Community

The HRE Forum - Always Learning, Leveraging Strengths

Who We Are
The Human Resource Education Forum (HREF) is a student and alumni organization providing continuing education and affiliation opportunities to its members in an informal environment. We represent over 300 master's and doctoral degree recipients, and current HRE Program candidates at Boston University, throughout North America, and a host of international locations. Through collaborative efforts across its membership, HREF is committed to advancing the value of the Program's credentials in the marketplace.

Our Mission
HREF serves a community of alumni and current candidates by providing venues for professional development. Through sponsoring events and developing an Internet community, HREF fosters intellectual discussion and knowledge-sharing of best practices and industry standards. As a resource for Organizational Development, Training, Performance Management, and Career Development professionals, HREF is committed to stimulating advancement through lifelong learning initiatives.

Activities
Fostering interaction and support within the Human Resource Education community is one of the Forum's primary objectives. HRE Forum members benefit through access to talented graduate resources to assist in work related projects, while providing candidates practical experience critical to their future careers. Through working together, these "real-world" initiatives are a few tangible examples of how individual members can contribute to enhancing the market value of the credentials we hold in common.

Below are a few initiatives that are meant to connect students and alumni.

Internships
While learning about best practices in all aspects of Human Resource Development, some graduate students welcome the opportunity to utilize this knowledge and their skills in a dynamic organizational environment. The HREF matches highly qualified and self-motivated graduate students with alumni who have internship opportunities and could utilize additional support in their workplace.

Research Projects
Students of the Human Resource Education Program at Boston University are always welcoming suggestions for new projects that are of concern or can have an impact in the HR industry. Project groups are forming on a continuous basis for class work on the master's and doctoral levels. Alumni are encouraged to contact the HREF suggesting areas for further research or an organizational problem they are facing. The HREF will make every attempt to connect them with current students with a similar research focus, to discuss, collaborate, or share information.

Community of Practice
To enhance the mission of HREF, it strives to offer as many avenues as possible to foster group interaction and discuss issues, trends, and concerns of the HR industry, the market, and its people. The HREF welcomes all types of participation, from informal gatherings to more formal topical events, and relies on alumni support in developing this community.