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77 Wabash College Student Internship Program
John
Hanes, Wabash College
Guy Davis, Wabash College
Wabash College has initiated an innovative strategy to
solve technology staffing problems experienced by many small undergraduate
liberal arts colleges. This strategy targets students talented in the use of
technology and moves them through an intensive training program, culminating in
certifications, graduate course work, and potential hiring. Over a period of
three years, Wabash will have developed a steady stream of technology interns
in the pipeline, taught skills to students which will make them very
employable, and solved our own problem of recruiting computer services staff.
During the freshman and sophomore years, students who
show aptitude for computer use will be asked to work as computer operators,
staffing the student laboratories. As they progress through the year, they are
evaluated for proficiency and are paid additionally depending on their skill
level.
The best sophomores are selected to become Super
Operators their junior year. They are in charge of training the regular
operators and work on additional specific projects.
During their first senior year, two junior Super
Operators are chosen to be Level I Master Interns. They complete two
tuition-remitted Wabash courses per semester, and work half time for Computer
Services. They receive certification classes and a stipend.
During their second senior year, the students again
take two tuition-remitted courses per semester and work for Computer Services
as Level II Master Interns. Responsibilities increase, as does their stipend.
The year after graduation, the student is employed at
Wabash full time, and Wabash funds graduate school courses. The student trains
and manages the Super Operators, provides workshops, and works on projects. As
staff, they earn salaries and benefits.
The plan has several benefits, including the freeing of senior computer staff from routine projects, the availability of training to students with marketable skills, and the presence of trained support at a lower cost.
Keywords: students, training, internships, staffing