1. Discuss the possibility of an internship with your advisor or the
faculty member in the department where you wish to obtain credit. For example if you are
planning to do a Politics internship, meet with Dr. Jim Riley: he sponsors all Politics
interns. All majors in Politics are required to complete an internship. Discuss this
within your advisor.
2. Meet with the Director of the Office
of Academic Internships . Discuss your career plans and interests. Review
possible placement sites. Go over your time availability. Remember: an intern must work at
least 10 hours a week for an entire semester (120 hours). Plan for your
internship and select your other classes to allow for a minimum of FOUR hour blocks of
time at your site. You must be responsible for providing your own transportation to and
from your internship.
3. Complete your resume. Resume guides will be provided in the office of
Experiential Education. Career Services also support students with resume workshops and
individual sessions for assistance with preparing the resume. After your resume has been
completed turn it into the Office of Experiential Education.
4. Registration: Forms for registering for academic credit for the
internship are in Loyola 12. The forms must be signed by you, your faculty sponsor, and
the Director Academic Internships. Do not turn the registration form into the Registrar's
office, simply return it to that office.
5. Contact Sheets: After your resume is received a contact sheet with three
possible placement sites will be prepared and given to you. Each contact gives the name,
phone, address etc. of a potential internship site. You will receive directions on how to
proceed with scheduling interviews on the contact sheet itself.
6. Learning Contract: The learning contract is an
agreement between you and your faculty member about the structure of your internship. In
order to begin preparation of the learning contract the Office of Experiential Education
must receive a job description from your internship Site supervisor (if we don't already
have one). Your employer may fax a job description to us at 964-5478. It is your
responsibility to meet with your faculty sponsor to complete the learning contract and
develop the learning objectives, activities, and evaluation portions. Please fill in all
areas. The evaluation portion denotes what is required of you for your letter grade. After
you have completed your contract, return it to the Experiential Education office. A copy
will be sent to your site supervisor and faculty sponsor.
7. Evaluations and grades. Two evaluations will be sent to your work site
supervisor, one at mid-term and one shortly before finals. Please ask your direct
supervisor to fill out the evaluations and return them promptly. It will be important for
the Experiential Education office to receive the evaluations in a timely manner because
grades cannot be issued without the completed evaluation form.
All students not covered by their internship employment site, must pick up the Worker's
Compensation form in the Office of Academic Internships.. These forms must be signed and
remain in in that office. A copy can be made for you.
TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL INTERNSHIP
Plan your internship at least one semester (8 to 10 weeks) in advance of the date you want to work to give yourself plenty of time to meet application deadlines.
Apply to a minimum of two or three programs so you will have the chance to choose from several acceptances. That way you won't be closed out entirely if you apply for internships that are particularly competitive.
Agree upon a "work contract" with your internship sponsor or personnel coordinator to spell out your daily work duties, duration of internship, direct supervisor and performance evaluation procedures.
Keep a daily journal to record your work hours, work-related activities, and personal observations to document your internship.
Of primary importance is attitude, reliability, competency and a cooperative spirit..
Be pleasant and willing to take on more than is expected.
Ask pertinent questions, make your work product excellent, and ask co-workers relevant questions about the field.
I. Internship in Politics (Bulletin Description)
3 hours credit per course. Maximum of 6 hours. Students will be placed in a governmental
organization or private institution deeply involved in the political process. Their
progress will be guided and monitored both by the site supervisor and the faculty sponsor.
Emphasis will be placed on locating students at a site where their prior academic learning
can best mesh with on-the-job experience. Departmental approval is required prior to
enrollment.
II. Rationale and Presumptions
A. There can be a mutually beneficial relationship established between
a private or governmental institution and the Regis University Department of Politics and
between qualified students and various agencies involved in politics.
B. There are many private and governmental institutions regularly and
ordinarily in need of intelligent and responsible para-professional volunteers.
C. College students are able if properly screened, and academically
prepared and regularly supervised, to be of valuable usefulness to such institutions.
D. The college student can, in turn, be encouraged in his/her career
choice and be enabled to develop authentic background and some degree of professional
skill and realistic motivation from exposure to a professional experience.
