Information and Best Practices

Activity tracking

Students event records are available on Experience WMU. SPuRS credit will not be awarded retroactively for college-sponsored, scheduled events that have taken place in a previous semester. It is the students responsibility to cross-reference their personal account to ensure  their SPuRS progress is up-to-date and accurate within the academic semester that the activity took place.

The SPuRS path can be accessed via Experience WMU, found in the GoWMU student portal. Once logged into Experience WMU, students can view their SPuRS.

Students receive SPuRS credit in three distinct ways:

1. Attendance: Be sure to swipe your Bronco Identification Card to sign in for these events. This is the formal method for verification that the item is complete.
2. Department or College Reported: Some activities will be reported to a SPuRS representative by faculty or through departments directly. Please allow time for this communication to take place. Updates will be made to your SPuRS progress as soon as possible.
3. Self-Reported: Some of these experiences are self-paced—you report your experience via the blue "Report Experience" button found in Experience WMU at the item level. Often this process requires students to provide personal reflection, updated worksheets or other applicable documentation to support item completion.

Attendance

Showing up is the first step to success. Students are encouraged to view their timeliness as a performance measure within the SPuRS program and after graduation in their careers. In order to receive credit for activity participation, students must arrive on time. Once a session or workshop has begun, it is disrespectful to the facilitator and other attendees to enter the room. It is the students responsibility at each SPuRS event to document and record their attendance for SPuRS credit to be awarded.

SPuRS events begin on-time, every time. For this reason, students should plan to arrive 5 to 10 minutes early. To receive SPuRS credit for a workshop-like activity, students must stay for the duration of the scheduled event.

Falsifying check-in information or leaving an event before its completion with the intention of receiving SPuRS credit are examples (but not a complete listing) of academic dishonesty in SPuRS and will be reported. SPuRS adheres to the WMU Student Code of Conduct.

Events like career fairs, day-long conferences, and networking sessions have a more flexible attendance policy in that students can attend portions of the event as their schedules allow. However, students must inform the event coordinator of their need to attend only a portion of the event. Students will only receive SPuRS credit if they fully communicate with SPuRS staff and establish a mutual agreement regarding event participation.

Please speak with the SPuRS program manager if you have questions pertaining to the attendance policy.

Audits and level completion

Upon completion of the minimum requirements for both the foundational and advanced level of SPuRS, students must initiate a formal audit through Experience WMU. The foundational level audit must be confirmed and verified by a SPuRS representative prior to applying to the Haworth College of Business and the advanced level audit must be confirmed and verified by a SPuRS representative prior to applying for graduation.

Example of how to process a foundational level SPuRS audit in Experience WMU:

1.  Log in to Experience WMU.

2. Click on the "SPuRS Foundational Level" button found in the Paths section on the home page.

3. Click on the "Level Completion - SPuRS Foundational" button.
4. At the bottom of the page you should see "Foundational Level Audit Required" button. Click on that button.
5. Click on the blue "Report Experience" button at the bottom of the page.
6. Select the "SPuRS - Foundational Level Audit" button.
7. Fill out the audit information required and click "Submit".

PLEASE NOTE: The Academic Advising Office will not process B.B.A. applications or sign off on graduation audits if the applicable SPuRS audit is incomplete. Students typically apply to the college in the fourth semester of school (second semester of sophomore year). Application for graduation tends to take place a semester prior to your expected graduation (first semester of senior year).

BEHAVIOR

Proper business etiquette is often portrayed by behavior and attitude. You are in control of your outlook and ultimately your approach to everyday life. It is an expectation that students demonstrate professional business etiquette at all SPuRS-approved activities. Appropriate behavior includes, but is not limited to, timely attendance, active engagement, respect of the facilitator and fellow participants, and approaching the experience in a positive, engaging manner.

