Internships and Summer Programs (2011 Strategic Plan)

Hampshire has created a number of innovative interdisciplinary programs using grant money as start-up funding, including CBD (Culture, Brain, and Development), DART (Design, Art and Technology), Global Migrations, and the Lemelson Center (Design and Fabrication). There is no current long-term mechanism for funding staff and faculty hired in this manner or to continue programming initiated via soft money. We must find a way to successfully sustain these programs. For example, a new initiative is underway with funding from the Eileen Fisher Company that seeks to develop a vision for design thinking, creativity, and social entrepreneurship across campus. This initiative currently involves DART, The Lemelson Center, and faculty in design, architecture, computer science and other areas. IDEO, a design and innovation consulting firm, has also been involved in this visioning process.

We also have programs within Schools that promote interdisciplinary scholarship/art, serve a varied student body, and/or are in high demand areas. These include CYL (Childhood, Youth and Learning), the Center for Interpretive and Community Based Research, Film/Photo/Video, Studio Art, CLPP (Civil Liberties and Public Policy), the Farm Center, CPSC (Community Partnerships for Social Change), Africana (Black) Studies, Human Biology and Health, Animal Behavior, Environmental and Sustainability Studies, and Global and International Studies, to name a few. Similarly to programs begun with grant monies, these programs have specific funding needs but budgets are a patchwork of funds from the affiliate Schools, Dean of Faculty office, and outside funding initiatives. The academic deans have committed to supporting these current programs institutionally. Through endowment of staffing and operational budgets, much can be done to grow and strengthen these programs.

1. Program Evaluation and Needs Assessment

With the help of Institutional Research, all interdisciplinary and cross-School programs will be reviewed, determining which programs should be further developed and in what ways. This process would include the Dean of Faculty Office and Institutional Advancement in order to identify possible funding sources.

2. Partnerships and Collaboration

Programs, Schools, and cross-program groups should also seek to identify programs or potential partners with goals similar to those at Hampshire, as we have done with Mellon funded Five College Faculty positions. Grants co-written with other institutions could lead to larger impact projects that would advance the work of the programs while attracting new funders who are looking for broad impact.

Comments
Please include your thoughts on the importance of the initiative, how to frame the issue, things that may be missing, and any additional comments here (you can do so by logging into Hampedia and clicking edit):


 * It's not clear to me how this document relates to internships and summer programs. I think it is important sustain and further develop our many successfull interdisciplinary programs.  I think internships and summer programs deserve specific attention, as well.  Internships and summer programs are clearly related to (and often funded by) interdisciplinary and academic programs on campus.
 * I agree that internships deserve specific attention, apart from specific programs. Hampshire should strategize to offer funding for every student to do at least one internship during their time at Hampshire.  Internship funding that comes through specific programs such a CLPP, CPSC, CBD, DART and Global Migrations is great and should continue, however these funds only support very specific types of internships.  Students need funding that will support any substantive, relevent internship regardless of the content or subject matter.   Securing funding for all types of summer internships is crucial. A study done by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) shows that undergraduate students who do internships are more likely to get job offers upon graduating, and that they are offered higher salaries. Our students need to have internship experiences if they are to remain competitive in the job market, yet in this tough economy students are finding it more difficult to get family support for summer internships, many of which are unpaid. Offering every student the opportunity to have at least one funded internship opportunity will not only have a direct affect on student success, but it will also increase students' feeling of affinity towards Hampshire College. In the long term, this will increase alumni giving to the college.
 * Smith, Mt. Holyoke, and Amherst College all offer grant funding for student internships. Please see the links below: http://www.smith.edu/acad_specialpraxis.php http://www.mtholyoke.edu/cdc/funding.html https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/cce/intern/ces
 * In terms of internships and summer programs, these are things that offer students real world experiences and networking opportunities. Why don't we create a program using our wide net of alumni to create mentor-ships in students third or fourth year to help foster development in an area of interest. I imagine it to be like alumni advisors. The alumni body would be able to volunteer to be a student mentor for a specific field. It would be a great way propel Hampshire beyond the liberal arts stigma of being heavily academic focused but leaving students with little real world skills after graduation.Let us expand the spirit of Hampshire out to our alumni and continue to foster that community. Vincenzo Alexander S11
 * I agree with all of the comments above. I like the idea of having alumni advisors/mentors for third/fourth year students.  I just graduated from Hampshire and am having a difficult time finding a job...  Rebecca Thomas, F'07
 * I think this plan somewhat brings up a very important point. Another source of income for Hampshire we should examine is grants and partnerships.  Daniel Homer
 * It's very interesting to see that the comments show entirely different priorities not reflected in the plan. The request for internship funding is quite common, and is extremely mission-relevant - as an institution we believe that different forms of learning are just as important as learning within the classroom, and internships are one of those other forms of learning. We should be doing a much better job of supporting internships. In addition, regarding Vincenzo's comment - we actually do have something like that, in its beginning steps, with the Social Venture Fund. That program should be expanded, and be used as a pilot to figure out how a system like that could work college-wide. - Ananda Valenzuela