E. In brief, such internship-type placements can be mutually beneficial
to the service institution, to the aspiring student, and to the overall improvement of the
program of professional training being provided at Regis College.
III. Regis' Expectations for Students in the Program
A. Rather than being utilized as a naive and totally untrained
volunteer fit only for messenger services or drudge work, it is to be necessary that the
student-intern would be given semi-professional responsibilities such as:
1) Observation of a professional staff in
action dealing with human and institutional needs.
2) Rudimentary, yet professional,
responsibilities in a professionally-run institution under supervision.
3) Attendance of staff meetings, lectures, or
other activities.
4) Assisting in interviewing.
5) Appropriate interactions with staff and
professional people.
6) Performing case work.
7) Accomplishing research tasks.
B. The student would receive frequent, though not necessarily lengthy,
supervision by an appropriate professional person on
the staff of the institution
of placement.
C. The student would be assigned to a regular schedule of weekly
duties.
D. The student would be thrice screened before acceptance in any
specific placement institution:
1) First by the Political Science Department
intern director to determine that the student applicant is capable, responsible,
and
properly motivated.
2) Secondly, by a member of the office of
Experiential Education to determine whether the student is eligible.
3) Thirdly, by someone from the placement
institution to determine whether, in the opinion of the service institution, the
student is
acceptable and likely to make a contribution sufficient to justify the relatively moderate
expenditure of time.
and energy
on the part of the institution.
E. The student will receive upper division Political Science credit and
a grade for the proper and sufficient fulfillment of duties
assigned by the placement
institution and will, therefore, be subject to strict academic requirements on the part of
Regis College.
F. Some form of written evaluation from the site supervisor is
necessary.
IV. The Regis Commitment to the Placement Arrangement
For our part, Regis will undertake:
A. To identify, as far as possible, to only responsible, intelligent,
well-motivated students with proven track records in
academic course work
germane to the area of placement service.
B. completion of a learning contract between, college, intern, and
placement institution.
C. To provide regular individual trained supervision by professionally
grounded members of our faculty. Such supervision
will include:
1) Discussion of student's daily log of
placement responsibilities and activities and experiences.
2) Discussion of background materials relevant
to student's placement, such as theory, methods, problems, etc.
3) Discussion of background reading suggested
by placement institution and/or by supervisor at Regis.
4) Monitoring and motivation to insure that the
student is meeting satisfactorily the responsibilities of the internship with
unbroken attendance and reliable
promptness.
D. The Regis supervisor would expect to be in regular contact with the
placement institution by phone or other means as
circumstances suggest.
V. Final Paper Requirements
A. A polished, error-free descriptive analysis of the experience is
required at the end of the internship.
B. Purposes
1. to describe in an organized manner the work
done
2. to analyze the experience using concepts
learned in prior course work
3. to demonstrate enhanced knowledge of
politics as a result of the internship.
C. Organization
1. Title Page
2. Table of Contents
3. Body of Paper (Narrative text with internal
headings corresponding to table of contents)
a.
The first part of the paper should be descriptive primarily. Its focus should be on
the activities, duties, and
responsibilities of the intern along with a description of the agency itself.
b.
The second part of the paper should focus on what was learned as a result of the
internship. The writer should
develop about a half-dozen "areas of learning" and then indicate what was
learned in each of these areas. Below
are some suggested "areas" or topics. The focus here is NOT on what was
experienced but what was learned.
4. Summary of Dates and Times Worked
5. Bibliography
6. Appendix (include copies of any written work
produced in the internship)
VI. Procedures for Acceptance into the Internship Program
A. You must be a Regis student in your junior or senior year.
B. You must have completed satisfactory work in your politics courses
already taken. Such courses may include:
POL 215, United States National
Politics
Three other courses such as:
POL 241, Comparative Politics
POL 410, U. S. Public Policy
POL 400 and/or PS 401,
Constitutional Law
POL 403, Courts and the Judicial
Process
POL 410, U.S. Public Policy
POL 421, State and Local Government
POL 482EW, Topics in Political
Theory
POL 414, The U.S. Presidency
POL 416, Congress and the
Legislative Process
POL 413, Elections and Political Behavior
C. You must have the written recommendation of the Politics
Department and written approval from the office of
Experiential Education.