"All individuals are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and civil manner. This includes exemplifying academic honesty, integrity, fairness, trustworthiness, personal responsibility, respect for others, and ethical conduct. These attributes are exhibited in the University setting as well as in the community."
—WMU Student Code of Conduct

The event coordinator and SPuRS representatives reserve the right to dismiss students from activities when they are being disrespectful and exhibit unprofessional behavior. This demeanor will not be tolerated and is in direct violation of the WMU Student Code of Conduct. If this occurs, the student will forfeit credit for the event and additional disciplinary action may occur.

Capacity

Workshop and other training session capacity is limited to the restrictions of the designated room. This policy aligns with University safety concerns and allows event coordinators the ability to manage size constraints for specific events. Students are encouraged to plan ahead and earn SPuRS credit before the end of the semester. Remember, early arrival for SPuRS events helps to guarantee your "seat" for the scheduled activity. Event capacity can become a concern at any point throughout the academic year, but events taking place at the end of the semester tend to reach capacity quickly.

It is at the facilitators discretion to close registration or sign-in if the event capacity is reached.

CALENDAR

SPuRS-approved activities are typically college and University sponsored.  A calendar of approved activities is compiled at the start of each semester.

View the Calendar

Please note, events may be removed or rescheduled due to cancellation, severe weather or illness. Changes to the schedule are posted to the website as soon as possible. In addition, these changes are communicated through the weekly news article published in Experience WMU and the text reminder system.

Added events are not a guarantee, so students should plan their semesters accordingly to take full advantage of professional development opportunities.

EVENT REGISTRATION

SPuRS representatives will scan student Bronco Identification Cards at specific events to track attendance and manage event registration. This documentation is also used to award credit for attendance-based experiences. Students are strongly encouraged to carry their Bronco Identification Cards with them at all times and is the student's responsibility to take the appropriate steps at each SPuRS event to have their attendance documented in order to receive SPuRS credit. On occasion attendance may be collected with a manual sign-in sheet.

It is recommended that you collect and save any handouts, agendas and applicable materials available to you at SPuRS events. If there is a question in regard to your attendance, you may be asked to provide proof of your attendance and these items would help confirm your participation.

NEWSLETTER AND UPDATES

The SPuRS program manager will publish a weekly news article in Experience WMU informing students of upcoming events, any applicable changes and recent updates.

Students are strongly encouraged to join the Student Professional Readiness Series (SPuRS) organization in Experience WMU and regularly check for these news articles.

PROFESSIONAL ATTIRE

It is recommended that students dress in business casual for SPuRS-approved activities and events. In situations where employers are present, it is strongly encouraged that students dress in business professional attire. When in doubt, err on the side of formal. It is better to be over dressed than under dressed.

Please note: If you are not appropriately dressed, you may be asked to leave the event and you will not receive SPuRS credit. Keep in mind that professional dress is only one component of your professional image.

REPEATING EVENTS

Students should feel welcome to attend SPuRS activities and events more than once for continued learning and growth. However, students will not receive additional credit for attending a repeat event, unless the experience is distinctively altered. For example, the Entrepreneurship Forum invites a new speaker for each event in the series, so repeat attendance for the Haworth College of Business Speaker Series is recognized in the SPuRS framework.

As a general rule of thumb, SPuRS completion requires 12 unique SPuRS-approved activities.

REQUIREMENTS

Students are expected to complete a minimum of 6 foundational level SPuRS-approved activities prior to applying to the Haworth College of Business and formally declaring their chosen business major(s). An official SPuRS audit must be initiated by the student in Experience WMU before a SPuRS representative can confirm level completion and update the student's Degree Works. This update in Degree Works confirms the student's eligibility, from the SPuRS perspective, to process a B.B.A. application with the Office of Academic Advising and Admission into the Haworth College of Business.

Transfer students are strongly encouraged to take Business Preparation for Transfer Students (BUS 3000) in place of the required BUS 1000 course in the pre-business curriculum. This course is taught by dedicated Zhang Career Center staff and incorporates the content found in the foundational level of SPuRS. For this reason, if passed with a "C" or better, BUS 3000 will satisfy the foundational level of SPuRS.

To complete the advanced level of SPuRS, students are required to complete a minimum of 6 advanced level SPuRS-approved activities prior to applying to graduate. Similarly, students must initiate an advanced level audit in Experience WMU before a SPuRS representative can confirm level completion and update Degree Works.

