(Ithaca, NY, December 19, 2007) — eCornell and Cornell University's ILR School (Industrial and Labor Relations) have launched an online Strategic HR Management certificate program to provide rising HR leaders with key concepts, practices and tools to transform today's HR function and drive bottom-line firm performance. Delivered via a flexible online environment, the new program harnesses the ILR School's workplace research expertise with an interactive and accessible format for busy middle- to senior-level HR professionals.

"Chief executive officers are increasingly recognizing the importance of employee talent to their ability to compete," explains Patrick Wright, Ph.D., the ILR School William J. Conaty/GE Professor of Strategic Human Resources and director of the Cornell Center for Advanced HR Studies (CAHRS). "And with that recognition," he added, "HR is being asked to step up to the plate. The eCornell courses we've developed will allow HR managers to do just that — helping them effectively fulfill the business leader role in ways that have a quantifiable effect on the firm."

The Strategic HR Management certificate program consists of the following six instructor-led, student-paced courses. Each course was developed in conjunction with ILR School faculty and subject matter experts:

• Finance and accounting for non-financial managers
• HR Leadership
• Aligning HR Strategy with Organizational Strategy
• Diversity and Inclusion for Bottom-line Performance
• Building a Talent-Management Culture
• Measuring HR's Impact
• Employee Engagement

The course series uses eCornell's Structured Flexibility model, which combines the structure of a traditional classroom learning experience with the convenience of an online environment. eCornell courses unite proven e-learning functionality, such as simulations and interactive content, with live virtual discussions among instructors and a cohort of peers from around the world. HR professionals who complete all six courses will receive a certificate from Cornell University and improve their ability to implement strategic HR practices in their businesses.

"Patrick Wright, Christopher Collins, and Quinetta Roberson — as professors and subject matter experts — are honing the theories and practices driving today's modern HR transformation," says eCornell Chief Executive Officer Chris Proulx. "Through our courses, HR managers have an ideal opportunity to learn from these experts' rich organizational experiences and extensive research, while accessing Cornell University resources and forging relationships with peers across industries and around the world."

eCornell, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cornell University, provides many of the world's leading organizations with online, asynchronous professional and executive development in the areas of strategy, leadership and management development, human resources, financial management and hospitality management. Its proven course development model and instructor-led course delivery provide for engaging, rigorous and interactive learning. For more information, visit www.ecornell.com/capability.

The Cornell University ILR School (Industrial and Labor Relations) was founded in 1946, with the original mission "to improve industrial and labor conditions in the State through the provision of instruction, the conduct of research, and the dissemination of information in all aspects of industrial, labor, and public relations, affecting employers and employees." Today, more than 60 years later, the ILR School is a unique academic institution with national and international reach addressing the breadth of modern workplace issues. ILR focuses on advancing the world of work through cutting-edge research, excellence in teaching, and commitment to outreach to improve workplace practices and influence government policy-in New York state and throughout the world. ILR is the nation's only institution of higher education to offer a four-year undergraduate program focused on the workplace, several types of graduate degrees, and diverse continuing education programs and workshops. To learn more about the ILR School, visit www.ilr.cornell.edu.