D. You must have a 2.5 GPA or better.
E. Registration: In the event that these procedures are adequately met,
an attempt will be made to place each student in the situation he or she prefers; but
one's preference cannot be guaranteed because of other factors, such as the availability
of specific placement positions and the differential backgrounds and needs of the students
seeking internship placement. By reason of very special and professional circumstances
governing the internship program, student withdrawal without prejudice (i.e. a simple WP
on one's transcript) cannot be permitted since entrance into the program involves not only
registration in a course but also a definite commitment to provide a service to the
participating institution.
In order to register for an internship students must go through the
Office of Academic Internships. Necessary forms are in that office as well as information
regarding proper procedures in the registration process. Interns must complete a Learning
Contract at the very beginning of the internship. A copy of this may be obtained in the
Office Academic Internships. This should be completed in consultation with the site
supervisor and faculty sponsor.
VII. Placements
A. Placement Center Supervision
1) Potential interns will interview with the
prospective on-site supervisor. This person has freedom to accept a student or
not,
depending upon his/her estimate of the student's suitability for their specific program.
2) ABSOLUTE DEPENDABILITY is
required in meeting the schedule of the site office. This refers not only to
presence at the
required times and to promptness, but also to timely completion of assigned projects.
3) Duties and responsibilities which will be
clearly defined by the on-site supervisor and agreed to in writing via the
Learning Contract described above.
4) There may also be assigned readings,
reports, attendance at in-service training meetings, and the like.
5) Regular meetings will be held with the
on-site supervisor as defined by him or her.
6) In general, a student should expect to spend
forty hours on the "job" per semester hour of credit being
sought plus
whatever reading or preparation might be necessary to enable one to meet one's duties
adequately and to profit fully
from
the experience.
NOTE: Should the student fail to meet the reasonable requirements laid down by the on-site supervisor which are necessary to deliver professional services in the placement institution, and the on-site supervisor declares him/herself dissatisfied, Regis will reserve the right to withdraw the student from the course and assign a grade of "F".
B. Regis Supervision:
1) Our best efforts and assistance will be
aimed at providing each placement student with as authentic and professional a
learning experience as possible. Personal
assistance and consultation will be provided in the following manner.
2) There will be a definitely scheduled regular
(probably twice monthly) meeting with the supervisor at Regis. This
appointment
will be set up as soon as the student's class and placement schedules have been finalized.
3) A daily log will be required to be written
immediately following the completion of one's duties on each day worked at
the placement
center. This log should consist of two parts: (1) an accounting of the day's activities
and (2) reflections on
what was observed
in the course of that day. This latter section is particularly important as a basis on
which to
construct the final paper. Drawing upon knowledge gained from prior courses the
intern should in this "reflections"
portion of the log prepare written commentary on topics such as those included in the
section of this guide headed
In the regular bi-weekly
meeting with the supervisor at Regis, bring:
-- Your daily log of
placement experiences.
-- Copies or reports to
and/or feedback from the on-site supervisor.
-- Evidence of progress
in doing the assigned readings, projects assigned by both the on-site and Regis
supervisors.
-- Your own questions,
problems, feelings, attitudes, sense of success or frustration experienced at your
placement.
Final papers for the course Internship in Politics (POL 498E) are an
essential component for completion of course requirements. The paper should be
approximately fifteen pages in length, typewritten or computer printed, double spaced, and
organized internally with headings that correspond to the table of contents. When possible
and appropriate appendices should be attached which might include copies of printed work
done by the intern or other pertinent data.
The organization of the paper should be as follows: Title Page, Table of Contents, Body of
Paper, Summary of Dates and Times Worked, Bibliography, and Appendix The paper must meet
all of the requirements of the Department as set forth in attached materials. Grading
standards are also described in those materials.
