By Sarah Boraas

Wartburg College Human Resources Director Jane Juchems and Susan Meyeraan, associate professor of business administration, have been certified as Professionals in Human Resources.

Juchems was certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources, while Meyeraan was certified as a Professional in Human Resources

Certification means they have met the high standards of education and experience and demonstrated the knowledge criteria established by the Society of Human Resource Management.

The testing process involved several steps, including passing the 225-question/multiple-choice test within a four-hour time frame. The national pass rate is only about 50 percent.

While not required for their positions, pursuing certification enabled them to become more current with issues in human resources. Juchems described the ongoing challenges in the field.

“There are huge new laws involving health care and pensions and considerable media attention to such things such as workplace harassment,” she said. “In addition, new approaches are being taken to recruiting faculty and staff using website and other avenues.”  

“Receiving this certification shows I know and understand the current principles and practices used in human resource management today,” Meyeraan said. “It helps me know that I am teaching our students the most up-to-date ideas in human resources.

“Jane and I became very close because we were able to study together and share the frustrations of trying to learn a great deal of highly detailed information” she added. “Working together on this process led us to forget about the staff/faculty distinction between our jobs and took our focus to how we could best support each other in what we do at Wartburg.”