Internships and Academic Seminars

An invitation
to affiliate

ForPublic
For Public Colleges
Colleges
and
andUniversities
Universities

2010
2010
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 Dear Colleagues:

Do your institution’s priorities include:

Recruiting and retaining strong students?

Providing students of all majors high-quality internships?

Michael B. Smith
President
Offering international study options and internships abroad?

Cultivating special opportunities for particular groups, such as

honors students, national fellowship candidates,
and students of diverse backgrounds?

Launching your graduates—and future alumni—on successful

career paths?

Providing opportunities for leadership and civic engagement?

Providing opportunities for faculty development?

Ambassador Alan J. Blinken
Chairman For over three decades, The Washington Center for Internships
Council of Presidents
and Academic Seminars has helped colleges and universities
Phillip Austin accomplish these goals. It delivers more than a semester “away”
President Emeritus
University of Connecticut
and coveted internships. It provides an integrated, credit-worthy
William G. Durden
experience that transforms theory into practice, ambition into
President
Dickinson College
purpose and potential into achievement­—an experience that
Mark A. Emmert
transforms.
President
University of Washington That’s why hundreds of public colleges and universities in the
Nathan O. Hatch
President
U.S. and abroad choose to partner with The Washington Center.
Wake Forest University

William E. Kirwan We hope you’ ll want to work with us, as well.

Chancellor
University of Maryland System

Sally K. Mason Sincerely

President
University of Iowa

Mark S. Wrighton
Michael B. Smith Ambassador Alan J. Blinken
Chancellor
Washington University
President Chairman
in St. Louis
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For more than 30 years, our students’ educations at The University of Iowa have
come alive through the professional work opportunities of The Washington Center
Internship Program. Our students have interned at the White House, a non-profit
focused on recent refugees, the Public Defender’s Office, the EPA and scores of other
meaningful placements. A Pomerantz Career Center program at the UI,
The Washington Center is a trusted partner in helping students transition from
the classroom to successful careers in society.
Sally Mason, Ph.D., President
The University of Iowa

What is The Washington Center? Our Washington, D.C. internship

A nonprofit educational organization in
program has three main components
Washington, D.C., The Washington Center A tailored internship: We maintain ties
serves colleges and universities that want to with more than 1,000 internship sites in
extend their curricula to the nation’s capital governmental, international, business and
and, increasingly, key cities in other countries. nonprofit organizations. With help from our
Founded 35 years ago, it now has 75 staff, some professional staff, students choose a substantive,
40 associated faculty, and more than 40, 000 supervised internship tailored to their academic
alumni from more than 1,000 institutions in the and professional interests and needs.
U.S. and abroad.
An academic course: We offer 35 to 50 a
What exactly do we provide? semester, in a range of disciplines and inter-
disciplinary areas. Students choose one, taken
In our main internship program, we provide for three hours, one evening a week. Faculty
students of all majors academic semesters and are highly qualified academics (a course guide
summer terms centered on tailored internships with biographies is available) and are often also
in Washington, D.C.—and in a growing set practitioners in their field. Through a partnership
of international locations (currently London, with Johns Hopkins University, selected students
England; Oxford, England; and Sydney, may take their course in one of two Washington-
Australia).* based graduate programs there.
We also provide academic seminars, typically The Leadership Forum: We enrich students’
one to two weeks in length, as well as customized internships and academic study with some
faculty-led programs. Every four years we remarkable programming not possible for
organize the only national academic programs programs of a smaller scale. For example, at our
for college students at the major political President’s Lecture Series students hear from and
conventions. question members of the cabinet, ambassadors,
leading journalists, and CEOs. Our Public Policy
Dialogues on Capitol Hill program enables
students to meet in smaller groups with Members
of Congress or their staffs. All students carry out
a civic engagement project in an area of personal
or professional concern. To document, analyze,
and reflect on the internship experience, students
also complete an internship portfolio.

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* The Intern Abroad Programs differ in some respects; for more information, visit www.twc.edu/internabroad
 UMBC students have benefited enormously from participating in The
Washington Center. Placements range from the National Endowment for the
Arts, the Department of Defense, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center
for Scholars to the Department of the Treasury and the office of a Member of the
Australian Parliament. Through these challenging internships, The Washington
Center is helping to advance our students’ academic and professional development,
and supporting our university’s mission.
Freeman A. Hrabowski III, Ph.D., President
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)

