Ten students are getting hands-on experience in the political decision-making process this spring as members of CHEP's Legislative Fellows Program.

Co-sponsored by the College's Institute for Public Administration (IPA) and the Delaware General Assembly, the program links the research capacity of the University with the research needs of the legislature. The experience gives the selected students an invaluable opportunity to assist legislators in dealing with critical issues facing the state, according to director Jerome Lewis, who calls the program "a real, live laboratory with real consequences."

Three days per week from January through June--the length of a full legislative session in Delaware--the fellows carpool to Dover to provide nonpartisan research and staff assistance in the General Assembly. There, they participate in a variety of activities that give them a window into the real-world work experience of the public sector.

"Newspapers, textbooks or rumors on the streets do not convey a comprehensive description of the work that occurs in Dover each legislative session," former fellow Larry Haas says.

Direct involvement by the students has included such duties as writing policy papers outlining public safety and privacy issues associated with concealed weapons legislation, reviewing records analyzing responses
to child abuse complaints in
day-care centers, creating a web site for the General Assembly and researching the costs and impact of farmland preservation initiatives.

Although the students already have strong backgrounds in public administration, political science, urban affairs and similar disciplines, and all undergo a competitive interview process, their selection as Legislative Fellows marks the beginning of an exceptional experience in their chosen field, Lewis says.

"It is a great learning opportunity for these students," he says. "They see different approaches and values from different people around the state--people they might not come in contact with in their University education or their backgrounds."

Nicole Sappe, another former fellow, reports that, "Before this program, I had a picture in my head about state government procedure that wasn't exactly correct. The actual process of passing legislation was a mystery to me because I was not directly involved. Now, I have a more accurate perspective and increased appreciation for the process."

This year's class of Legislative Fellows is composed of six graduate students enrolled in CHEP's master of public administration program, as well as one doctoral student with a concentration in educational policy and three undergraduate political science majors. Several of the 10 have done government-related internships before, including work in congressional and governors' offices. One fellow, Emily Gonce, a master of public administration student specializing in organizational leadership, is beginning a second term in the program.

"I feel that the best way to learn about something is to get involved with it firsthand," Gonce says. "What better way to learn about the interactions of the government than to be in the middle of it? I worked for the Senate Minority Caucus the first time I was a fellow, and I am working with them again now. I feel like I've learned more in the past year in graduate school than I ever learned during my undergraduate career."

Many of the fellows echo Gonce's feelings about the program, claiming that the direct contact and involvement with the workings of the legislature is the biggest advantage of this unique experience. Andrew Haines, another MPA student with a specialization in state and local government, credits the program with being "one of the aspects the MPA program at UD offered that persuaded me to attend graduate school here and not elsewhere."

Current fellow Stacy Savickas says, "There is no other program I know of that gives students such an excellent opportunity to practice life skills while learning how the Delaware legislature operates and making great connections, all at the same time."

Several students cite the importance of the contacts they make with local government officials and business and community leaders as a great benefit of the Legislative Fellows Program. One program graduate reports that, following her fellowship, she was asked to stay on through the summer as a communications intern for the caucus with which she had worked. For students pursuing a career in the public sector, the connections they make in the program can help them immeasurably in the future, participants say.

The current careers of former fellows illustrate this point, as many have gone on to highly placed positions in both the public and private sectors. Devona Williams, a 1987 fellow, is now president of Goeins-Williams Associates of Wilmington, Del., while John Carney (1984) was elected Delaware's lieutenant governor in 2000. Some fellows even have applied their training on the international level; Surendran Balan, a 1995 fellow, is now a legislative liaison officer for the government of Malaysia.

In addition to their direct service in the Delaware General Assembly, the students take a three-credit graduate seminar, "State Government: Management and Policy," and engage in a variety of professional development activities outside their work in the legislature. They earn a stipend that is comparable to a University graduate research assistantship.

But, they say, the most tangible benefits of this program are by far the "real-world" gains that come from experiencing the workings of government firsthand and getting a chance to contribute to that process. "There is nothing quite like being where the action takes place!" Sappe says.

The Legislative Fellows Program currently is celebrating its 20th year. Over those years, Lewis notes, it has expanded from three to 10 annual participants, who are selected each spring for the following legislative session. More information is available on the program's web site, [www.ipa.udel.edu/legfellows], or from the Institute for Public Administration at (302) 831-8971.

--Jeanine McGann, AS '93