Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/56523
Your Turn The Essential Undergrad Internship While internships generally are consid- ered an important part of business education, few schools do much to maximize the value of those expe- riences at the undergraduate level. Unfortunately, too many schools consider undergraduate internships to be add-ons, instead of integral parts of the educational experience. But when it comes to differentiating and honing leadership skills, there is nothing better than incorporating meaningful work experiences into an undergraduate's academic career through internship programs. So why do many business schools resist setting up such programs for undergraduates? Some faculty and administrators believe that under- graduates are too young, naïve, and unfocused to capitalize on the ben- efits provided by these opportunities. Yet in my experience, most under- graduates are more than ready to be challenged by unique work experi- ences, but they're frustrated because not enough resources are made avail- able to make those programs a reality. To be sure, undergraduate intern- ships present a number of challenges. But if our students and institutions are to succeed in this difficult eco- nomic environment, it is critical that all stakeholders work together to overcome any obstacles that might block the implementation of these very beneficial programs. First Challenge: Getting Faculty Buy-In For an undergraduate internship pro- gram to be successful, schools must devote one of their most important internal resources to the effort: fac- ulty. Why? Because faculty often con- 54 BizEd NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 sult for businesses and have strong relationships within organizations that can be leveraged to create work experiences for students. The challenge is that internship development takes time away from research, curriculum/class prepara- tion, or both. Identifying the right executives, pitching the program, and managing the logistics—at least until the program can be trans- ferred to the career development office—is a time-intensive process. No wonder faculty are tempted to say, "Thanks, but no thanks." To overcome this obstacle, deans and administrators must build the value of internships into a school's culture. This can be accomplished in part by requiring the participation of both tenured and untenured faculty, who will not only teach and conduct research, but also play a substantial role in developing and sustaining internship programs. While this approach helps young faculty become involved in—and understand the importance of—internship programs early in their careers, it also has a trickle-down effect as they move into tenured positions, begin mentoring new faculty, and take on more high- end consulting opportunities. Second Challenge: Making The Workload Manageable Faculty aren't the only ones who must commit time and energy to an internship program. Students also must make a significant commitment, so it's not surprising when they com- ment on how hard it is to manage an internship while completing academic work and paying tuition. Despite the risk of coming across as an uncaring by Roger Jenkins administrator, nine times out of ten my response is "Too bad." We are living in unprecedented times, and I have no doubt that only the strong will succeed. And those who want to be among the strong must continually find time to fit in a "workout," regardless of how dif- ficult or time-consuming it might be. Bottom line: Both students and their parents must make short-term sacri- fices to achieve long-term goals. Nonetheless, there are ways schools can help students ease the pain. First, they can offer academic credit for internships—an option that appeals to parents and helps students remain committed to the internship program during their col- lege careers. While administrators and faculty often find themselves at odds on this issue, I believe deans can and should be stronger advo- cates for this approach. Second, department chairs can spend more time identifying in-class "bridge" opportunities that give stu- dents access to real companies and allow them to apply what they're learning in class to real-world chal- lenges. While these in-class projects achieve some of the same objectives as traditional out-of-class internships, they require less time and effort. Third Challenge: Building A Strong Foundation In-class "bridge" opportunities also serve another function: They pre- pare undergraduates for the demands they'll face in the workplace. For instance, at Miami Univer- sity's Farmer School of Business, certain courses give students a chance to act as consultants for real companies with real problems. These companies, which also recruit at our school, pay substantial fees