How can institutions be assured that a student’s work with us is

worthy of academic credit?
Sample Since they award their own academic credit The internship
Internship Sites for students’ work, there’s no more important
Internships are tailored and substantive. They are
U.S. Department question for our affiliated colleges and
arranged and supervised by professional program
of the Treasury universities. With our nationally representative
advisors, typically with master’s or J.D. degrees
U.S. Congressional Offices Liaison Advisory Board, we’ve been developing
and extensive experience in their fields.
Voice of America
the answer for over three decades—and the fact
that hundreds of institutions award credit for Our agreement with our several thousand
U.S. Environmental placement sites—most of which are long-time
Protection Agency
what students do here speaks to the success and
appeal of The Washington Center’s approach. partners—is that internships will be substantive
Amnesty International and challenging, and that at least 80% of the
First, some background. The amount of credit and
The White House student’s work will be non-clerical.
the type or types of credit colleges and universities
National Institutes of Health Every student’s Washington Center program
award are, of course, institutional decisions. But
Woodrow Wilson generally students receive 12 to 16 hours for a 15- advisor visits the work site to ensure that the
International Center university’s—as well as the student’s and the
for Scholars
week semester and 6 to 12 for a 10-week quarter
or summer term. Some credit may be in the major, organization’s—expectations are being met; if
CNN not, and we can’t resolve the problem, we will find
some may be elective or general education credit.
Merrill Lynch Some credits may be graded and some awarded the student a more appropriate placement.
INTERPOL pass/fail. We are happy to provide guidance as An institutional member of the National
Law firms and lobbying firms well as examples of “credit packages” from similar Society for Experiential Education (NSEE), The
institutions. Washington Center adheres to the principles of
National Education
Association How, then, can an institution be assured that a good practice specified by this organization, as
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the student’s work with us is credit-worthy? Some of well as the guidelines for internship programs
District of Columbia the key assurances: adopted by the Council for the Advancement
ABC News of Standards in Higher Education (CAS).
Peace Corps Admissions standards Washington Center program advisors also
participate in NSEE’s Academy of Experiential
Among thousands of others We admit only students who are ready for a
Education series of training seminars.
challenging academic and work experience.
All have official approval of a liaison or faculty
sponsor. The average GPA of enrolled students
is over 3.3. Successful applicants join one of the
most diverse and motivated peer groups in the
country.

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There may be other programs offering a Washington experience to undergraduates,
but there is none better than The Washington Center. The enormous personal
attention given to students in the The Washington Center’s periodic week-
long programs and their superlative semester-length internships is exceptional.
Students return to campus filled with enthusiasm instilled in academia
and government.
Ross K. Baker, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus

From left to right, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright,

NPR President Kevin Klose, and former Secretary of Transportation
Norman Mineta are among many recent speakers. 5
 The Washington Center’s internship and academic seminar programs provide
exceptional opportunities. Through their experience as interns in all kinds
of workplaces in Washington, D.C. and abroad, our students gain a deeper
understanding of politics, economics, and social justice in a national and global
context. Our affiliation with The Washington Center enables students of all
majors to receive academic credit for their internships through their home academic
departments, and they return to our campus greatly enriched by these experiences.
James McKusick, Ph.D., Dean
The Davidson Honors College and Campus Liaison, The University of Montana

Sample Academic courses Grading of student performance

Public Institution We hire only highly qualified instructors—the Just as colleges and universities provide their own
Affiliates large majority with both terminal degrees in their credit for students’ satisfactory completion of our
University of Iowa fields and successful college teaching experience. internship program, they determine students’
Many also bring a valuable perspective of recent grades. The Washington Center, however,
Arizona State University
or current practice into their classrooms. provides the campus the documentation it needs
University of Florida to make this determination. This includes, in
A detailed course guide is provided in advance
University of Connecticut addition to a brief mid-term evaluation, final
of each term, containing academic policies,
The College of New Jersey evaluations from the student’s program advisor,
biographical information on faculty and course
site supervisor and course instructor, each of
University of Rhode Island summaries. We can provide individual course
whom also recommends a grade. The student’s
Indiana University of syllabi on request. Courses and instructors are
portfolio is also sent back to the institution.
Pennsylvania carefully assessed each term.
Miami University
University of Cincinnati
Tailored programming and portfolio Inspection visits and requests for
Rutgers the State University
learning references encouraged
of New Jersey Under the guidance of their program advisors, We invite faculty and other campus
Saint Mary’s College students in our thematically-organized program representatives to visit at any time for a full
of Maryland areas—Political Leadership, International orientation to our program—internships,
University of New Hampshire Affairs, Business and Management, Media and academic courses and Leadership Forum—
San Diego State University
Communication, Advocacy, Service and Arts, and to tour our facilities, including our new
Law and Criminal Justice, and the like—meet headquarters building, state-of-the-art academic
Indiana University
together as groups each week for panels, speakers, center, and academic and residential facility.
University of Maryland site visits, and other programming focused on If you would like to visit us, we may be able to
The University of Memphis their specific areas of interest. help with the expense.
Truman State University Week by week, students also compile portfolios We also invite prospective partners to speak with
University of Alaska in which they document, analyze and reflect members of our Liaison Advisory Board, who are
University of Massachusetts on the experiential components of their work. faculty and administrators from some 40 of our
Components include an individual development affiliated institutions across the country. Please
Florida State University
plan, résumé, analyses of lectures, a report on contact us if you would like selected names and
The University of Montana
an informational interview, a civic engagement contact information.
University of Washington assignment, sample work products and a
And hundreds more “final defense letter” to the student’s institution
explaining why the experience has been
credit-worthy.

