Student Organization Applies Technology to Overcome Pandemic Challenges
After a virtual election, the SDSU chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management sought a similarly nimble approach to recruiting new members.
“They learned how to pivot and to be flexible during a time of uncertainty — skills that will serve them well in their future careers.”
In spring 2020, the San Diego State University chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM SDSU) was preparing to elect new officers for the 2020-21 academic year.
Typically, aspiring officers would give live presentations to the organization’s members immediately prior to holding the election.
But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SDSU shifted to virtual instruction beginning in March, and student organizations had to quickly adapt to hold meetings online.
A student organization with the mission of preparing students for careers in human resources, SHRM SDSU adjusted accordingly and even found a way to use technology to creatively hold their first virtual election.
“Our president, Kelly Huynh, had all candidates submit a prerecorded video of their campaign speech a few days prior to the election,” said Michelle Dean, the organization’s founder, current faculty advisor and a management professor in the Fowler College of Business.
“She then compiled the videos into a slide deck and had all of our members vote for the candidates via a Google form. It took some additional time and effort, but the process went fairly smoothly. I consider it a success for our first-ever virtual election.”
As the fall semester approached, SHRM continued their online activities meeting activities and hoped to find a solution to recruiting new members while respecting social distance.
“We traditionally had our officers present information about SHRM in classes which align with human resources,” said Dean, who was named “Advisor of the Year” for 2015-16 by SHRM’s national organization. “Our executive officers produced an informational video about SHRM which we will use to connect with students in the classes we would normally visit in person this fall. The video encourages students to stay engaged in co-curricular activities despite courses moving online for the fall semester and invites them to check us out.”
Dean noted that social distancing has provided SHRM SDSU members with some unique educational opportunities. “The pandemic required students to be innovative to keep the organization moving forward and to develop personally with the transition to online learning,” she said. “They learned how to pivot and to be flexible during a time of uncertainty — skills that will serve them well in their future careers.”
SHRM SDSU has been recognized with an Outstanding Chapter Award five times and with a Superior Merit Award twice by SHRM’s national organization. They have also honored with an Outstanding Student Organization Award by both SDSU Associated Students (2014) and by the Fowler College of Business (2015-16).
