Mini-Internship Program

Once established, students participating in the internship program can expect to: 

• Gain hands-on experience working on projects alongside professionals in higher education

• Obtain an overview of higher education history and current trends 
• Obtain opportunities to engage with staff, faculty, and campus administrators to network and gain an understanding of institutional culture 
• Participate in opportunities for consistent and intentional self-reflection 
• Gain an understanding of professional standards, and career competencies needed to excel in their chosen career path
• Identify and articulate professional and personal values, strengths, and interests
• Develop an increased level of self-efficacy and competency in their professional pursuits
• Gain exposure through shadowing and informational interviews of various careers to identify career and major interests. 

Committee Members 

• Ryan Girves (Information Specialist, Public Relations and Strategic Communication)
• Grace Hahn (Director, Office of Student Organizations and Activities)
• Kyra Hunting (Chief Diversity Officer, College of Communication and Information)
• Te’Asia Martin (Program Coordinator, Center for Graduate Professional and Diversity Initiatives; Doctoral Student)
• Todd Stoltzfus (Program Director for Experiential Education and Service-Learning, Stuckert Career Center)
• Mark Williams (Career Advisor, Stuckert Career Center)

A major accomplishment during academic year 2020-21 was pulling together a full report and overview of what it would take to enact this program. In addition, they looked into what it would take to do a pilot internship with one current UK student throughout the summer where they learned about the profession in partnership with a national student affairs professional association (NASPA). Project 8 learned a few key pieces of information that will help shape the way the program is structured. There was a lot of individualized mentoring required to support this student throughout their experiences in the summer, and it is preferred that this comes from outside of the department. As part of the program, project 8 will need to consider how to utilize the class sessions or a mentorship through the semester to assist the student(s) in their growth and development. Project 8 also learned that preparation and training is key for the departments that are hosting these interns. Not only does project 8 want them to be aware of student development foundational best practices, but also how to engage and support students from minoritized backgrounds. 

Next Steps

Project 8 plans to build out the curriculum for a spring launch and fall recruitment of students for the program. Project 8 was able to pilot a NUFP internship program (NASPA National Undergraduate Fellows Program) this summer that mirrored what this program would look like for departments. The committee gained a lot of information related to best practices when working with departments as well as the support needed to help students navigate this type of experiential education. Project 8 plans to meet bi-weekly this semester.   

The university plans to implement new programs and explore existing ones dedicated to student internships.