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We consider The Washington Center a partner of the University. For more than
twenty years, it has offered our students coveted internships in a wide variety of
fields. It has given them the skills needed to enter and succeed in the workforce,
and they’ve returned to campus with a renewed, energized and more focused
approach to their career planning.
Robin Lee, Ph.D.
Associate Director of Career Development Center and Campus Liaison
California State University, Long Beach

Is housing provided? are usually able to continue to receive their

regular financial assistance (in fact, sometimes it
Yes, it is guaranteed to all accepted students.
can be recalculated to account for increased need).
Students live in shared, fully-furnished
Again, we can provide examples of arrangements
apartments in well-established neighborhoods
in place at like institutions.
in Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland.
Beginning in fall 2010, many will live in What are the academic seminars
apartments in our new academic and residential
facility just blocks north of Capitol Hill. All
that are available to students?
facilities are easily accessible to Washington’s Academic seminars are usually offered for one
Metro subway system. Student life professionals— or two weeks in January and May. Students at
including resident assistants assigned to each all levels, including recent graduates, are eligible
building—organize a range of activities and to participate. The academic seminars offer an
provide an important “safety net” in case of in-depth, intensive focus of study on particular
emergency. topics through lectures, site visits, tours, briefings,
and special events. Past topics include Congress
What is the cost? How is it paid? and the Presidency, Politics and the Media,
The Washington Center’s program fee (tuition) Leaders on Leadership, the Camp David Peace
is set between the average tuition of public and Process.
private institutions nationally. For a semester Our Campaign Series centers around the
during the 2010 calendar year, the program fee presidential nomination and election process
is $6,345, and for the summer term or quarters, and includes signature programs at the national
it is $5,455. Housing fees are $4,550 and $3,540, political conventions and the presidential
respectively. Students’ actual net costs vary greatly inauguration. Starting in 2010, we will be offering
according to additional aid received from any of customized programming for faculty who
several sources, including their institutions, states, are bringing students to Washington during
internship sites and The Washington Center’s spring break.
own substantial financial assistance program.
All told, more than 75% of Washington Center The seminars provide incentives for faculty
students receive some form of assistance. to serve as faculty leaders and to bring groups
of students as part of a mini-term, summer or
Most public affiliates establish billing semester add-on course, worthy of one to two
arrangements to favor student participation— credits per week of study. They are an ideal way to
often waiving or forwarding tuition (perhaps after introduce Washington, D.C. and its vast resources
retaining some fees) to help minimize costs or to students who can only spend a short time in
assisting with institutional support (for example, the nation’s capital, and the faculty development
honors or grant funding). Since students remain opportunities are considerable. For upcoming
enrolled on their home campus, the institution is seminars please visit www.twc.edu/seminars.
still credited with their FTEs, and the students 7
 We consider The Washington Center a partner of the University.
For more than twenty years, it has offered our students coveted internships in a
For more information please wide variety of fields. It has given them the skills needed to enter and succeed in
contact: the workforce, and they’ve returned to campus with a renewed, energized and
Joseph S. Johnston, Ph.D. more focused approach to their career planning.
Senior Vice President Robin Lee, Ph.D.
The Washington Center Associate Director of Career Development Center and Campus Liaison
202-238-7948 California State University, Long Beach
joseph.johnston@twc.edu

Eugene J. Alpert, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President
The Washington Center We hope this summary clarifies why The Washington Center has become the largest
202-238-7984 organization of its kind and the partner of choice for colleges and universities. Few
eugene.alpert@twc.edu institutions are in a position to offer their own program in Washington. And even those
that are may find that by partnering with us, they achieve their goals at a fraction of the
cost, without the liability and with far more assurance of quality.
We invite you to explore an affiliation between your college or university and The
The Washington Center
Washington Center. An affiliation is a simple no-cost, no-obligation agreement that spells
for Internships and Academic Seminars
out your institution’s preferences regarding the credit students will receive, the handling
1333 16th Street, NW
of fees, and the appointment of a campus liaison.
Washington, D.C. 20036-2205
202-238-7900 Main You can download a copy of the Institutional Affiliation Agreement Form at www.twc.
202-238-7700 Fax edu/affiliation. We would of course be happy to answer any questions you may have and
share arrangements set up by other public institutions.
800-486-8921
www.twc.edu

© The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars 2010. All rights reserved.

The Washington Center actively strives for equal access to its programs for all regardless of race,
religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical challenge or veteran status.

The information in this brochure is correct at the time of printing. The Washington Center reserves the
right to make changes as circumstances warrant.

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