The Department of Educational Leadership & Counseling at The University of Montana offers graduate students a variety of institution and school-based internships. Internships are emerging as primary avenues to professional employment and provide field opportunities for students within their specific K-12 or higher education administrative interests. These internships are designed to place prospective administrators in colleges, universities, and K-12 schools. Graduate students in good standing in the School of Education at The University of Montana are eligible for an internship through the Department of Educational Leadership & Counseling.
Purpose
The purpose of an internship is to provide students with a wide range of administrative experiences that will immerse them in meaningful, concentrated, and applicable administrative experiences. These experiences will be designed through a partnership between the intern, host agency, site supervisor, and the Director of Administrative Interns. The internship design will provide opportunities for cognitive links between theory and practice by immersing student interns in situations that require the application of educational theory and skills to administrative challenges.
Academic Standing
Anyone applying for an administrative internship through the Department of Educational Leadership & Counseling must be a graduate student in good standing in the School of Education at The University of Montana. You must have 8 semester credits in school administration prior to starting this internship.
Administrative Internship
• The Montana Board of Public Education and the Office of Public Instruction will exempt the participating school district from a deviation in accreditation for having a non-certified administrator.
• Administrators acting under the Administrative Internship Program can assume all responsibilities afforded an administrator holding an appropriate Montana Administrative Certificate.
Graduate Credits
Individuals accepted for an administrative internship must register for the internship each semester that they will be participating as an intern. Credits for each semester can range from a minimum of 3 to a maximum of 6. Each university semester credit requires a minimum of 45 hours of field work.
Internship Responsibilities
Internship experiences are most beneficial when they involve a partnership. Each participating partner in the Administrative Internship Program (intern, host agency, site supervisor, and the director of interns) has specific responsibilities to ensure that the intern's experience is broad based and realistic. Throughout the internship, it is the responsibility of all partners to work collaboratively in their pursuit of the program expectations.
Intern:
1. Be a graduate student in good standing in the School of Education at The University of Montana.
2. Obtain all necessary signatures.
• Administrative Intern Application Form and Internship Agreement Form
• OPI Administrative Internship Agreement3. Facilitate the design of their Internship Plan with the host agency, site supervisor, and the Director of Administrative Interns.
4. Register for EDLD 594: Administrative Application and pay all required fees.
5. Successfully complete all requirements of the administrative internship:
• Establish an e-mail connection with the Director of Administrative Interns.
• Attend required state conferences (1 in the autumn and 1 in the spring).
• Maintain an ongoing log of the intern experience.
• Maintain an intern portfolio documenting experiences of the Internship Plan .
• Completion of a paper reflecting upon leaders and followers.
• Completion of the Intern's Final Report.
Host Agency
1. Provide the intern with a variety of administrative experiences over an extended period of time.
2. Provide a site supervisor that has the experience and time necessary to mentor the intern.
3. Support, by financial means and time from duties, the intern's participation in the autumn Montana Conference on Educational Leadership and the appropriate spring administrative conference
Site Supervisor
1. Create available time to provide on-going supervision and guidance to the intern.
2. Participate in the development of the Internship Plan.
3. Work within the guidelines of the Internship Plan.
4. Act as a mentor to the intern in all aspects of their internship experience.
5. Complete the Supervisor's Final Report and send it to the Director of Administrative Interns at the conclusion of the intern's field experience.
Director of Administrative Interns
1. Participate in the development of the Internship Plan.
2. Be in regular contact with the intern throughout the internship.
3. Act as a resource and mentor to the intern.
4. Visit the intern at their site two times per year (weather permitting).
5. Be available as a consultant whenever the intern or supervisor calls for assistance.
6. Complete the Director's Appraisal regarding the intern.
7. Complete the Academic Appraisal regarding the intern.
8. Assign a grade (Pass or Fail) for the internship course.
Internship Plan
The manner in which the internship is planned is closely related to the purpose of the internship experience. The intern will facilitate the development of their Internship Plan with the site supervisor and the Director of Administrative Interns. This partnership will produce a plan that emphasizes the professional experience desired by the intern, be broad enough in scope to provide a comprehensive view of educational administration, and prepare the intern for a professional career in educational administration while benefiting the host agency. The plan must be approved by the intern site supervisor, and the Director of Administrative Internships. The Internship Plan should provide opportunities for the intern to demonstrate competency in the following areas:
Relations with Others
1. communication with others
2. seeking and using help from others
3. working with and for others
4. openness to constructive criticism
Personal Qualities
1. making decisions
2. taking initiative
3. maintaining confidentiality
4. presenting themselves professionally
5. being organized
6. being creative
7. being dependable
8. being adaptable
9. adhering to policies and norms
10. working independently
Skills
1. verbal communication
2. analyzing situations
3. managing and meeting deadlines
4. written communication
5. solving problems
( adapted from Augsburg College , Internships and Cooperative Education, 2211 Riverside Avenue , Minneapolis , MN 55454 )
Registration and Fees
Students accepted for the Administrative Internship must register for the number of semester credits they wish to receive for their internship experience and course work for each semester.
• Registration: All students participating in the Administrative Internship Program must register for EDLD 594: Administrative Application, Section 05.
• There will be a $2,500.00 fee for supervision of the intern and allied services by The University of Montana. (You will be invoiced by the Department of Educational Leadership)