Academic Membership in ISM

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The Services Group interacts with four targeted universities that have Supply Management (Purchasing) undergraduate degree programs.

• Arizona State University

• Michigan State University

• Rutgers University

• University of San Diego

• Western Michigan University

The ISM Services Group focuses in 5 key areas:

• Scholarships

• Internships

• On-Site Activities

• Mentoring

• Student Membership

Scholarships:  The ISM Services Group provides scholarships annually and present to the students at the annual conference. In addition, the Services Group provides financial assistance for students and professors to attend various Services Group conferences and the annual ISM conference by subsidizing conference fees and portions of travel expenses.

Internships:  Getting the targeted universities and Services Group companies linked pro-actively to provide student internships is a natural process to offer full time career opportunities while promoting various services procurement professions.

On-Site Activities: A fundamental approach for mutual involvement and education is to engage in on-site activities at the universities.  Services Group companies and/or ISM could do the following to promote Services Procurement:

• sponsoring/attending campus events related to Supply Management

• making presentations (joint or individual) at conferences and to student groups

• guest lecturing in classrooms

• booths at Career Fairs

• recruiting efforts

• becoming members of Advisory Councils

Mentoring Program:  The primary mentoring focus is to educate the universities, professors, and students about the Services Procurement profession in general while also promoting the ISM organization.  Once this is established, the ISM Services Group will then incorporate traditional mentoring by establishing and supporting a strong professional mentorship program that is designed to encourage, promote, and coach junior members of the profession, who have either just entered a new role or are in higher education planning on a role in the supply management profession.  This can be accomplished by Services Group company members that would volunteer to mentor students (for example those beginning their senior year and into their first jobs).

Student Membership Program:  The Services Group actively attempts to bring students enrolled in college supply management degree programs into its activities by a number of actions.

For more information about University Relations and the ISM Services Group please contact:

• Chris Flum  CFlum@harmanbecker.com

• Marty Bell  mbell@amfam.com