Chapter 12: Working with Campus-Wide Internship Coordinators and Centers

Because internships take place outside the classroom, many institutions have developed policies, protocols, and related documentation to ensure that students, faculty, and the institution know their responsibilities and are prepared to deal with difficult situations. These requirements occasionally change and may not be well known to faculty. Rooted in personal experience and observations at California State University, San Marcos, the author suggests how to best leverage the services of a campus-wide academic internship office or coordinator. Likely benefits and disadvantages of working with a campus internship office are identified to generate conversation about how political science departments might work effectively with a campus internship office where they exist or could be established. (Keywords: developing internship program; internship office; internship coordinator; managing internship program.)