UWM-L&S: Faculty Document No. 617

College of Letters and Science Faculty Document No. 617
April 11, 2002

Recommendation to Establish a Graduate Certificate in International Human Resources and Labor Relations

Program Identification

1.1	Graduate Certificate in International Human Resources and Labor Relations
1.2	Masters Program in Human Resources and Labor Relations
1.3	Jointly offered by the College of Letters and Science and School of Business Administration
1.4	To be initiated in the Fall of 2002

Rationale

2.1

The Certificate responds to the increasing influence of globalization on the practice of Human Resource Management and the conduct of Labor Relations. The firms and unions in which our students will work are increasingly part of a complex web of international economic relationships. Many of the workplace innovations now taken for granted in Wisconsin began overseas: quality circles, work groups and flatter hierarchies. Many Wisconsin firms operate overseas under very different labor market institutions and human resource expectations. Providing the tools to function as professionals in the increasing broad international context stands as the objective of the Certificate.

Institutional Context

3.1	The Certificate seems a perfect fit with the mission of the MHRLR program and UWM. The vast majority of MHRLR students come from Southeast Wisconsin and will remain in the area for much of their professional life. As alumni, they are engaged with the program and the program maintains ties with their firms and unions. The Certificate responds to the need voiced by this community.
3.2	To the best of our knowledge the Certificate does not duplicate any offerings already available at UWM. It fits solidly into the shared structure of MHRLR.

Need

4.1

While the demand for the program is uncertain, the earlier sections identified it as an area of interest to employers. We anticipate three groups of students completing the Certificate. The first group is MHRLR students who can complete the Certificate requirements within those of their degree program. There were 57 MHRLR students enrolled in Fall 2000. The second group is those students completing other graduate degrees on campus. There will be interest from those doing business degrees and perhaps especially from those doing international business. The third group is those who have already completed a bachelor's degree and wish to return to campus for the sole purpose of the Certificate. The other certificate currently coordinated, in part, through MHRLR, that in Mediation, had 41 students in Fall 2000.

Program Description and Evaluation

5.1	The Certificate is designed to achieve a measure of depth within the defined area. It will be a "combination" certificate. Those admitted to the Certificate will be required to meet the entry requirements of MHRLR including the prerequisites in economics and statistics. While many students will be simultaneously enrolled in a graduate degree, we will not restrict the Certificate to only those students. All classes in the Certificate are at the graduate level and all students will have completed a B.A./B.S. degree. In keeping with the structure of MHRLR, it is an explicitly interdisciplinary Certificate.
5.2	Curriculum: 12 credits of classwork - (shared equally between SBA and L&S) IR 586-701 Industrial and Labor Relations Econ 296-755 Comparative Labor Markets and the Employment Relationship Both Bus. Mgmt. 217-723 Managing Across Cultures, and Bus Admin. 216-738 Human Resource Management OR Bus Admin. 216-795 International Human Resource Management Course substitutions would be allowed with the consent if the MHRLR Director for those who had previously completed similar coursework. In conversations over the summer with Associate Dean Dale Jaffe, we were encouraged to continue seeking a 12 credit certificate in order to "divide" credits equally between schools.
5.3	MHRLR would serve as the administrative office for the Certificate and keep on file declarations of intent (for existing graduate students) or applications for those not enrolled in a degree program. As mentioned, students must meet MHRLR admission requirements to enter the Certificate which includes prerequisites in introductory microeconomics and basic statistics. Thus applicants must hold a bachelors degree with a 2.75 GPA overall or furnish substantial evidence of ability to succeed in graduate level work.
5.4	Students would be required to complete 12 credits within five years and maintain a 3.0 GPA in the Certificate courses.
5.5	Courses counting toward UWM graduate degrees may be "double counted" toward the Certificate. Courses taken prior to admission to the Certificate will be counted only if they are simultaneously being counted toward a UWM degree.
5.6	A Certificate will be awarded upon completion of Certificate courses.
5.7	The Certificate program would be the responsibility of the Director of MHRLR. The Director and Assistant Director would be responsible for development, review and student advising. The MHRLR Coordinating Committee acts as an executive committee for MHRLR.
5.8	The Certificate should be reviewed after an initial five year period and a decision made regarding its continuation.

Resources

6.1

The Certificate requires the creation of no new course. All five classes are currently on the books and IR 701 and BUS ADMIN 738 are taught annually. BUS ADMIN 795 is taught approximately every other year and ECON 755 was taught in Spring 2001 and will be taught approximately every other year as well. The final course, BUS MGMT 723, is also to be taught annually. We anticipate no special fees.