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Internships
Exposure to the practice of Student
Development Administration through an on-site
internship in a student development office in
post-secondary institutions. Three one-credit
(100-hour) internships are required for a master's
degree in Student Development Administration.
Internships are short term, part-time opportunities
where students work at an institution in a supervised
position. Students are expected to work as professional,
and to receive the training and supervision
necessary to be successful in the position.
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Students are eligible to begin their internships
after they have completed the following courses:
SDAD 577:
Principles of Student Development Administration
SDAD 578:
Foundations of the Student Affairs Profession
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Goals
- To provide qualified students with practical
experience in the day-to-day administration
and operation of one or more areas of student
affairs administration
- To enable students to carry out responsibilities
requiring the use of administrative skills,
under the guidance and leadership of their
supervising administrators
- To encourage practicing administrators to
take an active role in the preparation of
future college administrators
- To allow students to explore different areas
of student affairs
- To stimulate students to analyze their interests
and abilities as they relate to different
student development areas
- To sensitize future administrators to the
need for creative leadership in all types
and levels of student affairs positions.
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Nature of the Internship
At this point in the program, two distinct
"types" of internship experiences
have emerged. The first is the "established"
internship. This internship has been established
by the site supervisor in response to a need
in that office for additional support, which
can be filled by a graduate student. This ongoing
internship is often known to students in the
program as one that is available on a regular
basis. Students usually hear about these internships
by word-of-mouth or through postings.
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The other type of internship is the "created"
internship. This internship comes as a result
of a student wanting to do an internship at
a particular type of institution, or with a
particular internship supervisor, or on a specific
issue. The student will approach the institution
with some idea of what he or she would like
to accomplish, then work with the site supervisor
to establish some goals for the internship.
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In either case, the objectives of the internship
are the same. The student is encouraged to come
to the initial meeting with the site supervisor
with some ideas for the internship and then
to develop a work plan.
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Internship placements are available at selected
universities, colleges and community colleges
in the Puget Sound area. The university coordinator
or fellow SDA students may be able to provide
you with ideas for internship sites.
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On occasion, internships may also be arranged
outside of the local area, provided that all
of the internship responsibilities can be completed
satisfactorily.
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Site Selection
The internship site is cooperatively selected
by the student, personnel in the sponsoring
organization, and the university coordinator.
Students are encouraged to complete several
informational interviews at different sites
before they settle on an internship site. This
is meant to insure that the student finds the
correct "fit" with the institution
and the site supervisor.
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Tips to keep in mind when conducting an
informational interview:
- When arranging a meeting time, explain clearly
who you are and the purpose of the meeting.
- Ask for only 30 minutes of time--these are
busy individuals.
- Think about questions that you will ask
ahead of time and write them down.
- Be specific about the type of internship
you're looking for.
- When the interview is finished, write a
thank-you note, regardless of whether you
will be doing the internship there or not.
Program brochures and copies of the supervisor
handbook are available for you to take to discuss
with interested supervisors. They may be obtained
from the master's program office in Loyola.
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When selecting an internship site, consider
the following:
- Your courseload for that particular quarter.
Will you have the time you need to devote
to the internship?
- Work or other responsibilities that you
might have during the quarter.
- What that particular site will be like at
that time of year. For example, if student
contact is important to you, is summer the
best time for your internship? Would fall
be the best time to do an internship in financial
aid, or would they have more time for you
at another time of year?
- The size and type of office you are considering.
Will they have space for you to work in? Will
you get the kind of supervision that you need?
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The internship site should provide:
- Opportunity for student growth in identified
areas
- Professional work experience in student
affairs
- Supervisory feedback about student progress,
achievement, and areas needing improvement
- Opportunity for a minimum of 100 hours of
participation per credit hour. It is recommended
that each student spend between two and three
half-days per week on their internship.
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Once the internship site is selected, the student
should complete Part 1 of the Application and
Approval Form and give to the site supervisor
for completion. The site supervisor should obtain
the signature of the appropriate dean, director,
or vice president (if necessary). Once it is
signed, return the form to the university coordinator.
Final approval of the site will rest with the
university coordinator as shown by signature
on the Work Plan.
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Competency Analysis
Students should begin planning for the internship
experience by analyzing their current competencies.
You will need to decide which competencies are
a priority and which ones can be addressed through
the internship experience. Because each internship
has a limited time frame, plan to work on only
a few competencies. The selected competencies
should be identified on the Internship Work
Plan.
