A call to VCU campus partners: Host student interns
Photo credit: Erin Borges
On June 17, the VCU Academic Internships Office (AIO) gathered partners from across VCU for an open conversation about what it takes to host an intern on campus and the impact that successful experiential learning opportunities on campus have on students.
The key question driving the morning was practical: how can units across the university create credit-bearing internships that serve undergraduate students and strengthen the units they serve while providing the hands-on experiences that will enable them to make an immediate impact post graduation.
For the AIO, it comes down to access. What students learn in the classroom takes hold when they apply it, and the office wants every undergraduate to have that kind of experience, whatever their major or path.
Hosting interns on campus is one of the most direct ways to make it happen, connecting students to the institution’s real work while reflecting the bold thinking that President Rao has encouraged about how VCU prepares students for what comes next. Campus colleagues came to explore how their teams might do exactly that.
The event paired a hands-on workshop with a panel discussion featuring Shay Lumpkin, director of the Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program; Robert Chisley, director of affinity programs with the VCU Office of Alumni Relations; and Sarah McCall, operations manager of the VCU Health Hub at 25th.
“We are committed to facilitating high-quality, credit-bearing internship opportunities for VCU undergraduate students,” said Cameron Carter, MSW., director of academic internships. “Ensuring students the opportunity to engage in meaningful professional experiences connects learning and purpose while enhancing career readiness.
The transformative power of internships
Carter spoke about how hosting gives staff the chance to mentor students at a formative point in their careers and to help shape the workforce those students will soon join. For students, the value is just as tangible. Internships give them room to:
- Build career-readiness competencies and practical skills that carry across fields
- Explore different work environments and career directions
- Develop a network of mentors and professional connections
- Take ownership of professional growth, practice self-reflection and act on feedback
- Put classroom theory into practice
Carter connected the value of these principles to a broader change in how employers hire, pointing to NACE’s reporting on the shift toward skills-based hiring as a useful primer for partners who want to understand what is at stake for tomorrow’s graduates.
For career readiness, internships are a fundamental and transformative part of the undergraduate student experience.”
– Cameron Carter, director of academic internships.
Ready to shape the future workforce? Your unit can make an impact starting now. Fill out the AIO interest form to learn more and stay in touch. For additional information, contact Cameron Carter at [email protected].
Categories Academic Affairs, Student Success