On Tuesday, September 10, a lively chat was held regarding the relationship between SHRM professional chapters and volunteers, and student programs.  Nearly 129,000 impressions were made, and nearly 36,000 accounts were reached according to Tweetreach.com.

Here are the questions and answers that took place:

Q1 - What are the benefits of working with a SHRM student chapter? 

The participants found a number of reasons to engage with student chapters:

• Students were going to be their future peers; the professional chapter's future depended on them
• Student chapters provide quality access to interns, as well as served as a source to fill future vacancies
• To break down generational barriers
• To fill a programming niche at the professional chapter, as students choose and present a topic of interest to professionals

• Providing free professional chapter membership to students
• Mentoring
• Providing for discounted, or free, registration at chapter meetings, or the state conference
• Providing speakers
• Job shadowing opportunities
• Offering the opportunity to tour a company's plant or workplace
• Financial support - $500 if the chapter earns a Superior Merit Award, $250 if they earn a merit award
• State Council offers $100 to each student chapter that submits a merit award

• The schedule often made planning difficult with the academic calendar running from August-May, which the professional chapter goes from January to December.
• Student turnover made building relationships difficult
• Students often lacking the time to connect or showing interest in the professional chapter 

• Make working with student chapters a bigger part of SHAPE
• Address current chapter bylaws to create a student member category
• Examine new ways for chapters to communicate with students
• Be clearer with professional chapters about the challenges inherent in working with student chapters

• Create a Student Core Leadership Area representative for the chapter
• Create a membership category for students
• Be more aggressive in connecting with the student chapter(s) in the area
• Expand opportunities for students at the state level
• Encourage greater volunteering among professionals with the student chapter
• Utilize Tara Fournier, SHRM's Manager of Member Engagement, as a resource 

With September in full swing, it means a return to campus for students.  And, for some, it means getting ready for year with their SHRM student chapter.   Student leaders are perusing their 2013-2014 Student Chapter Merit Award planning guide in an effort to not only provide quality programming and services to interested students, but to earn recognition for their efforts as well. 

Some of the critical components for the success of a student SHRM chapter include a dedicated advisor, a supportive professional chapter (with a dedicated liaison), and State Council support.  From assisting student chapters with speakers sharing insights on the HR profession to providing mentors or financial support, SHRM volunteers play a crucial role in developing student leaders and future HR professionals.

With that in mind, here are the questions for the College Relations #SHRMChat

 Q1 - What are the benefits of working with a SHRM student chapter?

Q2 - What are you, your professional chapter or State Council doing to support your SHRM student chapter?

Q3 - What are the biggest challenges you face in working with a SHRM student chapter?

Q4 - What could SHRM be doing to help address those challenges?

Q5 - Based on tonight’s discussion, what is one thing you will do to help your student chapter this year?