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Examples of competencies that can be addressed
in the internships:
- Time management/organization skills
- Presentation/public speaking skills
- Knowledge of budgets
- Problem solving
- Networking
- Working with faculty
- One-on-one work with students
- Grant/report writing
- Running meetings
- Computer skills
- Knowledge of technology
- Research skills
- Program/event planning
The list of competencies is included to help
you in your planning. Other competencies which
are not listed above might be more applicable
to a particular internship experience.
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Responsibilities
The student is responsible for initiating,
planning, carrying out, and evaluating the internship
experience as outlined on the Student Responsibility
Checklist. The student will work cooperatively
with the site supervisor and the university
coordinator in all phases of the internship.
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The site supervisor provides an opportunity
for the student to participate in organizational
activities, monitors student performance, and
evaluates student accomplishments as outlined
on the Site Supervisor Checklist. The site supervisor
should notify the university coordinator immediately
if the student fails to perform internship responsibilities.
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The university coordinator provides
institutional support and maintains approval
authority for all plans, activities, and reports.
The university coordinator also provides feedback
on student journals, conducts at least one site
visit for each internship, and coordinates the
internship seminar program. The university coordinator
can assist, as needed, with site identification
and work plan development.
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On-the-Job Activities
Each student's administrative experience will
be different. It will be jointly designed by
the student, the supervising administrator,
and the university coordinator. Each experience,
however, should include the following:
- Observation of the supervising administrator
in a variety of settings
- Assumption by the student of at least one
responsibility for which the student will
have primary responsibility
- Dialogue between the student and the supervising
administrator about:
- the student's work
- the interaction between that office
and other university agencies
- current issues and problems in that
specialization of student affairs
- ethical principles and dilemmas
- professional standards
- career possibilities in the specialization
locally and nationally.
The student should also be encouraged to visit
and observe practicing administrators in other
positions and at other levels in the organization.
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Credit and Grading
Internships are graded "CR" (satisfactory)
or "N/S" (not satisfactory) upon completion
of all requirements. If internship requirements
are not completed at the end of a grading period,
students will be given an "N" grade.
This flexibility allows students to begin and
end internships at a variety of times. The "N"
grade must be replaced by a "CR" grade
to receive credit for the internship. Students
who receive "N" grades are responsible
for submitting the proper form to the university
coordinator to remove these grades. There is
a one-year period in which to remove "N"
grades.
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In order to receive an "CR" grade,
or to remove an "N" grade, students
should submit the following to the university
coordinator:
- completed journal(s)
- internship analysis (to university coordinator)
- internship evaluation (to supervisor)
Additionally, the site visit and all projects
must be must be completed. Students completing
internships are encouraged to develop a portfolio
of their work in the internship. Samples from
students who have completed internships are
available for review.
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Work Plan
The Internship Work Plan form should be completed
after the Competency Analysis, the Application
and Approval Form, and the meeting with the
site supervisor are completed.
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The function of the Work Plan is to provide
an outline of the major projects students plan
to complete during the internship. Students
should begin by identifying an objective-- a
statement of intent about the action they will
undertake during the internship. Identify the
competencies which will be improved while working
on each objective.
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For each objective, identify the tasks, the
participants, the resources, and the projected
timeline. Use a separate copy of the form for
each objective. Students should identify at
least two objectives for the internship, but
probably not more than five because of time
limitations. Each form must be signed by the
student, the site supervisor, and the university
coordinator.
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Weekly Journal
A minimum of once per week, students should
make an entry in a journal to be kept specifically
for the internship. This should be a "reflective"
journal which documents activities and accomplishments,
as well as any struggles or dilemmas students
are facing. This journal should be turned in
to the university coordinator every two weeks
(weekly for summer internships) for comment.
This journal need not be shared with site supervisors.
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Evaluation With Site
Supervisor
Near the end of the internship experience,
the student and the site supervisor should meet
to conduct an evaluation of the student's work
and of the internship. The student should initiate
this meeting, but the site supervisor should
feel free to do so if the student does not.
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The meeting should focus on the evaluation
of the student's performance of the on-the-job
activities agreed to before the beginning of
the internship. The student should come to the
meeting with a written evaluation of the experience
to share. This evaluation will typically be
2-3 typed pages, and include suggestions for
other students interested in undertaking a comparable
internship at this site.
