MILR Concentration: Human Resources and Organizations
Involvement with HR Executives through the Cornell Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies (CAHRS)
The Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies (CAHRS) offers extensive interaction between its partners and students. In the past year, partners have presented over 20 classroom lectures, and offered a similar number of field projects for students in advanced levels. In addition, nearly 50 MILR students have attended the social events associated with on campus Partner meetings, and 40 to 50 recruitment sessions are scheduled each year between CAHRS' partnering firms and ILR students. Opportunities to network and interact with top executives include:
CAHRS Executive Roundtables
One unique and valuable aspect of the CAHRS partnership is the opportunity for CAHRS executives to interact with future HR professionals beginning their studies at Cornell, and to shape their educational and career choices. Since 1997, the CAHRS Executive Roundtables have offered our partner company representatives and ILR Graduate and select senior students an opportunity to come together to exchange questions and ideas about the field of HR, the most important issues facing individual companies, the skills needed by future HR professionals, and what companies look for in recruiting entry-level professionals.
Details: This event offers an opportunity to meet and exchange questions and ideas with executives from very prominent companies and first and second-year graduate students and seniors from Cornell University's ILR School. The Roundtable sessions will last 30 minutes each rotation with 5-7 students and one corporate HR executive per table. Over the course of the afternoon, students will have had the opportunity to meet with 5 different corporate HR executives. Following the roundtable sessions, there is a reception where students and executives are able to converse in a more informal setting. Company information is available as well as a resume drop box.
CAHRS Partner Meetings
A key part of CAHRS' mission is to play an active role in developing partnerships with academic institutions around the world who share interest in improving the quality of human resource management research and education. To fulfill this mission, CAHRS conducts three partner meetings each year, which bring together executives from partnering corporations and CAHRS researchers to share the latest in research and practice, and discuss critical issues of the day.
Details: These meetings provide students an additional chance to meet with executives from Corporate Partners. Based on recommendations from faculty, students are invited to join networking sessions with executives at dinners or lunches during the partner meetings. Some students are also invited to attend the presentation sessions and breakout groups throughout the events. These opportunities provide students with excellent opportunities to hear about the HR issues that top companies are dealing with and to meet and network with the executives in charge of developing best practices around these issues.
CAHRS Research Assistantships
CAHRS will continue to sponsor Graduate Research Assistantships for the Spring and Fall academic semesters. These positions are for second semester graduate students with a concentration in HR&O and provide students with the opportunity to work on high-visibility projects with approximately 70 human resource executives whose companies sponsor CAHRS, under the direction of the CAHRS Director. Past projects have involved interviews and survey research with top HR executives, completing library research and writing white papers on import topics, and presenting reports to company executives. The CAHRS Research Assistants will participate in sponsor-related activities on key issues of topical interest. Projects will be chosen to provide significant visibility and distinction for the CAHRS Research Assistants. The position provides a standard tuition waiver and a stipend for two academic semesters, provided performance in the first semester is exemplary. Like other research assistant arrangements, CAHRS Research Assistantship projects will involve approximately 15 hours of work per week.
Guest Lecturers and Special Projects
CAHRS serves as a broker, matching speakers to classes and helping CAHRS partners to get the most out of their classroom appearances by working closely with faculty to link topics to the educational objectives. In addition, CAHRS faculty supervise class team and individual student "directed study" projects on key topics. CAHRS partners can participate by providing best-practice examples, responses to surveys, and assistance in shaping the projects. Partners can submit semester-long projects to teams of graduate students, who address the real issues facing corporations. The entire class and professor provide input with both oral and written reports. Class grade is determined by effort, substance, and quality of the report. Partner executives or their representatives have the opportunity to make class presentations on their corporate HR programs and issues.
International Resume Book
Bachelor and master degree students holding F-1 visas are represented in the International Resume Book. In response to the keen attraction to ILR's diverse international populace, each fall the ILR Office of Career Services compiles this resume book for employers looking to hire international students for intern and full-time positions in the US or abroad. Access to this online resume book is open to employers at no cost.