Students are encouraged to view SPuRS as an opportunity to invest in their own career readiness and not simply another graduation requirement. With that in mind, students have the opportunity in the advanced level of the program to receive designation based on their level of engagement with advanced experiences.

• 6 advanced level SPuRS-approved experiences: Bronze SPuR
• 12 advanced level SPuRS-approved experiences: Silver SPuR
• 18+ advanced level SPuRS-approved experiences: Gold SPuR

This designation is recognized with a lapel pin that will be awarded during a pinning ceremony as part of the SPuRS capstone course, BUS 4000, Business Professionalism.

Please Note: Business students who attend WMU as part of an international partnership agreement with catalog year 2017 and earlier will not be required to complete SPuRS as a graduation requirement (this is true for 2+2 and 3+1 partnerships). Effective catalog year 2018, 3+1 partnership students will not be required to complete the SPuRS program, but 2+2 partnership students will be required to complete the advanced level of the program.

RESERVATIONS (RSVP)

Some SPuRS events require pre-registration and my also require an official RSVP to reserve your personal space (examples: Practice Interview Day or Resume Critique Day). These events are marked with an "*" on the published SPuRS calendar of events. Specific event details can be found in Experience WMU and will always redirect students to the official registration process or point of contact for additional questions.

If you have questions, please be sure that connect with a SPuRS representative prior to the event to provide adequate time for the formal RSVP and event registration process.

SELF-REPORTED EXPERIENCES

Some Western Michigan University SPuRS-approved experiences are student initiated and can be completed at any time throughout the students' undergraduate journey. Examples of these experiences include, but are not limited to: informational interviews, FOCUS assessment reflections, internship experiences and interview reflections.

Students are strongly encouraged to inform themselves of what is expected in terms of activity verification in advance of completing the activity. SPuRS credit will not be awarded if all verification materials are not provided in the self-reported experience tool in Experience WMU. Examples of verification materials include, but are not limited to: reflection worksheets, preparation and follow up worksheets documenting the process, contact information for support of completion and a screenshot of any follow up email communication with the third party.

How to submit self-reported activities in Experience WMU for SPuRS credit:

1. Log in to Experience WMU and the SPuRS path to find the item you are attempting to receive credit for.
2. Read the bold statement to confirm what documentation is needed to receive credit. In some cases you are provided with worksheets. (Note: You may be redirected to log in to your Office 365 email account in order to access provided worksheets. Use your Bronco Net ID and password to access the document).
3. Click "File" on the top left of the screen, click "Save As" from the drop down menu. Save the document in an easily accessible location on your computer.
4. Find the document on your computer and make the necessary updates (complete the form). Remember to re-save the document to your computer before you exit the screen.
5. Log back into Experience WMU, the SPuRS path and the item you want to get credit for, click on the blue "Report Experience button and find the appropriate experience type ("SPuRS - "). Complete the form and upload the updated document to the software (accessing your personal saved file).

After you have clicked "Submit" your submission will be sent to the administrative side of the software. A SPuRS representative will be reviewing these self-reports on a weekly basis. Please allow time for review and approval.

Please Note : If you are using a Mac, you may need to save your file using the following steps:

1. Click on "Tools" > "Forms" > "Add " or "Edit."
2. Click on "Edit" from the top bar > Select all.
3. Right click on one of the form fields and click on "Properties."
4. Click on the "Appearances" tab.
5. Change the font size.
6. Click "Close."
7. Click on "Close Form Editing."
8. Re-save the document to your computer.

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES

On occasion, the SPuRS Program Manager may approve unique, one-time offered experiences to count for SPuRS credit. This approval is at the discretion of the SPuRS Program Manager and the Implementation Team.

Students who are engaging in co-curricular development experiences that are not formally represented in the SPuRS framework are strongly encouraged to connect directly with the SPuRS Program Manager in advance of the experience to discuss how the experience is growing you professionally and supporting your career readiness.