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All work due by the student should be turned
in to the site supervisor prior to this meeting
in order to enable the supervisor to evaluate
the student's work performance. A written evaluation
should be completed by the site supervisor and
given to the student, with a copy to the university
coordinator.
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Site Visit by University
Coordinator
At some point during the internship, the university
coordinator will visit the internship site and
meet with the student and the internship supervisor.
The purpose of this meeting is for the university
coordinator to see your work site, meet with
your supervisor, discuss what you've learned
during the internship, and answer any questions
that your supervisor might have.
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The student should take the initiative to plan
a time for the site visit with the university
coordinator and his or her site supervisor.
It is helpful to ask if the university coordinator
needs directions to the site, assistance with
parking, or other details.
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Seminars
All students participating in the internship
program each quarter are required to attend
monthly seminars to discuss the internship assignments.
The seminars may meet more regularly during
the summer. All seminars must incorporate at
least one form of instructional technology.
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The purpose of the seminars is to share your
experience at that site with your fellow students.
The analysis questions listed below may be helpful
in planning your seminar talk. The most effective
seminars are those that include information
about the projects you've done, as well as your
experience on that campus, and any struggles
or accomplishments from your internship. Also
think about what you've learned as well
as what you've done.
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You are encouraged to invite your site supervisor
to the seminar. Although the seminars are not
graded, a thoughtful, well-organized, professional
presentation is expected. Careful presentation
ensures that you will be able to get your points
across more effectively, which adds to the enjoyment
and understanding of your fellow students and
any site supervisors who might be present. Plan
to attend all seminars for that particular
quarter as a professional courtesy to your peers.
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Internship Analysis
At the conclusion of the internship, students
should analyze their experience. Use the following
open-ended statements to guide the analysis.
Each student should think about their contributions,
their gains, and their need for further study
or experience. This analysis need not be shared
with site supervisors, but will be reviewed
by the university supervisor. Be sure to sign
and date the analysis.
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Setting:
- The setting of my internship was good because...
- The setting of my internship was limited
by...
- My initial analysis of the organization
was...
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Site Supervision:
- What I really appreciated about my supervisor
was...
- Her/his best qualities include...
- The level of supervision provided was...
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Organizational Staff Responsibilities:
- The staff time is primarily spent...
- Skills critical to staff success include...
- Staff managed their work load by...
- Team work was especially important when...
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Self Assessment:
- Something important I learned from this
experience is...
- I contributed most by...
- I still need to improve my skills in the
area(s) of...
- If I were to repeat this experience, I would...
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General:
- Future interns should...
- The university or university coordinator
should...
- The intern seminars...
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Sample Timeline:
Although each internship is unique, the following
timeline is intended as a guide to illustrate
when and how internship tasks are completed.
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6-8 weeks before internship:
- Student approaches site supervisor for informational
interview
- Site supervisor and student agree upon a
mutually acceptable internship
- Internship beginning and ending dates are
discussed.
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1-2 weeks before internship:
- Student and site supervisor complete and
sign Internship Application and Approval Form.
- Student completes Work Plan, submits to
supervisor for signature.
- Student submits all paperwork to university
coordinator for approval.
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Internship, week 1:
- Student and site supervisor meet to discuss
workspace, goals, work hours, office norms
and culture, appropriate attire, etc.
- Student begins to meet office staff.
- Student begins organizing projects.
- Student makes weekly entry into internship
journal.
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Internship, weeks 2-10:
- Student works on projects, updating supervisor
periodically.
- Weekly meeting between student and site
supervisor to discuss internship.
- Student makes weekly entry into internship
journal.
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Internship, week 6:
- Student coordinates site visit with site
supervisor and university coordinator.
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Internship, week 7:
- Student invites site supervisor to internship
seminar.
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Internship, week 8:
- Site supervisor attends internship seminar
with student.
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Internship, week 10:
- Student completes all projects.
- Student completes internship analysis.
- Student meets with site supervisor for evaluation
of internship.
- Site supervisor evaluates student's performance
in writing.
- Site supervisor writes letter for student's
portfolio.
- University coordinator submits grade (students
who will not finish their internship by the
end of the quarter should request an "N"
grade)
- Student writes thank-you letters to those
responsible for internship.
For more information about the internship requirement
for the Student Development Administration program,
contact the Program Coordinator, Dr.
Jeremy Stringer, (206) 296-6061.
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