctoral studies at the University of Michigan and his Ph.D. at Michigan State University. A policy oriented economist, Scott has published work on the role of age in awarding promotions and the consequences of local "living-wage" ordinances. He is interested in issues surrounding the provision of health insurance and in mobility between jobs. He will bring these interests to the MHRLR classroom teaching both the economics of employment relations and the quantitative course (which we hope to standardize and improve - see associated story).Please join us in giving him a warm welcome. Lurie CeremonyThanks to all who attended the annual Lurie Ceremony on September 23, 2002. Chancellor, Nancy Zimpher, again gave the opening remarks while Deans Meadows and Prasad awarded the prizes.Debora Wallendahl received the 15th Annual Melvin Lurie Memorial Prize, joining the ranks of our fourteen other outstanding graduates. Michael Hornby of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and Dean Smith of Waukesha Engine were jointly awarded the 5th Annual Labor Management Cooperation Prize. Congratulations to all our winners! Also, a special thanks to our past winners. Together they contributed nearly $1,000 to help support the Lurie prizes. Changing the Quant RequirementMany of our alums have strongly suggested we retool our quantitative requirement to make it more applied and broader in focus. We've taken up the challenge, have reviewed our exit surveys and consulted with our advisory board. We envision a single standard course (taken by all students) providing the basics of qualitative research (focus groups for example), survey research and statistical methods. There would be more emphasis learning hands on skills with a variety of specific tasks (say, designing a survey) being the focus of the course. This would be combined with a clear practitioners orientation. Let us know your thoughts. What tools do you use on the job that you would like in the course? What did you like or dislike about the course you had with us? We're committed to improving the requirement and you can help.International HRLRGood News! After a bit of bureaucratic gear grinding, the program has a graduate certificate in International Human Resource Management and Labor Relations. This 12-credit certificate can be earned simultaneously with the MHRLR degree or as a stand-alone credential. Indeed, some of you may wish to come back and see us again. We'd love to see you!This certificate responds to the needs for firms, unions and labor regulators to be educated about the international context that is increasingly important for how they operate. Take any list of current and past buzzwords: quality circles, TQM, broad banding, flat hierarchies and empowerment. These, and many others, began overseas and found their way into our everyday vocabulary. Labor requirements in international trade agreements are increasingly common. Goods, services and increasingly, labor itself cross international boundaries making national labor standards difficult to establish and enforce, changing the context of collective bargaining and requiring new human resource skills. As fitting for our shared program, the credits of our new certificate are divided between the College of Letters and Science and the School of Business Administration. They include Comparative Labor Markets and Employment Relations, International Human Resource Management and Managing Across Cultures. Help us get the word out about this Certificate to others you know who may benefit from such a program. Help us also as we fundraise to support the new program and the associated International Fellows Program (see next story). We look forward to your thoughts as we progress and, as always, appreciate the terrific support of our Alums! International FellowsIn an effort to increase the international context of our courses and to specifically support the new International HRLR Certificate we have started an International Fellows program. We envision bringing in both scholars and practitioners to teach in our classes, provide seminars and act as resources to students and faculty. The sky is the limit here and we're excited by the potential. We have some temporary financial support from the administration here at UWM who agree with us that this is valuable as we educate future LR and HR leaders. The long-term hope is to generate private funds in order to give secure support to this important undertaking. We've started an endowment account with the UWM Foundation and encourage each of you to give what you can to help in these efforts. The faculty themselves have gotten us started with several thousand dollars. A form is enclosed.In addition, put on your thinking hats. We'd be pleased to work with any of your organizations. You may have someone, locally or abroad, who would be a suitable International Fellow. Your firm or organization may be willing to help us fund a visitor and we'd be willing to work with you to generate the publicity and community benefits that would make it worthwhile. Don't think small and give us your thoughts. 2001-2002 GraduatesCongratulations to the following new MHRLR alumni:December 2001: Ann Crawley, Dale Damon, Maureen Eagan, David LaCoursiere, Todd Rodeberg, En-Nien Shen, Karri Tait May 2002: Jill Gover, Joy Hargons, Terrance LaCasse, Michelle Roloff, Wendy Seder, Ellen Venne August 2002: Brad Wirtz Good luck and best wishes! Friends, Alumni and Student NewsThanks for all of your responses to our request for updates. We very much enjoy hearing your news so keep them coming! Here's what we have learned so far...Becky Beer recently took a job as Human Resources Manager with CBS-58, WDJT. Al Levy had a big case this past summer representing the Sheriff of Walworth County in his objection to Alpine Valley holding a Grateful Dead Reunion. As you deadheads know, both sides were finally able to work out a way to allow the event. Was that a tie-dyed shirt Al was wearing in Labor Law last week? Beth Senf is once again on the move. She is now Human Resource Supervisor with Eaton Corporation at the Eden Prairie, MN plant. David Frieder is now working as a Regional Sales Manager for U.S. Bancorp here in Milwaukee. Kyle Balsis is currently the Director of Human Resources for The Melrose Hotel in Washington DC. Naomi Pichotta is currently Director of Human Resources for West Allis Memorial Hospital/Aurora Health Care. Directors CornerWow! What a recruiting year. We have enrolled 31 new students in the last year. Theses students come from India and Taiwan from Missouri and Illinois and from Waukesha and St. Francis. This followed a strong previous year class and many thanks are due to Susan Donohue and to all of you for spreading the word. The numbers mean we're on the verge of offering our entry-level labor and industrial relations class (Ind Rel 701) in each term. We offered Ellen Bravo's Sexual Harassment class as a full-fledged three-credit class this summer (to rave reviews) and had a record enrollment in collective bargaining.We're poised for continued growth. Our new Certificate in International Human Resources and Labor Relations is up and running. (Help us with a donation to fund the International Fellows program.) We have increasingly become the source for HR and LR professionals in Southeast Wisconsin with our student numbers running ahead of those from UW-Madison in their comparable degree. Yet, as always, the single thing that makes us most proud is you, our alums. Keep in touch. Tell us your news. John Heywood, Director MHRLR University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee P.O. Box 413 Milwaukee, WI 53201 |
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