President’s Pen
by Betty Lonis, SPHR

First, let me provide you with a quick update on the status of the Board's planning session I mentioned last month. The Board met recently to outline our goals and objectives for the coming year. We had a very productive session and generated some great ideas for the future of HRACI. We are in the process of finalizing the goals and objectives and will look forward to communicating further details soon. One thing that continues to be clear is that for us to accomplish our goals, we will need to involve more of our members. So, again, be thinking about areas you might be interested in volunteering, because we will be asking for volunteers soon!

I want to thank everyone who expressed interest in the Finance Director role. We received several candidates for the role, which is wonderful. Unfortunately, we only had one position to fill. I'm pleased to announce that we have appointed Debbie Williams to the role of Finance Director. Debbie is the Business Manager for Somerset: Accountants and Advisors. Debbie has a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Indiana University. She is also a Certified Public Accountant and has her SPHR certification. Please join me in congratulating Debbie on her new role.

For those of you who attended our March meeting, you received a preview of our newest member benefit, a mentoring program. The purpose of the HRACI Mentoring Program is to provide a process to link an experienced human resource professional (mentor) with an inexperienced human resource professional (mentee) to help the mentee develop more quickly in their personal and professional growth. Whether you are an experienced professional or an inexperienced professional who would like to expend your knowledge, I encourage you to sign up for this program. I think you will benefit from the program no matter which role you play. If you were unable to pick up an application at the meeting, the forms will be on the web site for you to complete and return.

Please feel free to contact me at 317-277-5345 or president@hraci.org.

I look forward to seeing you at the April meeting!

The new HRACI Mentoring Program was developed to provide a process to link an experienced human resource professional (mentor) with an inexperienced human resource person (mentee) to help the mentee develop more quickly in their personal and professional growth. The mentoring program will provide a method for a mentor to share his/her professional knowledge, serve as a role model, and use his/her skills to provide career guidance to an inexperienced human resource mentee. The program will also provide the mentee with the opportunity to receive coaching and advice in establishing goals, to have an experienced human resource professional to serve as a role model and sounding board, and to develop professionally at a quicker pace. Click here for more details on the program.

Interested in becoming a mentor? Click on the appropriate forms:Mentor Application and Matching Questionnaire for Mentor

Interested in becoming a mentee? Click on the appropriate forms:Mentee Application and Matching Questionnaire for Mentee

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HRACI Presents:
What Every HR Manger Should Know
About HIPAA Implementation

Presented by Shelly Swinford, HIPAA Privacy Employer Lead, CIGNA HealthCare. The key objectives of the HIPAA regulation - member privacy and administrative efficiency - are two critical issues facing the healthcare and human resources fields today. Come hear Shelly Swinford, CIGNA Healthcare, share leading strategies for HIPAA implementation including:

• A brief overview of the law
• Implementation update
• Effective administration to ensure individual rights
• Verification procedures and disclosure
• Employer touch points
  

Location:
Murat Center; Michigan and New Jersey, in downtown Indianapolis. Parking is free.

Time:
11:30 a.m. Registration & networking
12:00 noon Luncheon
12:30 p.m. Presentation
1:20 p.m. Adjournment

Program Cost: Members $20, Guests $30, Students $10

Sponsor: CIGNA.

Reservations: Call (317) 767-9275 or email meetingreservations@hraci.org by April 11, 2003. Please be sure to include your name, company name, phone number and indicate whether you are a member, student or guest. No reservations will be accepted after this date.

Payment Method: Bring payment to the meeting. We accept cash, checks or credit card (Visa & Mastercard). Checks should be made payable to HRACI.

Cancellations: Cancellations after 5 p.m. April 11, 2003 will result in a billing for the meeting cost.

Next Meeting: May 15, 2003: Preventing Workplace Violence.
Come hear Deborah K. Hepler, Locke Reynolds LLP, present strategies for preventing workplace violence.

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Don't forget, April 30, 2003 is the deadline to apply for the HRACI Scholarship. The scholarship is open to junior or non-graduating seniors at accredited colleges or universities in Marion County or one of the surrounding counties, intending to actively pursue or continue a career in human resources upon graduation. The applicant must be or become a member in good standing as a student or professional member of HRACI (as specified in Scholarship Acceptance Agreement), have a 2.5/4.0 cumulative grade point average and be enrolled for a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester. Click here to apply.

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Each year, Area III (Upper Midwest) has $5,000 to award to SHRM members for either academic scholarships or certification scholarships.

The application deadline for 2003 is May 1. Late applications will not be accepted. Only complete applications with all requested documentation will be considered.

Program Overview

Funded by the SHRM Foundation, the Area Scholarship Program is administered by the six SHRM areas. The Foundation has committed a total of $30,000 annually to be awarded by the areas to national SHRM members pursuing a degree or professional certification in human resource management. (Note: applicants must be professional, general or associate members of SHRM; student members are not eligible for this program.)

Each area may award up to $5000 (6 areas x $5000= $30,000) in scholarships annually. The areas should try to award the money as follows: $2500 to members pursuing graduate or undergraduate studies in HRM and $2500 to members pursuing certification, or to programs that promote PHR/SPHR certification. However, each area may determine how it divides the scholarship money based on the applications it receives.

Timeline

• May 1 - Postmark deadline for scholarship applications.
• June 1 - Winners selected.
• June 7 - SHRM Foundation notified of area results.
• June 15 - Winners and all scholarship applicants notified of results.
• June 30 - State councils and chapters within area notified of results.
• July 31 - Winners receive scholarship checks from the Foundation.

Application Forms

Academic Application: www.shrm.org/foundation/2003_areaAcademicApp.doc

Certification Application:
www.shrm.org/foundation/2003_areaCertApp.doc

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are local chapter members who are not national SHRM members eligible to apply for a scholarship?
A: No. Applicants must be national SHRM members in order to receive a SHRM Foundation area scholarship.

Q: How do applicants find out whether or not they have won?
A: The scholarship committee is responsible for notifying all applicants when the winners have been selected. This will be done via phone, mail or e-mail prior to announcing any results. In addition, the committee will also forward the names of the winners and the amounts of their scholarships to the appropriate SHRM area manager and to the SHRM Foundation.

Q: How will the winners get their money?
A: Once the Foundation has received the contact information and scholarship amount for each recipient, checks will be cut and sent out directly to recipients with a letter of congratulations.

Q: Where should the scholarship applications be sent?
A: All applications should be sent to the appropriate SHRM area manager:

Sandy L. Boost, SPHR, CAE
Area III Manager, SHRM
P.O. Box 260, Waterville, OH 43566-0260
Fax: 1.419.878.7426
E-mail: sboost@shrm.org

Q: Where can I find more information?
A: Online at www.shrm.org/foundation/2002_scholguidelines.asp

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Answer: An exciting national competition featuring teams of college students answering HR questions.

Question: What is the HR Games?

For the past three years, the SHRM Foundation has been a major sponsor of the national HR Games collegiate competition. The competition brings together teams of undergraduate students from SHRM student chapters to compete in a series of Jeopardy-style matches. The matches feature human resource questions drawn from the PHR exam body of knowledge. The HR Games is an excellent way for students to prepare for certification, network with professional members, and enjoy some friendly competition. Don't miss the national championship at the SHRM Annual Conference in June! The HR Games is just one way the SHRM Foundation is supporting the next generation of human resource professionals. For more details on the HR Games, visit www.shrm.org/students/hrgames.

The SHRM Foundation: Leadership for Changing Times

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