(November 7, 2005) – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – Reed Smith University, the talent and professional development arm of Reed Smith LLP, a top-25 international law firm, swept two top awards recently in its first year of vying for prestigious Corporate University Best In Class (CUBIC) awards. The firm won first place in the Best New Corporate University and the Most Innovative Corporate University competitions, both sponsored by the Human Resources IQ (HRIQ) division of the International Quality and Productivity Center (IQPC).
RSU was launched as a partnership between the firm and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the summer 2004. Headed by Chancellor John F. Smith, III, a Reed Smith partner, RSU courses were taken by more than 1800 Reed Smith partners and employees in 16 cities on two continents in its first year of operation.
?We are very proud to have scored victories in both categories,? said Gregory B. Jordan, the firm?s Managing Partner. ?Reed Smith University is the embodiment of our firm?s commitment to excellence through education, as well as our emphasis on providing all employees the tools they need to reach their full potentials. RSU is one of the key ways we are achieving the ?Reed Smith Edge? in quality client service, employee satisfaction and recruiting the highest caliber people.?
The CUBIC awards annually honor, recognize and promote corporate universities that exemplify true best practices. According to HRIQ, award winners set the standards of excellence for all training organizations.
?I am gratified that the hard work of the firm and our Wharton partners has resulted in such early recognition of our program?s exceptionally high quality,? said firm partner John F. Smith, III, Chancellor of RSU. ?Like the firm that it serves, the University is a world-class operation that makes full use of the physical facilities and technological capabilities of the firm, our extraordinary people and a wide array of third-party providers.?
According to Mr. Smith, RSU includes five schools created to meet the strategic goals of Reed Smith LLP, including providing the highest quality legal services, building and maintaining strong client relationships, and contributing to the best environment for the practice of law. The Schools are Law, Business Development, Leadership, Professional Support and Technology.
?RSUs most significant contribution to the firm?s success is the skillful creation of an exceptionally well articulated and continuous learning environment, preparing the firm for what is and what is not known about the future,? said Mr. Smith.
Both awards recognize organizations that have launched a corporate university in the last year, but each required demonstrated excellence in meeting separate requirements.
To top the competition for the Best New Corporate University award, RSU demonstrated its mastery of the following criteria: alignment to organizational business strategy, documented launch procedures, evidence of a strategic plan for future development, evidence of key leadership support and involvement; and implementation of an LMS for data tracking.
In earning top honors for Most Innovative Corporate University, RSU led the way by: providing evidence of creative problem-solving, developing a new approach to delivery methodology, integrating of educational partners into the corporate university, and whydeveloping innovative methodologies to demonstrate excellent return on investment.
The 2005 awards were announced at the CUBIC Awards Dinner Banquet Tuesday night, November 1, at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club, during the kickoff of IQPC?s annual Corporate University Week conference and exhibition, an event that presents a dynamic forum for the exchange of ideas and formation of new business partnerships for those involved in creation and development of corporate universities. The conference offers the opportunity for top industry leaders to discover the latest developments in training strategy and learning management systems. Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf (Ret.) and Dr. Donald L. Kirkpatrick were featured speakers for the 2005 meeting.
