Summer Organization Development Intern (Student Activities)
The Division of Student Affairs Internship Program
The Division of Student Affairs Internship Program allows students to spend a summer handling a special project for the university designed to prepare them for life after graduation. Interns will work 19 hours per week for 10-weeks. These part-time internship positions offer a competitive compensation package that includes an hourly wage and housing assistance. Undergraduate students are eligible to apply. The internship runs from June 1, 2020 to August 7, 2020. The application is due February 16, 2020.
Although internships range in subject matter and skill set, each position is designed to prepare all students for life after graduation. For this reason, each intern will submit various assessments relating to their development in the areas listed in the “What You’ll Learn” section below. These skills, otherwise referred to as the NACE career competencies, have been identified by higher education and corporate recruiting leaders as critical to a student’s career preparation.
Please contact utlei@austin.utexas.edu with questions.
*Undergraduate students must be enrolled in the Spring 2020 semester to be eligible.
The Office
Student Activities educates, supports, and advocates for all students in order to facilitate their growth, development, and sense of belonging through involvement in student organizations and leadership.
The Project
A major goal of the Summer Organization Development Intern will be to enhance student engagement with our resources through Student Activities. This position will have the opportunity to help our office build on new successes with our Student Organization Travel program. The intern will work on researching travel policies at peer institutions, leading two focus groups with UT student constituents on travel messaging and planning, and ultimately refining and facilitating a training workshop for Student Organization travel.
The intern will have an opportunity to engage in first-hand research, develop relatable and transferable skills, and The intern will also have an opportunity to benchmark with peer institutions to explore best practices for student organization travel programs, including effective communication and marketing strategies, and how to work with organizations facing non-compliance. The intern will also bring a perspective of the student voice to our travel program, and will hopefully help us identify ways to improve our processes, and be more inclusive of how to advise our very diverse range of student organizations at UT Austin.
The Supervisor
Virginia Luehrsen, Coordinator for Student Activities
Things You’ll Do
An estimated timeline for the work is below:
- Week 1: research peer institutions, overview of role of student activities
- Week 2: research peer institutions, begin learning about focus groups with supervisor, explore how travel fits with other areas of student activities; skills check-in
- Week 3: write up of research on peer institutions; planning for focus groups based on research
- Week 4: put out call for focus group participants; job shadowing around the office; skills check-in
- Week 5: focus group #1; job shadowing around the office + career discussions
- Week 6: focus group #2; job shadowing around the office + career discussions; skills check-in
- Week 7: summarize focus group data and make action plan
- Week 8: incorporate feedback into Travel Workshop – Training event; skills check-in
- Week 9: Present Travel Workshop to Student Activities staff; propose next steps
- Week 10: Facilitate a Travel Workshop for student organizations; wrap up and skills assessment
What You’ll Learn
- Critical Thinking/Problem Solving: Exercise sound reasoning to analyze issues, make decisions, and overcome problems. The individual is able to obtain, interpret, and use knowledge, facts, and data in this process, and may demonstrate originality and inventiveness.
- Leadership: Leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals, and use interpersonal skills to coach and develop others. The individual is able to assess and manage his/her emotions and those of others; use empathetic skills to guide and motivate; and organize, prioritize, and delegate work.
- Oral/Written Communications: Articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in written and oral forms to persons inside and outside of the organization. The individual has public speaking skills; is able to express ideas to others; and can write/edit memos, letters, and complex technical reports clearly and effectively.
Who You Are (Preferred Qualifications)
- Open to all fields of study
- Students who would like to gain experience in public speaking, working with people, and qualitative-style research would find this position particularly rewarding