CONTENT GUIDES: Due to the unique nature of internships it is vital that
the paper reflect the peculiar character of these courses. There must be a meshing of
prior classroom learning with on-site experiences and observations. This merger must be
consciously developed within the paper. It is critical that the paper contain not only a
description of the activities engaged in during the internship, but also thoughtful
reflections and analysis of the experience itself.
There are various concepts in the study of politics that students must comprehend if any
meaningful understanding of the discipline is to be achieved. Many of these have been
already been presented in previous classes and readings. As an intern you now have the
opportunity to examine those concepts as they relate to the internship experience.
Depending on the nature of the internship some concepts will be more relevant than others.
It is up to the you to choose those concepts that best help make political sense out of
the internship.
Below are various suggestions on conceptual frameworks that might be used in developing an
insightful and thoughtful paper. These remarks are not intended as the totality of
concepts that may be used but as suggested ideas that may serve as a guide during the
preparation and completion of the final paper.
CONFLICT AND COOPERATION: At its very core, politics involves human
interactions that are designed to resolve conflict and promote cooperation in society.
This is true of the behavior of nations as well as the interactions of individual human
beings. As you complete the internship experience you will observe both conflict
resolution and cooperation at your site. How does this process occur, is it successful or
not, what affects this success, are there any special rules by which the process occurs at
your site, and are there any other aspects of these essential functions worthy of note?
POWER, AUTHORITY AND LEGITIMACY: Power is the ability to get someone to
do something they otherwise would not do. Legitimacy is recognized authority enabling one
to achieve desired behavior without the need to resort to threats or coercion. Legitimacy,
in other words, is having the right (in the eyes of one whose behavior is being changed)
to direct that change. One may give a mugger the money he demands, but there is no
legitimacy accorded to the mugger. The mugger gets what he wants through coercion and
fear.
Contrariwise, one gives money to a provider of a service or goods
(food, clothing, shelter, etc.) because it is accepted that the provider has a right to
compensation for their work. At your site you should be able to observe instances of the
exercise of both power and authority. If authority exists from where does it arise? In
other words, how does one acquire authority and/or power at your site? What are its
sources? Are there any perceived differences in the consequences of the exercise of power
as compared with the exercise of authority?
LEADERSHIP: Virtually all organizations are structured hierarchically.
This is done, among other things, to facilitate the identification of lines of authority
and responsibility. One intended outgrowth of this structure is effective leadership.
Structural features aside, leadership traits inhere in great measure to the skills and
abilities of individuals to choose goals, set priorities, develop and allocate resources,
and ultimately to motivate others to act in concert towards the achievement of identified
goals. The manifestation of leadership at your site should receive considerable attention
in your paper. To what extent does leadership exist? Does the organizational structure
reflect accurately leadership location?
MISSION: The mission of an organization or agency is its essential
purpose, its raison d'etre or reason for being. What is the
mission of your agency? Has it changed either explicitly or implicitly over time? Is the
personnel aware of the mission and committed to it?
POLICY: It has been said that public policy is (1) the authoritative
allocation of values; (2) determining who gets what, when and how; and (3) that which
governments choose to do and not to do about perceived problems. What are the primary
policies of your site organization? How are they determined? How is their effectiveness
measured?
LAW: No governmental body in the United States can function except under
authority of law. What is the nature of the enabling legislation undergirding your site
organization? What societal needs prompted the authorizing body (the legislature, the
people, etc.) to establish and empower the legal entity within which you now function? Do
these needs remain today? Does the organization continue to meet the needs as originally
intended?
GROUP INFLUENCE: Organized interest groups lie at the very core of
political activity in the present era. What groups seek to influence if not control your
site organization? What techniques do they use? How effective are they? Are there other
identifiable interests in society that should be concerned about your organization's
activities but are not? What makes some groups more influential than others? Are the
groups relatively stable over time and influence?
IDEOLOGY: Political ideology -- liberalism, conservatism, socialism,etc.
-- are primary factors governing the behavior of some political actors. Is ideology an
important element in explaining the functions performed by your agency personnel? Are the
people at your site of a common mind set regarding political ideologies or are they
divergent? If so, to what extent? Are these divergences significant insofar as the mission
of the agency is concerned?