Executive Director Tom Morelock and IT Manager Bob Curry accept the CUPA-HR 'Best Practice' Award at the Midwest Region Conference in Dearborn, Michigan.

At its annual meeting each year, the Midwest Region of the College and University Professional Association of Human Resources (CUPA-HR) recognizes the achievements of its members and presents awards in both institutional and individual activities in a variety of areas. This year at its annual meeting held in Dearborn, Michigan, the State Universities Civil Service System was presented with the Midwest CUPA-HR “Best Practice” award for their web-based electronic pre-employment testing program (E-Test).

The Midwest CUPA-HR is dedicated to the practice of human resources at institutions of higher education. Their organization is comprised of human resource professionals from approximately 395 member institutions including private colleges, institutes, seminaries, comprehensive universities, community colleges, technical colleges, university system offices, research universities, medical colleges, and other professional schools from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Manitoba, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The Midwest region offers unique networking and professional development opportunities custom designed to meet the needs of practitioners in Midwestern colleges and universities.

This award is presented to an individual or team who demonstrates creativity, process improvements, excellence, or professional achievement within a functional area of human resources (either an entire HR unit or smaller subunit). A single significant project or a pattern of smaller projects were considered. Nominations were submitted by various institutions throughout the Midwest Region with the State Universities Civil Service System E-Test program selected by a panel of judges as the recipient of this year's award.

Specific criteria utilized in making the selection for this award focused on the following questions:

• What was the original need/problem/dilemma/idea?
• Why was it important to the functional area of human resources or the institution?
• How was it approached, i.e., what new approaches or methodologies were used?
• What was accomplished or achieved?
• How did the individual or team know they were successful?

The web-based, electronic E-Test program was implemented in September 2005 and will replace the old, inefficient paper-based classification plan and testing process utilized for the past fifty years. Current web design and electronic information processing technologies are utilized in the delivery, management, and security of this new system. Utilization of this system has resulted in significant efficiencies at the institutional level and has improved customer service and applicant processing. Executive Director, Tom Morelock, and IT Manager, Bob Curry, attended the recent Midwest CUPA-HR Conference held in Dearborn, Michigan on April 23-26, 2006 and were presented with a plaque to recognize this accomplishment.