From the Freshman Office to the Women's Resource Center, the College's administrative internship program allows upperclass students to work closely with administrators to see how high-level decisions are made at the College.
Both interns and administrators agree the internship program provides for greater interaction between College staff and students. This year, 26 administrative offices solicited applications from sophomores and juniors interested in internship positions.
According to an advertisement placed in The Dartmouth in January, interns receive stipends ranging from $1,350 to $1,750 for three terms of service.
The program gives students a voice in offices that have little contact with students but significant influence on undergraduates.
"These internships are an invaluable opportunity for students to learn about the College and have a tangible effect on student life," Class of 1995 Vice President Hosea Harvey said.
Harvey said a large part of his job as intern in the President's Office is to act as a liaison between students and Acting College President James Wright.
On a daily basis, Harvey said his duties include writing an Ivy League news summary from the newspapers of the other Ivy League universities, arranging student functions and printing academic citations. Because they have the ear of the top administrators, interns say they have more influence than the average student. But administrators say they do not take the views of their interns as representative of the student body.
Wright said it is not the responsibility of interns to represent the views of their peers. He said Harvey has not used the position to try to act as the voice of the student body.
Director of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Mary Childers said, "Though interns are a source of student input, they do not necessarily have more influence than other students in my office."
Childers said she thinks the internship program gives students an "excellent opportunity for students to cultivate skills in areas they have an expressed interested in."
The Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action offered one internship this year to students interest in writing, journalism and law. Javier Ramirez '95 is the intern in Childers' office this year.
Claire Unis '95, who is an intern in the Dean of the College Office with James Hunter '95, said she has the opportunity to speak with Dean of the College Lee Pelton on a regular basis.
"I offer my opinion about various things, but [Pelton] never assumes that I represent the student body or even a majority of it,"Unis said.
Pelton said the intern's position is not meant to be a reflection of student opinion.
"I think it is impossible to make comparisons between conversations I have with James and Claire and those I have with other students," Pelton said.
Pelton said though he discusses campus issues with Hunter and Unis, he always discusses those same issues with other students.
But Pelton did say the fact that interns are allowed to attend more committee meetings is a privilege the majority of students do not have.
"My responsibility is to provide an opportunity where they can witness how decisions are made," Pelton said.
Pelton said interns also attend confidential staff meetings.
"I see it as more of an educational opportunity and less of a job," Pelton said.
Some student interns have other ways to have their voices heard on campus -- the interns in the President's Office and in the Dean of the College Office traditionally sit on Palaeopitus, a group of senior leaders who advise the President and the Dean of the College.
Sheryl Jacobson '96, the Student Leadership intern in the Office of Student Life, said the student internship program is worthwhile.
"It's one of the best opportunities for people to have a voice on campus," Jacobson said.
Jacobson, who works directly with Dean of Student Life Holly Sateia, said her position involves facilitating the Leadership Discovery Program for freshmen and organizing programs with local high schools.
"In terms of what program is run and how it is run, I definitely have a say," Jacobson said.
Dean of Freshmen Peter Goldsmith said in the past, student interns in the Freshman Office have had the option of serving on College committees.
Last year's intern in the Freshman Office, Andrea Darling '94, served on the orientation sub-committee of the Committee on the First-Year Experience.
Goldsmith said the intern in the Freshman Office has two large tasks. One is to organize pre-orientation for freshmen and the other is to "jump-start" the freshman Class Council.
As part of her job, Goldsmith said this year's intern, Adrienne Kim '95, holds office hours for students. Kim also surveys freshmen about orientation and surveys both freshmen and faculty about the advising system, he said.
Administrative internships are offered in other areas including the Women's Resource Center and Sexual Abuse Awareness Program as well as in Deans' Offices.
The Women's Resource Center currently employs two interns, Yun Chung '97 and freshman Shavon Fields.
Fields coordinates publicity and Chung organizes Wednesday night dinners at the Women's Resource Center.
Fields will coordinate a conference in the fall entitled "What is Feminism?" and a dance later this term, Director of the Women's Resource Center Giavanna Munafo said.
Dawn Conner '95 along with junior Tyler Stableford, works as an intern for the College's Alumni Magazine.
"I think I've had a great experience," she said.
Conner said her responsibilities include researching and writing features for the "On the Hill" section of the magazine.
